Wyoming Whiskey Integrity release celebration Saturday

Wyoming Whiskey (WW) is holding its Integrity Straight Bourbon Whiskey release event on Friday, August 25 in Kirby to celebrate Senator Alan Simpson, who will sign bottles from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the distillery.

 According to WW, “Integrity is a tribute to the honorable and respected Alan K. Simpson, a man known for his wit, wisdom, and dedication to his principles. Aged for seven years, this bourbon is crafted with integrity and care, just as Simpson approached every aspect of his life. Don’t miss this opportunity!”

 WW’s National Brand Ambassador and Co-Founder David DeFazio explained the origin of their Wyoming-only annual release, starting with the solar eclipse in 2017. Two years later, they released “Statesman” honoring Senator Cliff Hansen, who was Co-Founder Brad Mead’s grandfather. Hansen passed away before the “Statesman” could be released. 

 Now, WW passes the torch to Senator Alan Simpson in his honor. There is a clear connection between Hansen and Simpson - Hansen used a procedural maneuver by retiring a week early from the Senate, which allowed Simpson to have a jump start in seniority over all the other new incoming senators, hence passing the torch. 

 DeFazio said about Senator Simpson, “We honor Alan Simpson because the guy is a legend. He’s a gem. I don’t know how else to put it. There’s no one like Alan Simpson. He’s brilliant. He’s clever. He’s funny. He approaches situations with levity that you don’t find in 99.9% of the population and it’s very disarming. He has done great things for Cody, the state of Wyoming, the United States, the Smithsonian, and the museum in Cody. You know, you name it, the list just goes on and on. And so I wanted to honor him while he was alive. And he is still very alive and still very animated and still very much everything he has ever been. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with him. And when I asked him if we could do this, he pretended as though he had done nothing.”

 The label design of the “Integrity” bottle matches the style of the bottle honoring Cliff Hansen. These two bottles are designed as a part of a set, or a series. 

 DeFazio added that Senator Simpson was in Cody a few weeks ago signing bottles at Libations and “He sat there for a couple of hours signing every bottle that they had purchased. And they sold out of every one of them. And it just makes me so happy that he’s so engaged in this and is enjoying it, which is the reason for doing it, right, because I want him to enjoy it. I want him to understand how much people respect, acknowledge, and appreciate everything that he has done for us. I hope that on Friday it will be the same experience for him. I hope that he will enjoy his time with us and that everybody will enjoy the fact that he’s there lending his time and his penmanship.”

 Additionally, Retail and Event Manager Amanda Moeller wants participants in the event to know “You will have to purchase the bottle that day if you’d like it signed. Anybody that has already purchased a bottle can’t just bring it back in because we can’t keep track of who bought what. They can come in and buy a new bottle and have it signed.” 

 The event will be at the Wyoming Whiskey Distillery in Kirby Friday, August 25, from 10 a.m.-1 pm. The event will feature live music by Eric Kay, complimentary cocktails, and light food.