BONDSMEN CLUB
In 1868, the federal government introduced the concept of bonding, allowing distilleries to pay taxes on bourbon the year it was sold rather than the year it was produced. This intent was to alleviate the cash flow burden created by paying taxes up front. However, the measure prompted unscrupulous individuals to slowly remove untaxed bourbon from the rickhouses where the bourbon was being aged. In an effort to curb its loss of revenue, the government hired a fleet of bondsmen. It was a bondsmen’s job to stand guard and act as a gatekeeper to the locked rickhouses day and night. Although the practice has long been abandoned, many small wooden house structures can still be seen dotting the perimeters of Kentucky rickhouses today.
In the spirit of that history, we are accepting members for our inaugural Bondsmen Club! Enroll today, as we are only accepting 100 members for this edition.
Membership Fee: $100
Membership Duties: Watch over our bourbon, of course! As a bondsman or bondswoman, you are pre-purchasing Hartman’s 25-year-old bourbon. We plan on being here awhile and are committed to our community. Your bourbon, resting in its barrel, will be displayed with a plaque. Come 2044, your bottle will be made available to you, so stay in touch!
As a prestigious bondsman or bondswoman, you will also receive the following for one year:
A member number good for a 10 percent discount on all retail items, including bottles
An invite for you and a guest to attend one of five private bottling parties, where you will help bottle one of our products while enjoying food, drink, and sweet, sweet music
An opportunity to pre-purchase bottles, including special releases before they hit the market
Exclusive emails notifying you of events, product launch parties, swag giveaways, and special offers like the occasional free cocktail
