Buckshee Bourbon and Rye was founded out of adventure. After serving in an elite military unit for the British Army, James Thornett traveled the world doing many things. He served as the Head of Security for the US Embassy, Director of Intelligence for a private security contractor and later an accidental bootlegger and founder of the most dangerous bar in the world — the Baghdad Country Club.
James smuggled $10 million of alcohol down what was unquestionably the most dangerous road at the time — Route Irish in Iraq.
James teamed up with some key players in the spirits industry like JP Fetherston (US mixologist of the year), Xavier Padovani (partner in Experimental Cocktail Group) and Steven Grasse (Creator of Hendricks Gin and Sailor Jerry Rum) to create a whiskey that evokes many of the adventure-filled locales that have filled the pages of his passport.
The name Buckshee is derived from the Arabic word "bak-sheesh" meaning a small tip or bribe. James, a former British paratrooper, shares how colonial soldiers adapted it after World War I to mean a free drink. It was a term commonly used in his unit while serving during the Iraq War. It also reflects the attitude of the bourbon and rye he has created.
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