World-renowned spirits expert Fred Minnick teamed up with 88 Vines Entertainment, Six18 Media and The Kirby Organization to celebrate the NFL’s biggest week with the Fred Minnick & Friends Big Game Bourbon event, bringing together athletes, celebrities, musicians and bourbon lovers for an unforgettable night on Wednesday, February 7th at the Foundation Room at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
Highlights from the event included:
- Opening remarks from Vanderpump Rules’ Tom Sandoval who also served as the evening’s celebrity guest bartender.
- Minnick’s signature Blind Bourbon Live event, offering guests a rare experience to blind taste some of the top bourbons as they rank and determine their favorites, despite having no labels.
- A live taping of Minnick’s award-winning series The Fred Minnick Show featuring guests including Sandoval, Outlander and House of Dragons actor Graham McTavish, TV personality Charly Arnolt, Pawn Stars’ Rick Harrison, the world’s No. 1 sports bettor Amanda Vance, and Pro Football Hall of Famer Charles Woodson, who had the crowd roaring with laughter as he called out Ohio State and sang the Michigan fight song on stage.
- ACM Award-winning country artist Michael Ray performed an acoustic set including his songs “Whiskey And Rain” and “Hold.”
The event raised more than $25,000 for Forgotten Not Gone to support veteran suicide prevention, with more money being raised via the live online auction, which remains open until Monday., Feb. 12.
Forming a new partnership with 88 Vines Entertainment, Six18 Media and The Kirby Organization for his second annual event preluding the Super Bowl, Fred Minnick & Friends Big Game Bourbon is slated to become an anchor event for Super Bowl weeks ahead.
Guests were gifted a beautiful pair of Rēvo sunglasses, smoked citrus from CR Citrus, a signed copy of Minnick’s “Bourbon Curious” book, glassware from VISKI, and a Fred Minnick curated blind tasting kit from Blind Barrels in their gift bags from generous partners including:
- Bourbon & Beyond Music Festival
- Rēvo
- Tooth & Nail Wine Company
- CR Citrus
- VISKI
- Blind Barrels
- Cuban Seed Cigar Co.
- Kingmakers Cigars
- Independent Stave Company
ABOUT FORGOTTEN NOT GONE:
Forgotten Not Gone is a 501(c)(3) Veteran For Purpose Organization that is dedicated to “Stomping Out Veteran Suicide!” Feeling alone, forgotten, and abandoned causes #TooDamnMany Veterans to take their own lives daily in the United States. We proactively engage suicide prevention through emotional, physical, and spiritual health within a Veteran peer support environment. #FNG inspires our military community who were not lost at war but forgotten at home to make a decision to live again.
ABOUT SIX18 MEDIA:
SiX18, founded by entertainment industry veteran Clay Busch, is a forward-thinking talent management & agency specializing in marketing, branding, partnerships, and live events across a diverse range of industries including entertainment, spirits, and other alternative categories. With a mission to empower entertainers, artists, athletes, brands and professionals to extend their brand and revenue streams beyond traditional boundaries, SiX18 offers innovative strategies for ancillary monetization, leveraging intellectual property, and audience engagement to transform talent into multi-vertical brands. Committed to collaborative growth, SiX18 operates as a dynamic partner for talent and management groups seeking to expand their brand’s reach and impact in the global marketplace. Learn more at SiX18Agency.com or @six18agency on Instagram.
ABOUT 88 VINES ENTERTAINMENT:
88 Vines Entertainment is a boutique experiential and event production agency founded by music industry veteran Danny Cooper that works closely with brands to curate elevated music, wine, spirits, and culinary experiences that raise brand awareness and connect them to new audiences and build new relationships.
ABOUT THE KIRBY ORGANIZATION:
TKO is one of the music industry’s premier boutique booking agencies. Boasting a diverse roster of more than 200 artists, the agency is home to some of the biggest names and best emerging talent in music, including acts in rock, metal, and alternative. With offices in New York, Los Angeles, Nashville, and London, TKO has a worldwide reputation for identifying and developing talent, working hands-on with artists, management and labels, and carving career paths that are unique to the individual.