Challenge

Celebrity bourbon is one of the most crowded and skeptical arenas in spirits. A famous name gets a new whiskey noticed, but it can also invite the assumption that the liquid is an afterthought. ROW 94, co-founded by country superstar Dierks Bentley and distilled at Kentucky’s historic Green River Distillery, needed earned coverage that could build national awareness as the brand expanded market to market while establishing the bourbon’s credibility on its own merits.

The Idea

Lead with the bourbon Dierks Bentley believes in. PriceWeber built ROW 94’s media relations program around both Bentley’s star power and the brand’s bourbon credentials, including its historic Kentucky distillery, Master Distiller pedigree, competition medals and expert reviews. Outreach reached national spirits and trade press alongside country-music, entertainment and regional Kentucky media. The program was designed to build a sustained drumbeat well beyond launch day.

The Work

Working alongside trusted PR partners, PriceWeber ran an always-on program built around a steady cadence of brand moments. These included the national debut of ROW 94 Full Proof and its Dierks Day launch event, Dierks Bentley airport hologram experiences in Louisville and Nashville, the brand’s nationwide retail expansion and ongoing bottle signings and market activations.

Each moment was supported with press releases, media kits, targeted pitching, interviews and product samples, along with a managed influencer program. Between major milestones, outreach continued through product reviews, gift-guide features and ’emerging brand’ spotlights. Three national releases distributed through PR Newswire covered the airport hologram, the Full Proof launch and the nationwide expansion, extending the announcements well beyond the earned coverage.

The Results

The program delivered national scale and critical credibility for a first-year brand through consistent coverage across the year.

Coverage reached national spirits and trade press including Forbes, Whisky Advocate, BevNET, Craft Spirits Magazine, The Whiskey Wash, WhiskyCast, Fred Minnick and Drinkhacker. Country and entertainment media expanded the audience further, while Kentucky outlets such as the Courier-Journal, Lexington Herald-Leader and Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer added regional depth. Yahoo News and News Break provided national syndication.

Bourbon credibility remained the throughline. The program amplified ROW 94’s headline proof point, America’s Highest Rated New Bourbon, along with recognition including Double Gold at SIP, Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and 94 points from Wine Enthusiast. Reviewers also ranked it favorably against rival celebrity bourbons. A managed creator program added purchase-ready reach through whiskey voices like comingwhiskey (98.6K) and whiskey_weather (35K).

The coverage also supported the business. Buyer-facing trade coverage, including Beverage Media with roughly 20,000 on-premise and retail buyers, accompanied ROW 94’s expansion from limited release to nationwide availability and big-box retail as the brand secured national distribution.

In the Press

A sample of the outlets that covered ROW 94 across the year:

• Forbes
• Whisky Advocate
• The Spirits Business
• Fred Minnick
• BevNET
• Craft Spirits Magazine
• The Whiskey Wash
• Drinkhacker
• Chilled
• Bourbon+

National Announcements

• Nationwide expansion / Broken Branches: one of America’s Highest Rated New Bourbons expands nationwide
• Full Proof launch: Dierks Bentley releases ROW 94 Full Proof Bourbon
• Airport hologram experience: Groundbreaking hologram experience, Nashville International Airport

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