The duo is hitting the road to bring bold flavor to whiskey drinks and local bites nationwide
SHELBYVILLE, Ky., Oct. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ON THE ROAD — Sweet + Heat. Food + Drink. Drizzle + Pour. Bulleit Frontier Whiskey and Mike's Hot Honey are joining forces in a new partnership built around perfect combos and bold flavors. The two powerhouse brands are teaming up to bring unexpected pairings from their bottles to foods, cocktails and culture. Off the heels of the launch of Bulleit '87, the newest expression that combines bourbon and rye together in one blend, the two brands are teaming up to level up your favorite serves with a Drizzle of Mike's Hot Honey and a Pour of Bulleit Frontier Whiskey. Just as Bulleit '87 marries bourbon richness with spiced rye, Mike's Hot Honey brings the sweet heat. When the two combine in one glass, the ultimate pairing is born.
Bulleit Frontier Whiskey and Mike’s Hot Honey Collab On The Ultimate Pairing: A Drizzle + A Pour
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The Kentucky Hot Shot serve, a neat pour of Bulleit '87 Whiskey with a Mike's Hot Honey Rim
The Bulleit Rye Whiskey Swicy Gold Rush
The Bulleit Bourbon Hot Honey Old Fashioned
Custom Bulleit Frontier Whiskey x Mike's Hot Honey tee-shirt, illustrated by Diego Aguilar and available on the Mike's Hot Honey website while supplies last
Bulleit '87 and Mike's Hot Honey are taking that pairing on the road, with stops at 22 events across 15 cities throughout the year. From festivals and sports games to major food and cultural moments, the duo will show up with pours of Bulleit '87 served neat or on the rocks with a drizzle of Mike's Hot Honey on the rim, delivering bold, delicious flavor to the glass. Try the ultimate pairing from the new Bulleit Rider, a mobile bar decked out in Bulleit's signature orange. Don't worry, Bulleit Bourbon and Bulleit Rye will be there too, showing up in cocktails alongside the sweet heat addition of Mike's Hot Honey as a key ingredient. The partnership will also come to life through local food collaborations and wearable swag, bringing a different take on the ultimate pairing to every stop. From collabs with Briscuits in Austin, Texas to Cafe du Monde Beignets in NOLA to a classic deli sandwich with Ggiata Delicatessen in Los Angeles, people can savor the flavor of a Drizzle + a Pour in culinary classics and local favorites all over the US.
"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."
You can expect to see a lot more of this collab. The Bulleit x Mike's Hot Honey partnership will pop up in bars, restaurants and spirits retailers nationwide, bringing the ultimate swicy pairing to drinks menus and store shelves.
BULLEIT X MIKE'S HOT HONEY COCKTAIL RECIPES
Hot Honey Old Fashioned:
1.5 oz Bulleit Bourbon
2 bar spoons (approx. 1/8 oz) of 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:
Neat or On The Rocks pour with a drizzle of Mike's Hot Honey on the rim
BULLEIT X MIKE'S HOT HONEY AT EVENTS
Right around the corner, catch this collab outside at:
Los Angeles: Bulleit and Mike's Hot Honey are teaming up with Ggiata Delicatessen on The Kentucky Hotshot, a limited-time sandwich by LA's coolest purveyors featuring chicken marinated in a special Bulleit '87 BBQ sauce and finished with a Mike's Hot Honey drizzle, available for $18 across all Ggiata Delicatessen locations this weekend only (October 16 - October 19).
NYC: On October 17, the Bulleit Rider makes its way to NYC to take over Stone Street Oktoberfest, offering complimentary cocktails, serves of Bulleit '87 and Mike's Hot Honey, and giveaways at several bars on the block.
And down the line, we'll be showing up in many more cities, including the below. The fun will continue into 2027, so keep an eye out!
10/23: Whiskey Washback Dallas
10/24: Detroit Bar Takeovers
10/30: Whiskey Washback NYC
11/20: WhiskyFest NY
2/25 - 2/28: Miami South Beach Food & Wine
4/9 - 4/11: Tampa Gasparilla Music Festival
4/28 - 4/30: Lousiville Derby Week
If you'd like to experiment with the ultimate pairing at home or at your local bar, try Mike's Hot Honey x Bulleit in our simple but delicious signature pours. When used as a rim for a neat or on-the-rocks pour of Bulleit '87, Mike's Hot Honey draws out the whiskey's brown sugar sweetness while amplifying its spiced rye, resulting in a swicy experience that lets both bottles shine in the glass. A Drizzle of Mike's Hot Honey also gives a sweet heat element in the Hot Honey Old Fashioned and the Swicy Gold Rush, and upgrades food recipes that complement the whiskies however you drink 'em.
Beyond food and drink, the flavor journey is getting its own look. Illustrated by Diego Aguilar (@bird_milk_), the limited-edition Bulleit '87 x Mike's Hot Honey tee takes inspiration from the bold flavors and unexpected pairings found throughout the roadshow. The tee will be available for a limited time on the Mike's Hot Honey website for $30, with chances to score one for free on Bulleit's Instagram page.
The suggested retail price for Bulleit '87 is $29.99 for a 750mL bottle, in line with Bulleit Bourbon and Bulleit 95 Rye, available at select retail stores nationwide or online at ReserveBar.
Bulleit knows whiskey is best enjoyed with a glass of water and encourages those 21+ to sip boldly and responsibly. For more on Bulleit Frontier Whiskey, visit bulleit.com. Be sure to check out our Instagram @bulleit for more updates and where to purchase the spirit once it becomes available.
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.
Crafting iconic drinks chosen for life's moments.
ABOUT GGIATA DELICATESSEN Founded by childhood friends Noah Holton-Raphael, Max Bahramipour, and Jack Biebel, Ggiata draws inspiration from the classic Italian delis of their hometown, Montclair, New Jersey, community hubs where friends and family gathered over great food. Bringing that tradition west, Ggiata reimagines the East Coast deli through a California lens, serving high-quality, Italian-style sandwiches, wraps, salads, sides, and pastries made with care and the best local ingredients.
From its beginnings in Melrose Hill, Ggiata has grown to neighborhoods including West Hollywood, Venice, Highland Park, Brentwood, Studio City, and now Echo Park. Each location reflects the brand's roots in craftsmanship and collaboration, featuring partnerships with local artisans and creatives that make every space uniquely its own. At its core, Ggiata aims to be a neighborhood fixture: a place that delivers exceptional food, genuine hospitality, and a modern take on the timeless deli experience. For more information, visit ggiata.com and follow @ggiata on Instagram.
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