A Kentucky-founded non-alcoholic spirits company has signed a major distribution deal.
Spiritless, which got its start in Louisville, has partnered with Republic National Distributing Co. (RNDC) to distribute its products, including its reverse-distilled Kentucky 74, across the U.S. RNDC, which has a facility in Louisville, currently operates in Washington D.C. and 37 states across the country, with the expected addition of the New York market in 2022.
“We’re so thankful for the power of the RNDC network and their team that both supports our mission and also sees the incredible white space in the spirits’ business for Spiritless,” said Spiritless CEO Lauren Chitwood, in a news release. “The non-alcoholic movement is global — the opportunities are endless and we’re just at the tip of the iceberg.”
As Business First previously reported, Chitwood, Abbey Ferguson, chief relationship officer, and Lexie Larsen, chief operating officer, founded Spiritless in 2019 after years of working with large spirits industry companies who always needed something non-alcoholic to serve that was more exciting than water or cola. The company's debut product, Kentucky 74, is designed to look and taste much like real bourbon with its own unique notes of notes of caramel, vanilla, and oak.
Spiritless had a 10,000-square-foot office and fulfillment facility in Jeffersontown, but the company has moved its headquarters to Austin, Texas.
RNDC is committed to pioneering new paths for women in the beverage alcohol industry, according to the release.
“The low- and no-alcohol industry is booming, and that growth isn’t slowing down any time soon,” said RNDC Chief Executive Officer Tom Cole. “We’re proud to be on the forefront of this movement and join Spiritless — a women-owned brand we believe in wholeheartedly — in making drinking culture more inclusive.”
