SHELBYVILLE, Ky. — Bulleit Frontier Whiskey and Mike’s Hot Honey are teaming up for a national partnership combining whiskey cocktails, food collaborations and a traveling bar, with a Louisville stop planned during Derby week in April 2027.
The collaboration follows the launch of Bulleit ’87, a blend of bourbon and rye whiskey. Its signature serve, the Kentucky Hot Shot, pairs a neat or on-the-rocks pour with a drizzle of Mike’s Hot Honey on the glass rim.
The brands plan appearances at 22 events across 15 cities, bringing the pairing to festivals, sporting events and food and cultural gatherings. The Bulleit Rider, a mobile bar decorated in the whiskey brand’s signature orange, will serve as a centerpiece of the roadshow.
Bulleit Bourbon and Bulleit Rye also feature in the partnership through a Hot Honey Old Fashioned and a Swicy Gold Rush. The collaboration will extend to bars, restaurants and spirits retailers nationwide.
“As a brand built on backing bold ideas and doing things differently, we’re thrilled to partner with Mike’s Hot Honey to create the ultimate flavor pairing,” said Frank Dudley, brand director of American whiskey at Diageo. “We’re all about pushing the boundaries of flavor exploration, and Mike’s Hot Honey shares the same philosophy of quality and flavor, making for a pairing that tastes damn good.”
Food collaborations include Briscuits in Austin, Texas; Cafe du Monde in New Orleans; and Ggiata Delicatessen in Los Angeles.
At Ggiata, a limited-time Kentucky Hotshot sandwich features chicken marinated in a Bulleit ’87 barbecue sauce and finished with Mike’s Hot Honey. The sandwich will be available for $18 at all Ggiata locations Oct. 16-19.
The partnership also includes a limited-edition T-shirt illustrated by Diego Aguilar. The shirt is available for $30 through the Mike’s Hot Honey website while supplies last, with additional giveaway opportunities through Bulleit’s Instagram account.
Bulleit ’87 carries a suggested retail price of $29.99 for a 750-milliliter bottle and is available at select retailers nationwide and online through ReserveBar.
Bulleit x Mike’s Hot Honey cocktail recipes
Hot Honey Old Fashioned
- 1.5 oz. Bulleit Bourbon
- 2 bar spoons, approximately 1/8 oz., Mike’s Hot Honey
- 2 dashes bitters
- Garnish: Expressed orange peel
Swicy Gold Rush
- 1.5 oz. Bulleit Rye
- 0.75 oz. lemon juice
- 0.5 oz. Mike’s Hot Honey
- Garnish: Lemon peel or dehydrated lemon
Bulleit ’87 Kentucky Hot Shot
- Bulleit ’87 served neat or on the rocks
- A drizzle of Mike’s Hot Honey on the rim
Upcoming events and collaborations
- Oct. 16-19, 2026 — Los Angeles: Kentucky Hotshot sandwich available at all Ggiata Delicatessen locations.
- Oct. 17, 2026 — New York City: Bulleit Rider appearance at Stone Street Oktoberfest, featuring complimentary cocktails, Bulleit ’87 and Mike’s Hot Honey serves, and giveaways at participating bars.
- Oct. 23, 2026 — Dallas: Whiskey Washback.
- Oct. 24, 2026 — Detroit: Bar takeovers.
- Oct. 30, 2026 — New York City: Whiskey Washback.
- Nov. 20, 2026 — New York City: WhiskyFest NY.
- Feb. 25-28, 2027 — Miami: South Beach Food & Wine.
- April 9-11, 2027 — Tampa, Florida: Gasparilla Music Festival.
- April 28-30, 2027 — Louisville: Derby week appearances.
ABOUT BULLEIT
Founded in 1987, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey was inspired by an old recipe that turned into one of the fastest-growing whiskeys in America. Unlike traditional corn-forward bourbons, Bulleit is known for using a high rye mashbill, resulting in a bold, spicy character that is backed by caramel sweetness and a finish that holds its ground. It offers a distinctive take on whiskies that sets it apart from the start. Our top-selling Bulleit Rye is a direct result of our restless creators behind the bar. They inspire us every day, so we put their dreams into action and created our rye by their request. We know that whatever our amazing bartender community can dream up is worth doing, so we turned a dream into a reality – a brand ethos we take to heart.
At Bulleit, we put our intentions into action at our state-of-the-art distillery in Shelbyville, KY, opened in 2017 and a key fixture on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. As a brand that is passionate about awakening our frontier spirit, Bulleit Distilling Co. has continued to develop a modern, technological, and sustainable approach to making bold whiskey. As a testament to taking our craft seriously, our Frontier Whiskey was recognized for winning a Gold medal for Bulleit Bourbon and Double Gold medal for Bulleit Rye at the 2024 Tag Spirits Awards.
ABOUT DIAGEO
Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, JεB and Buchanan’s whiskies, Smirnoff and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.
Diageo is a global company, and our products are sold in nearly 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO). For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice.
