Blame it on the Brown Sugar: Actor Jamie Foxx buys brand from Gig Harbor distillery
In a prime example of a local business striking gold, the Academy Award-winning singer-songwriter Jamie Foxx has purchased Brown Sugar Bourbon, the spinoff flavored whiskey brand created by Gig Harbor’s Heritage Distilling Company.
In a release, the Gig Harbor founded company said it is “genuinely excited about the next phase in BSB’s growth as a national brand in the flavored whiskey category” and that it is “all excited that HDC will continue to have an interest in the brand and we look forward to supporting BSB’s national expansion.”
The brand is separate from the distillery, which will maintain local ownership. The big star buy-in still came as a ray of sunshine for HDC CEO Justin Stiefel, who said he couldn’t discuss the transaction details, but told The Gateway he was excited.
“We are excited that the brand has captured the attention and imagination of folks and that there was enough interest in it to see it move on to this next level,” Stiefel said. “We are very excited and we will continue to support it.”
Foxx posted on his personal Instagram account in conjunction with the news with the caption “Ya’ll ain’t ready…but I am. It’s been a long time coming…now you can blame it on the @brownsugarbourbon!.”
Foxx has acted in productions such as Netflix’s Project Power and Disney’s Soul. He won a best actor Oscar for his performance of Ray Charles in 2004’s “Ray.” He also is a prolific singer-songwriter who has collaborated with Kanye West.
Foxx now joins other actors such as George Clooney, who had his own tequila company; musician Dave Matthews, who started his own wine company; and Jay-Z, who sold cognac. According to the Eater Seattle, there are also local stars who have sold wine, such as Brandi Carlile, actor Kyle MacLachlan, and the Mariners’ own Edgar Martinez, who had a line of mezcal.
Stiefel said the news won’t impact Heritage Distilling Co. locally, as BSB is a separate business.
“BSB as a brand was spun out in 2019 into a separate LLC,” Stiefel said. “Heritage distilling remains locally owned and operated. We are still involved with BSB, but it’s completely separate. Nothing else within the Heritage portfolio or structure has changed.”
Pierce County Council Chair Derek Young took to Twitter to praise the news as the “crossover event you’ve all been waiting for.”
According to Forbes, Stiefel co-founded HDC after moving to the area following a career working in Washington D.C. for Alaska’s senators, Lisa Murkowski and Ted Stevens.
The company now has tasting rooms throughout the Pacific Northwest from Seattle to Eugene, Oregon. The flagship distillery remains in Gig Harbor, though Stiefel has also partnered with the Chehalis Tribe in planning their own distillery.
Stiefel said he considers the purchase of BSB to be big news for businesses in the region.
“Anybody from the Pacific Northwest should be proud anytime a brand or product that was created here garners the interest to go on to do bigger and better things,” Stiefel said. “Everybody who has been along through the journey should be proud of that.”
This story was originally published March 8, 2021 at 1:15 PM.
