It’s common practice for a whiskey brand to partner with a major sporting event, but often the “new” product is just a label redesign or special packaging, with no change to the actual liquid. That’s not the case, however, when it comes to Elijah Craig’s partnership with the Ryder Cup—the brand has released a new wood stave-finished version of its bourbon to celebrate the event returning to New York State, and we got to try a sample.
The Ryder Cup is a golf tournament that takes place every two years, with teams from the U.S. and Europe facing off over the course of three days. This year the Cup will be held September 23 to the 28th at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York on Long Island—the first time this venue has hosted the event. Elijah Craig, a popular bourbon brand produced at the Heaven Hill Distillery in Kentucky, is the “Official Bourbon and a Worldwide Supplier” for the Ryder Cup, a partnership that dates back to the last tournament that took place in 2023 in Rome.
The new Elijah Craig 2025 Limited Edition is a bourbon that was finished with wood staves. This is a process used by other brands, with perhaps the most notable example being Maker’s Mark 46, that involves submerging wood staves into the whiskey to impart new flavors. In this case, applewood and sugar maple were used—the latter specifically because it’s the official tree of New York State, where the Cup is taking place. According to the brand, this expression starts out as regular Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon, but it’s infused separately with toasted staves—75 percent toasted sugar maple and 25 percent toasted applewood. Those two components are blended together to create the final product, which was bottled at 94 proof.
We got to sample the bourbon, and it’s very good. The palate leads with classic Elijah Craig notes of maple, brown sugar, vanilla, and caramel, but the toasted wood influence is prominent with a dusting of cinnamon, roasted almond, leather, and balsa wood flavors that mingle together as you sip. This is a pleasant bourbon to drink on its own, but it would certainly work well in any cocktail—and you’ll be able to try one if you visit the Cup this year at the Elijah Craig Speakeasy onsite.
Elijah Craig 2025 Ryder Cup Limited-Edition Small Batch Bourbon (SRP $70) is available to purchase at liquor stores around the country and from websites like Total Wine now.
Authors
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Jonah Flicker