The Bourbon Alliance
Lodestone co-founded the Bourbon Alliance alongside key names from the hospitality sector and US Whisky category including Jack Daniel’s, Makers Mark and Jim Beam. The Bourbon Alliance was founded to secure the removal of the 25% retaliatory tariff placed on US Whiskeys being imported to the UK. We garnered significant grass roots support from members who represent every stage of the Whiskey supply chain, including bars, restaurants, importers, distillers, retailers and events organisers. We then began a bespoke public affairs campaign – briefing parliamentary stakeholders on the damage of the tariffs on UK plc, creating and landing a compelling narrative on behalf of the group’s 62 members.
Following our campaign, on 22 March 2022 the UK and US Governments announced that they had secured an agreement to remove the section 232 tariff on 1 June 2022. The US and UK Governments also committed to ensuring that the fast-growing market in global spirits makes a full recovery and flourishes once more. Our campaign has helped reverse the UK’s 42% decline in US Whiskey imports, supporting the sector at a vital juncture post-COVID. The campaign’s success will help to drive down the cost of premium spirit products for British consumers, including Bourbon, Jack Daniels, Jim Bean and Maker’s Mark. The campaign secured over 150 pieces of coverage in key national and sectoral press outlets including the Times, the Telegraph, the Financial Times, the Daily Mail, Today in Business, Harpers and the Daily Express.