PRESS RELEASE – August 12, 2024

Sergeant’s Valor Rye named Rye Whiskey of the Year in USA Spirits

Sergeant’s Valor Bourbon takes Gold

 SAN FRANCISCO, CA and SOUTHERN PINES, NC USA . On August 8, 2024, USA Spirits Ratings Competition awarded Sergeant’s Valor Select Rye Whiskey as the Rye Whiskey of the Year and awarded Sergeant’s Valor Select Rye Whiskey and Sergeant’s Valor Select Bourbon Gold medals.

Brad Halling American Whiskey Ko. (BHAWK for short) is proud to announce that only six months after opening, Brad Halling received Gold medals for both Sergeant’s Valor Select Bourbon and Sergeant’s Valor Select Rye at the USA Spirits Ratings and Sergeant’s Valor was named Rye Whiskey of the Year!

USA Spirits Ratings is a unique competition that judges a robust number of candidates on quality, connection with consumers, value, and how the products stand out on the shelf.   This makes BHAWK’s win even more special because it shows Brad Halling is not just creating top-quality spirits, but he’s crafting ones that people genuinely connect with and want to buy and enjoy.

BHAWK Distillery opened its 15,500 square foot destination distillery, cocktail bar and restaurant, and event space in Southern Pines, North Carolina in late February, 2024.

Army retirees and husband and wife co-founders, Brad Halling (Sergeant Major, US Army, Retired) and Jessica Halling (Colonel, US Army, Retired), Raise the American Spirit by expressing Gratitude for extraordinary service through premium spirits and distillery experience.

BHAWK is an acronym for the company’s name, and a signal of Brad Halling’s personal story of Gratitude.  During the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993, later memorialized by Hollywood in the movie Blackhawk Down, Brad’s helicopter, callsign Super 62, was shot down while he manned the mini-gun providing covering fires for his teammates.  Brad was hit by an enemy launched rocket propelled grenade that amputated his left leg above the knee.  He survived the blast and the helicopter’s hard landing and later fought to become the first above-knee amputee to serve through full Army retirement. Brad has gone on to live a life of resilience and Gratitude, and the BHAWK name serves as recognition to the men he was honored to serve with during that battle.

Brad and Jessica Halling are proud to have planted the BHAWK headquarters flag of this Veteran owned destination distillery at the crossroads of Fort Liberty (America’s largest military installation) and Pinehurst’s many golf resorts (the “Home of American Golf”).

The Hallings purchased and began shaping 175 Yadkin Road in early 2020 with a vision of creating an immersive distillery experience for whiskey lovers, local residents, tourists, and the surrounding military community. The site, designed by world-renowned architect and master designer TAG Galyean (Colorado’s Broadmoor Resort, Idaho’s Coeur de’ Lane Resort, West Virginia’s Greenbriar Resort, and Smooth Ambler Distillery.

Under the Sergeant’s Valor brand, Brad Halling and his team blend premium bourbon and rye whiskeys for their initial offerings while BHAWK’s estate products properly age on site.  In addition to premium bourbon and rye, the distillery will also produces premium Pistachio Bourbon Cream vodka, and gin under the Madam Colonel clear and flavored spirits portfolio.

The Hallings are chronicling their Veteran entrepreneur story on Instagram @hallingwhiskey and on Jessica Halling’s and Brad Halling’s LinkedIn.  You can find Brad sharing stories of military history, Gratitude, and whiskey @bradhalling.  They are incredibly grateful for their loyal military, local, and social media followers

Please join them at BHAWK Distillery in Southern Pines, North Carolina to Raise the American Spirit.

Sergeant’s Valor and Madam Colonel products are available in Southern Pines at BHAWK distillery and across North Carolina in ABC stores and bars and restaurants using the following ordering codes.

Sergeant’s Valor Select Bourbon 66904

Sergeant’s Valor Select Rye 66905

Madam Colonel Pistachio Bourbon Cream 66916

https://usaspiritsratings.com/en/competition-global-results/2024/