ANGEL'S ENVY

RAISING A GLASS TO FAMILY VALUES AND A NEW CHAPTER IN WHISKEY ROW’S HISTORY

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Brand experience, Brand home, Consumer journey, Spatial design, Storytelling,

Louisville has bourbon coursing through its veins. And Angel’s Envy Distillery, with its key pillar of good ol’ family values, is the beating heart of it all.

Having worked with Angel’s Envy before, we were already part of the furniture. So, when they asked us to design their brand destination, how could we say no? And when they asked us back to expand, we said, ‘yes, absolutely!’ without a doubt.

In the 1840s, ‘Whiskey Row’ was a thriving district. Almost 170 years later, it was on Louisville’s ‘Most Endangered Historic Places’ list. After a lifetime dedicated to the craft, Master Distiller, and local legend, Lincoln Henderson, came out of retirement to create Angel’s Envy with his son and grandson.

SADLY, HENDERSON PASSED AWAY SHORTLY AFTER THE GROUNDBREAKING, SO THIS WAS TO BE HIS LASTING LEGACY.

This wasn’t simply a brand destination we were involved with — this was a re-igniting of Louisville’s hospitality tradition, and the opening of a new chapter in its history.

OUR BRIEF:

• Put family values front and centre

• Transform the distillery into an immersive brand experience

• Turn Angel’s Envy fans into evangelists

• Help bring Louisville’s Whiskey Row back to life

• Create something worthy of the late, great Lincoln Henderson

90,000-square feet brand destination

Henderson had been a big name in the industry, helping develop brands like Woodford Reserve and Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel. But this was a whole new level. This was his swan song.

IN MEMORY OF LINCOLN HENDERSON.
THE LINCOLN HENDERSON.

Angel’s Envy was a multi-generational company and this had to be the cornerstone. Family, and the wit and wisdom of its founder had to shine through, from reception to tasting room.

This was a destination, a tour — but much more than that, it was a way of throwing the doors open and welcoming everyone into their home. A place to relax and hang a while. This is a legacy that we helped to build.

The destination was a huge hit. The family of fans and well-wishers was growing. People were falling in love with the brand, and the story behind it. The only problem — it was too good.

Within months, it was one of the top visitor experiences in Louisville. But, instead of trying to squeeze more people in, they chose to invest in creating an even bigger, better experience.

BIG, BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL, THE HENDERSON CHARACTER WAS POURED INTO ALL 13,000 SQ FT.

• An experience built around family, with Lincoln's portrait welcoming you at the door

• Five new tasting rooms, all named in honour of the family members

• A 250-capacity ‘hospitality central’ event space, offering a warm southern welcome to the good people of Louisville

• A top-secret, on-trade advocacy bar, inviting bartenders to pull up a stool and join the gang

• An expanded retail area, with special deals and guest giveaways to remember the experience by

The family's commitment to regenerating the area has kicked-off a tourist boom. And since opening on June 14th 2022 (National Bourbon Day), Angel's Envy has become one of the main attractions on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, greeting 64,000 visitors a year.

The distillery has created local jobs, and so far, has welcomed the best part of 100 new people into the Angel’s Envy clan. This success has also encouraged other distilleries to invest in the area — and the regeneration of Whiskey Row just keeps rolling along.