Using spring water taken directly from the Franklin battlefield, local preservationist Robert Hicks has created a special small batch bourbon whiskey in honor of the Sesquicentennial anniversary of the Battle of Franklin.
The drink is called Battlefield Bourbon, and is a very small batch bourbon whiskey distilled, aged and hand-bottled right here in Tennessee. Only 1,864 bottles are being released to stores in honor of the pivotal Civil War battle fought in Franklin on Nov. 30, 1864.
Robert Hicks, battlefield preservationist and New York Times bestselling author launched Battlefield Bourbon near the end of October. By using water from the battlefield, Hicks is providing an opportunity to actually taste part of this hallowed ground. Every bottle is hand numbered and hand signed by Hicks himself.
In making the announcement, Hicks said, “Something important happened on the hallowed ground of Civil War battlefields that should never be forgotten. Whether it was ‘home’ or ‘country,’ ‘honor’ or ‘union,’ that drove them forward, they fought and suffered, even unto death, for their cause. As a lover of fine bourbon, I wondered if there was a way to offer fine, very small batch bourbon and to raise funds for the battlefield reclamation.”
These words are on printed on the bottle along with “Lest We Forget” engraved into the wooden stopper cap of the 750 ml grandeur bottle.
Using the ‘allotment model,’ perfected by the highly praised Pappy Van Winkle, Battlefield Bourbon is very small batch with 91.2 proof. The front label of the bottle depicts a late 19th century illustration of the Battle of Franklin.
Hicks was a founding member of Franklin’s Charge in 2003, and has been described by the New York Times as “at the heart of the battlefield reclamation in Franklin.”
Under his leadership, Franklin’s Charge was able to bring the Franklin Battlefield back to life — taking it from “lost” to an example of a community’s efforts that are, according to Jim Lighthizer, president of The Civil War Trust, “second to none in the nation.”
Battlefield Bourbon has been released exclusively at spirits retailers and restaurants in Middle Tennessee. For more information visit www.battlefield-bourbon.com.
