Toasting the Iconic Whiskey Cocktail: Elijah Craig Brings Back Old Fashioned Week for Its Sixth Year

The award-winning whiskey invites fans to celebrate with the signature cocktail while supporting the hospitality community and professionals

BARDSTOWN, Ky., Oct. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Elijah Craig Bourbon, the award-winning bourbon that helped define the classic Old Fashioned cocktail, proudly announces the return of Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week, running October 10 through October 19, 2025. Now in its sixth year, the brand-created celebration invites bourbon lovers to enjoy Elijah Craig Old Fashioneds at participating bars and restaurants nationwide – while also supporting the hospitality professionals who make the Old Fashioned experience possible.

"Old Fashioned Week is an Elijah Craig original, created to both honor the iconic cocktail and give back to the community that allows bourbon culture to thrive," Max Stefka, Associate Vice President, Elijah Craig Bourbon. "When you order an Elijah Craig Old Fashioned, you're not just raising a glass – you're raising hope and helping to support bartenders, chefs and service staff nationwide."

Cocktails for a Cause

Each year Elijah Craig's Old Fashioned Week celebrates the craftmanship behind both the cocktail and the people who make it. For every Elijah Craig Old Fashioned sold, the brand donates $1 for each drink to bar and restaurant workers in need (up to $100,000). Last year, with the help of Elijah Craig's donation, the Southern Smoke Foundation provided 760 no-cost mental health counseling sessions through their Behind You program along with $40,000 in emergency relief grants to industry workers nationwide.

Since its founding in 2020, Old Fashioned Week has raised nearly $500,000 for organizations like the Southern Smoke Foundation which provides emergency relief and mental health services to food and beverage workers. This year's celebration once against extends beyond the U.S. with events in Canada benefitting the Bartenders Benevolent Fund, and in the U.K., where proceeds will support The Drinks Trust.

Consumers can find participating venues through the online "Find a Bar" tool at www.oldfashionedweek.com, which lists locations exclusively serving Elijah Craig Old Fashioneds and twists on the classic.

Bartender Contest: A New Era of the Old Fashioned

Bartenders nationwide are encouraged to showcase their skills in the "New Era of the Old Fashioned Cocktail Contest," hosted by Elijah Craig and VinePair. Entrants will compete for a $15,000 grand prize and inclusion in the forthcoming "Old Fashioned Week Cocktail Companion: Volume 3." Entries will be judged on balance, creativity, and presentation. Submissions are open now through November 1, 2025.

About Elijah Craig 
Known as "The Father of Bourbon," Elijah Craig is credited with being the first distiller to age his wares in charred oak barrels to make Bourbon. The clear, unaged corn whiskey became transformed into a bold amber liquid with a distinctively smooth flavor that makes Bourbon what it is today. Elijah Craig's community impact continues through Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week, providing total donations of half a million to date to organizations supporting the hospitality industry. Produced by Heaven Hill Distillery, the nation's largest independent, family-owned and led distillery and the world's second-largest holder of Kentucky Bourbon, the Elijah Craig lineup includes: Elijah Craig Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Elijah Craig Straight Rye Whiskey, Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Elijah Craig Toasted Rye Whiskey, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, and Elijah Craig 18-Year-Old Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Elijah Craig's accolades have included Whisky Advocate's Whisky of the Year, Best Small Batch Bourbon and Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and World's Best Small Batch Bourbon and Best Kentucky Small Batch Bourbon at Whisky Magazine's 2023 World Whiskies Awards. For more information, please visit www.elijahcraig.com.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Kaitlynn West
Heaven Hill Distillery
[email protected]

SOURCE Elijah Craig