Restless Spirits® Distilling, creating unique Irish & American inspired products in Kansas City since 2016, takes its restless spirit northeast as an official sponsor of the 2018 World Series Champions Boston Red Sox. As part of the multi-year deal, Restless’ Builders® Botanical Gin is now the official gin of the Boston Red Sox and will be showcased throughout historic Fenway Park.
“The Shannon family history in Kansas City goes back over 100 years, as does the Red Sox ties to Boston. To be able to merge our family heritage with one of the most iconic baseball franchises in America is incredibly exciting for everyone at Restless. We can’t wait to introduce Builders®Botanical Gin to all of the passionate and spirited Red Sox fans across New England,” said Mike Shannon, owner and founder of Restless Spirits® Distilling. “From a business standpoint, this sponsorship clearly helps us grow our footprint beyond the Midwest. Just like our family stretched their legs to move to Kansas City from Ireland, our entire line of Restless Spirits® brands now has a chance to stretch and grow at an accelerated pace across New England thanks to this partnership with the Red Sox.”
The deal between Restless Spirits® and the Boston Red Sox was inspired by the presence that Restless currently has at Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals. For the 2019 season, Restless sponsors the Builders® Craft Cocktail Bar located in the Diamond Club at the stadium and serves signature hand-crafted cocktails.
“The support we’ve received from the Royals and Aramark, and the response from fans, has been incredible,” added Shannon. “The Royals took a chance on us and we are so appreciative and grateful for the exposure inside Kaufman to open the door to other opportunities.”
“Restless has a passion for creating high quality spirits that fits within our standard of excellence as an organization,” said Red Sox Executive Vice President Troup Parkinson. “We look forward to introducing Builders Botanical Gin to our fans and welcoming Restless Spirits Distilling to the Red Sox family.“
In addition to being named the official gin of the Boston Red Sox, the sponsorship will give Restless Spirits® Distilling and Builders® Botanical Gin rights to use the official Red Sox logo, signage and exclusive tasting events inside Fenway Park for 2019, as well as in-game local radio spots for 2019 and Red Sox network radio spots starting in 2020. In future years, Restless will have an opportunity to create a Builders® Botanical Gin branded space inside Fenway Park.
The marketing territory for the deal includes the six New England states of Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont and part of Connecticut, leading to distribution expansion. Distribution of the Restless product line across Massachusetts will be handled by Burke Distributing Corporation in Randolph, MA.
“We are excited to partner with Restless Spirits® Distilling and provide the service needed for their spirits portfolio at Fenway Park. Burke Distributing has a long-standing relationship with Fenway Park and the Boston Red Sox that’s lasted through generations of ownership and management. We are honored to be able to represent Builders® Botanical Gin in the Massachusetts market as the official gin of the Boston Red Sox!”
About Restless Spirits Distilling
Founded in 2015, Restless Spirits® Distilling Company is a unique spirits company that taps into the Irish heritage of the United States. Owners, Mike and Benay Shannon’s Irish bloodline is deeply rooted in Kansas City going back to the mid-1800’s when Mike’s great-great-grandfather immigrated to the United States from Ireland. The family lived in Kansas City and identified as “Rabbits”, aligning with local political boss Joseph Shannon. Through the story of the family heritage, a unique niche market of Irish-style spirits was created to pay homage to the Irish. When building the Restless Spirits® brand, the Shannon’s consistently used the symbol of the rabbit on all spirit labels and marketing materials. Restless Spirits® currently offers seven products: Builders® Botanical Gin, Duffy’s Run® Vodka, Sons of Erin® Irish Whiskey, Stone Breaker® Irish & American Whiskey, Sons of Erin® 15-Year Single Malt Whiskey, GullyTown® Single Malt Whiskey and Padraig’s Rebellion Poitin.
For more information, visit http://restlessspiritsdistilling.com/.
Terry Bunch
Raymond
