Philadelphia Restaurant Offers A Shot At Winkle 25 Year Old

By Richard Thomas

Last Spring, bourbon enthusiasts were both simultaneously elated and dismayed by the announcement that the oldest Van Winkle bourbon ever was to be released. Elation because the release of a 25 year old bourbon made by the defunct Stitzel-Weller Distillery was a first, but dismayed because only 710 bottles were to be released at a suggested retail price of $1,800. The market value of Winkle 25 Year Old (predictably) soared to $15,000 a bottle.

Now a Philadelphia-area restaurant is offering Van Winkle diehards a crack at Old Rip Van Winkle 25 Year Old. The Twisted Tail, a Southern-influenced restaurant and music venue (“juke joint”), procured a bottle through a lottery operated by Pennsylvania’s state-run liquor distribution and sales network.

The restaurant is taking that bottle of Winkle 25 and adding Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year Old, Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Decades, Angel’s Envy Cask Strength and Col. E.H. Taylor Four Grain to create a flight composed entirely of limited edition bourbons, the Owner’s Collection Tasting. Only 25 tickets for this quite rarefied tasting of bourbon are available, which will be held on February 2nd from 7 to 9 pm. Tickets cost $425 each.