• by Teresa Buyikian , February 12, 2025

The Los Angeles fires may be out, and although many brands steeped up to help, relief efforts are still needed to support Californians attempting to rebuild their lives.

This week the liquor firm Sazerac Company announced it will host a “first of its kind fundraiser” offering consumers the chance to buy “three ultra-rare prize packages, featuring some of Buffalo Trace Distillery's most sought-after bourbons.”

Of the funds raised, 100% will go to two nonprofit organizations committed to ongoing relief efforts in the California. The first is World Central Kitchen (WCK), which works with restaurants and food trucks to provide meals to those in need. The second is Another Round Another Rally, which provides financial support for hospitality workers impacted by the wildfire.

The spirits offered include Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year, Pappy Van Winkle 12 Year, Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 Year, Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year, Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year and Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year. Also available is Eagle Rare 25, which is reportedly the first bourbon aged in a state-of-the-art warehouse, designed to see if it was possible to extend the typical aging process  for American whiskey and bourbon.

The fundraising event has two parts. The first is an online silent auction for the first-ever single barrel of Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year Old. Bidding begins at $10,000 and increases in $1,000 increments. The online silent auction is now live at www.sazeracgivesback.com through Feb. 23. The winner will actually receive a “monetary prize equal to the value of the lot, which may be used to purchase the bottles yielded from the barrel, as well as the empty barrel.”

Secondly, consumers can donate directly on the site for a chance to win either a complete bottle set of the Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Collection, or one bottle of Buffalo Trace Distillery's Eagle Rare 25. Each entry is $50, and consumers can enter as many times as they like. The fundraiser is being promoted on the brand’s Instagram platforms.