We’re Recapping Chilled 100 ELEVATE with Chicken Cock Whiskey

I’m sure the first question that pops into your head is the same one that popped into mine, and probably just about everyone who hears the name Chicken Cock Whiskey. “Why in the world would you choose that name for your brand?”

Master Distiller Gregg Snyder was quick to point that question out for us at the Chilled ELEVATE seminar “History in a Glass with Chicken Cock Whiskey.”

Chicken Cock whiskey began in 1856, at a time when a brand could use a name like this with little worries. Quite simply, it was the original name for a rooster. Before the Civil War it was also a symbol of both defiance and strong will. Two things needed to begin a business from the ground up. There is also a rumor that it’s named after founder James A. Miller’s tendency to stir his drinks with rooster feathers. Either way, there is a rich history behind this brand that extends far beyond its quirky name and lands squarely at an expertly crafted bourbon that lives up to its reputation as “The Famous Old Brand”

At one point in its varied history, the famous speakeasy The Cotton Club, served Chicken Cock in cans (to hide the bottle during Prohibition) Duke Ellington quoted in his memoir Music is my Mistress, “During prohibition you could always buy good whiskey from somebody at the Cotton Club. They used to have what they called Chicken Cock. It was a bottle in a can, and the can was sealed. It cost something like ten to fourteen dollars a pint.” And for those who would like to know, that would be around $140.00 today!

Though the company survived several tragedies, The Whiskey Trust, Prohibition, and people making imposter whiskey, Chicken Cock faded out after World War II. The brand was revived again in 2011 and today continues to be a dominant presence in a field of worthy competitors.

With an impressive 46-year career in this industry, Gregg is a wealth of information and it was very clear that behind that knowledge is a passion for crafting excellent products that mix tradition with innovation. Also making Chicken Cock unique in its field is that as Master Distiller, Gregg oversees everything from bark and barrel to grain and whiskey. Listening to and learning from him was greatly informative and helps improve the experience of not only drinking this bourbon, but also serving these products to guests at our bars and restaurants. We now have a great story to tell that will elevate the whiskey in the glass to full on experience, 167 years in the making.

Thank you to Chicken Cock Whiskey for sponsoring our seminar. And a very special thanks to Gregg Snyder for sharing your time, knowledge, expertise, and most of all—whiskey with us at Chilled ELEVATE 2023. Cheers!