Today, Grammy-winning, multi-platinum superstar, Michael Bublé, announces the launch of Fraser & Thompson, his new whiskey brand in partnership with longtime friend and award-winning Master Distiller and Blender Paul Cirka. Michael took to social media to share the news, as if a project three years in the making could come together with just the push of a button. The plan is to support the brand with an integrated marketing campaign to be announced soon, assuming Michael has enough time within his schedule of touring, squeezing in a mid-day nap, and knotting the perfect bow tie (it’s harder than it looks).
This North American Whiskey – a first for the whiskey category, brought to market by fast-growing spirits incubator WES Brands – blends and bottles Canadian Whiskies with Kentucky Bourbon in Bardstown, KY.
This whiskey is a triumph, an achievement, the product of years of hard work and collaborative efforts involving dozens of beverage alcohol professionals, yet we haven’t received much more than a winking emoji from Mr. Bublé when asked how we should advertise it. It strikes us as supremely ironic that a guy with such an extensive catalog of music has mastered radio silence. We toyed with the idea of constructing an attractive, well-dressed scarecrow stuffed with hay next to a tape recorder playing “Haven’t Met You Yet,” but the coincidental sentiment felt too on-the-nose for our marketing team, whose calls keep getting bounced between assistants. Through the grapevine, we hear that it’s “fine :),” “everything will work out” and “have you tried meditating?”
At some point, from somewhere, he released this very nice statement that we’d like to share with you now:
“I spent many summers with my grandfather at the confluence of the Fraser and Thompson rivers in British Columbia,” said Fraser & Thompson founder Michael Bublé. “When I heard Paul’s vision for creating a new kind of whiskey, I knew instantly what I wanted to call it. For the last three years, we worked together to perfect a whiskey blend that is equally elegant and approachable. We can’t wait to pour you a glass!”
Isn’t that great? As if Michael is just the salt of the earth, sitting on a porch somewhere talking to the neighbors, and pouring you a glass of his smooth, delicious whiskey? This overbooked, overextended, sentient tuxedo of a man is thousands of miles away telling us, “Easy, now,” like he’s gone fishin’ instead of playing sold out shows in a new city every night.
Regardless of any personal feelings for this still-buffering campaign, Fraser & Thompson is genuinely fantastic. The creative blending process curated by award-winning Master Distiller and Blender Paul Cirka, co-founder of the brand with Bublé, sets Fraser & Thompson apart. Cirka hand-selected aged liquid to blend into an inviting whiskey, with sweet fig and blood orange on the nose, and a subtle finish of caramel, vanilla, and a hint of spice.
I mean, sure, we have one of the best voices of our time as a face for this campaign, but we could let the whiskey speak for itself, I suppose. And this Cirka character sounds like an upstanding guy.
“Michael and I bonded over our shared passion for whisky, and wanted to create a blend that was flavorful but more light-hearted than the category at large can be known for,” says Fraser & Thompson co-founder and Master Distiller and Blender Paul Cirka. “We stumbled upon creating something new for the category, a blended North American Whisky. I would be delighted if you would call my personal cell and I can explain everything about this beautiful whisky: (929) 867-7490.”
Well, there you have it. I guess we just launched Fraser & Thompson. Tell the concierge at Michael’s hotel to pass along a thumbs up from us so we don’t interrupt his beauty sleep. We wouldn’t want to harsh Mr. Bublé’s mellow.
Fraser & Thompson North American Whiskey is blended and bottled by Heaven Hill in Bardstown, KY. The brand is sold in 750ml bottles at 42% ABV and is available in limited quantities in the U.S. and select international markets, including Canada, for $29.99, as well as on ReserveBar. And by “limited,” we mean “limited,” as we don’t yet have enough product produced at the time of this announcement to sell into most major markets. I think this is an issue, but when I raised it with Michael, his response was, “You’re welcome.”
This should be interesting.
