The Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Company introduced its short film “A Toast To The Times” during an ecologically aware event in Los Angeles, California this past Friday night (February 3). Every aspect of the event was designed to have as little effect on the environment as possible, including repurposed furniture, a “root to stem” meal, and local recycling and composting connections.
The inaugural public screening of “A Toast To The Times,” a 90-second short developed in partnership with Grammy nod-earning spoken word poet J. Ivy and film director Carlos Lopez Estrada, was attended by pioneers in art, sustainability, cuisine, and technology. The video honors cultural cross bearers. It is part of The Bulleit Pioneer Project, a multi-year commitment to promoting and elevating people creating new territory.
An effort dedicated to exemplifying a sustainable alternative
The ecologically responsible event demonstrates The Bulleit brand’s dedication to promoting a sustainable mentality. To make this debut possible, Bulleit united a group of trailblazers from the fields of food, drink, furniture, and waste management.
Jimmy DiResta, a designer and constructor, was in charge of the furnishings throughout the room. The pièce de résistance, in addition to tables made from 100-year-old doors and repurposed metal table legs, was an upcycled Bulleit bar made from wood from a family farm erected in 1790. The metal Bulleit logo was salvaged from the floorboard of an International Harvester Jeep before being welded and placed to the top of the repurposed bar. Sunbeam Antique in Highland Park, Los Angeles, also contributed vintage items to the room.
Chef Josh Gill was in charge of the cuisine, while Stephanie Reading was in charge of the drinks. Both are recognized for spearheading the sustainable food and drink movement in California, and they created meals using the same products, employing the root to the stem to save waste. The vegetables was purchased from eco-conscious vendors within 30 miles of the event location and served on palm leaves.
This was complimented by the absence of single-use plastic throughout the room, 100% sustainable glassware, and a collaboration with Compostable LA, a full-service community compost service that converts food trash into superfood for soil around Los Angeles.
“It was no simple thing to pull together an ecologically aware event of this proportions,” said Sophie Kelly, Senior Vice President of Whiskies at Diageo North America.
“I’m really pleased of the Bulleit brand’s overall dedication to sustainability. With our carbon-neutral distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky, fueled by 100% renewable energy, and our zero-waste operations in Shelbyville, we’ve reimagined category standards. We’re now doubling down on this commitment via marketing. We’re sharing our new video with the world, as well as a peek of what’s possible when you bring together a group of individuals who are on the cutting edge of sustainability and devoted to change,” Kelly continued.
A full exhibit showing the soul of the frontier
The event included the world debut of “A Toast To The Times,” a 90-second short that celebrates individuals living on the cutting edge of society. J. Ivy’s impassioned poem talks of “those who aren’t frightened to tap into their grandeur” and asserts that “knowledge is braided in the waves we produce,” capturing the relentless and passionate attitude required to shatter the current quo. His comments are supported with mixed media visuals selected by Mexican director Carlos Lopez Estrada, which include original video, art, animation, and typography.
Along with the video, Bulleit announced the Bulleit 100-Hour Commitment, a vow to offer young pioneers with 100 hours of mentoring from experienced talent as a result of Bulleit’s long-standing partnership with music and creative platform, UnitedMasters. This commitment stems from UnitedMasters study, which found that mentoring is one of the most critical — and least accessible — tools for people trying to advance their careers. The finest talent at UnitedMasters includes artists, authors, producers, and DJs, and these mentoring hours will be spread throughout 2023 via activations, collaborations, and digital content.
Six weeks after Bulleit formally launched its Pioneer Project, the film “A Toast To The Times” from lead creative agency Anomaly is released. It launched the Bulleit Remix Challenge in December 2022, in search of creative lyricists to collaborate with J. Ivy. Hundreds of candidates submitted verses for a one-hour mentoring session with the musician as a result of the search.
J. Ivy, the Remix Challenge winner, and other UnitedMasters artists like as DJ OHSO, Anisa Brenee, Col3trane, and Siobhan Bell performed at the debut event.
The video for “A Toast To The Times” is available at: https://www.bulleit.com/pioneerproject/.
Victor Trammell is a digital media producer, freelance journalist, editor, and author. He was formerly a Chief Contributor at the Black Then History Network and Your Black World News. Mr. Trammell is also a media holdings investor (Creatd Inc.) and previously wrote content for the Michael Baisden Show, a nationally syndicated radio program.
