Celebrities and spirits are nothing new, but some definitely have more authentic ties to the brands they represent than others and when it comes to bourbon, few seem more credible than Matthew McConaughey.
McConaughey and Wild Turkey recently introduced Wild Turkey Longbranch, a collaboration between the whiskey’s creative director and Master Distiller Eddie Russell. Inspired by McConaughey’s Kentucky and Texas roots, this rare small-batch Kentucky bourbon is refined with Texas Mesquite and oak charcoals. This is the first time Wild Turkey has unveiled a product that bears a signature of someone other than the Master Distillers Jimmy and Eddie Russell.
Wild Turkey Longbranch is the latest collaboration from the multi-year partnership with the Academy Award-winning actor. McConaughey, the brand’s creative director since 2016, and is the next step in that relationship. The name is inspired by the friends that form the longest branches of our family trees.
The connections that McConaughey and the Russells have to both Kentucky and Texas were a major inspiration for this collaboration. McConaughey’s parents met at the University of Kentucky, 15 miles from the Wild Turkey Distillery, while Eddie Russell’s youngest son, Bruce, now lives in McConaughey’s hometown of Austin, Texas.
“Longbranch, in its simplest form, is an extended hand, inviting a friend into your family,” says Matthew McConaughey. “So the branch that was extended to me from the Russells was a long one, one that reached from Kentucky to Texas and back again. I offered the Mesquite from my great state to add to their legendary Kentucky whiskey and together we made Longbranch.”
To create Longbranch’s signature flavor, McConaughey and Russell spent countless hours sharing notes, then, after two years of testing, perfected a proprietary process that combines two separate charcoal filtration methods to give Longbranch a smooth and full finish. The first filtration process uses charcoal made from American White Oak and the second uses charcoal made from Texas Mesquite wood, giving the bourbon notes of smoky sweetness.
“When we were creating Wild Turkey Longbranch, we talked at length about how to make a product that represents elements of both Texas and Kentucky,” said Wild Turkey Master Distiller Eddie Russell. “Our goal was to make a straight bourbon whiskey with a soft sweetness that was still unmistakably Wild Turkey. The result was a bourbon that we both truly enjoy drinking neat, and look forward to sharing with others.”
Wild Turkey Longbranch retails for $39.99 and is available now.
