World's Most Valuable Whisky Makes U.S. Debut at Charity Auction and Celebration of Glenfiddich's 125th Anniversary With Host Adrian Grenier

NEW YORK, March 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Glenfiddich, the world's most awarded Single Malt Scotch Whisky, announced today plans to auction the first U.S. bottle of its extraordinary Glenfiddich Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve, one of only 11 bottles in the world, as part of an exclusive charity gala and auction to celebrate the famed whisky's 125th Anniversary. The evening will be hosted by actor and environmentalist Adrian Grenier with proceeds from the auction benefitting SHFT Initiatives, the charitable arm of SHFT, founded by Mr. Grenier to promote sustainability issues through the intersection of commerce, art & design, and communication. The gala will be held at Liberty Island on Thursday, March 15, 2012, and will kick off Glenfiddich's year-long celebration of its 125th anniversary. Interested bidders should contact [email protected] for further information.

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The 125 years of Glenfiddich are characterized by a history of pioneering that began with its founding father William Grant, who followed his life's dream to create the 'best dram in the valley' and, along with the help of his nine children, built the Glenfiddich Distillery by hand over the course of a year. The pioneering spirit was continued with the founding of the Single Malt category by Glenfiddich, by the unparalleled range of fine Scotch variants now offered by Glenfiddich, and by the descendants of William Grant who continue to own and oversee one of the world's most celebrated and respected spirits companies – William Grant & Sons.

Today, the dreams of William Grant have not only been realized but are celebrated through the continued success of what is today the world's most awarded Single Malt Glenfiddich, as well as through the dedication to family that is apparent in all aspects of Glenfiddich and William Grant & Sons.

When Janet Sheed Roberts, granddaughter to William Grant, celebrated her 110th birthday in August of 2011, the team commemorated this special occasion with the creation of an extremely rare 55 year old Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky. This offering has quickly established itself as the benchmark for fine and rare whiskies, with Bottle #1 fetching an unprecedented 46,850 pounds ($72,630) at auction in the UK December 2011. Bottle #2 was subsequently sold for 44,000 pounds at an event hosted by HRH Prince Harry. Bottle #3 will be the first bottle available in the U.S.

"We're extremely excited to be releasing this once-in-a-lifetime bottle in the U.S.," said Lindsay Prociw, Senior Brand Manager for Glenfiddich. "Glenfiddich began its history 125 years ago when founder William Grant cashed in his life savings to pursue his dream of creating of the 'best dram in the valley.' His family has carried that torch for five generations, and today Glenfiddich is the leading Single Malt Whisky in the world, thanks to its unrivalled quality and its tradition of pioneering achievement. This bottle is the most recent step in that history and a fitting way to celebrate our 125th anniversary."

The auction gala will feature exciting lots in line with the pioneering spirit of Glenfiddich, and all proceeds will benefit SHFT Initiatives. SHFT Initiatives is a sustainability-focused charity founded by film producer Peter Glatzer and actor-filmmaker Adrian Grenier. Its mission is to develop creative solutions to improve the health of individuals, communities, and the environment at large through the intersection of commerce, art & design, and communication. Like Glenfiddich, SHFT Initiatives is fully devoted to supporting both sustainable business practice, but also to the artists, innovators and pioneers of tomorrow, whose dreams may one day have a profound impact on our world.

"The mission established by Mr. Grenier with SHFT Initiatives is so important to our future and perfectly in line with the pioneering spirit of Glenfiddich," added Prociw. "We are thrilled to support SHFT Initiatives and the important work this organization is doing, and are excited to have Mr. Grenier join Glenfiddich Malt Master Brian Kinsman as host for the gala celebration."

Glenfiddich's celebrated expert Brand Ambassadors Heather Greene, Mitch Bechard and David Allardice will participate in the event to guide guests through the exciting world of Glenfiddich and kick off the brand's year-long 125th Anniversary celebration, including the next stage of the pioneering Cask of Dreams program, that will travel the U.S. throughout 2012.

About William Grant & Sons

William Grant & Sons, Ltd. is an independent family-owned distiller headquartered in the United Kingdom and founded by William Grant in 1887. Today, the luxury spirits company is run by the fifth generation of his family and distills some of the world's leading brands of Scotch whisky, including the world's most awarded single malt Glenfiddich®, The Balvenie® range of handcrafted single malts and the world's fourth largest blended Scotch Grant's® as well as other iconic spirits brands such as Hendrick's® Gin, Sailor Jerry® Rum, Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey and Milagro® Tequila.

Among the most recent accolades for the well-awarded company, William Grant & Sons was honored as the "Distiller of the Year" by the International Wine & Spirit Competition for the second year running and the fourth time since 1999. When counted along with the same designation from the International Spirits Challenge, William Grant & Sons has received this title an unprecedented nine times in the past 12 years.

Founded in 1964, William Grant & Sons USA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of William Grant & Sons, Ltd. and features one of the fastest growing spirits portfolios in the USA with brands including Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, Hendrick's Gin, Sailor Jerry Rum, Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey, Milagro Tequila, Stolichnaya Vodka, Grant's, Hudson Whiskey, Gibson's Finest, Monkey Shoulder, Clan MacGregor, Reyka Vodka, Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur, Lillet, Art In The Age, The Knot and BOLS cordials. The company has offices in New York City (sales and marketing) and Edison, NJ (bottling and warehouse facilities). For more information on the company and its brands, please visit www.grantusa.com.

SOURCE William Grant & Sons