Bespoken Spirits Named 2025 Best in Class Straight Bourbon Winner at the Prestigious New York World Spirits Competition (NYWSC) for New Brand "The Garden Reserve"

Crafted in partnership with Johnnies Collective to support St. John's student athletes, the straight bourbon blends NYC hoops pride with refined craftsmanship

LEXINGTON, Ky., Oct. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Bespoken Spirits, the Kentucky-based spirits company revolutionizing whiskey craft and production through its tailored wood finishing process, has been named the 2025 Best of Class Straight Bourbon Winner at the prestigious New York World Spirits Competition. The Garden Reserve, a new spirit developed in collaboration with Johnnies Collective, the organization dedicated to supporting the advancement of name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities for St. John's student athletes, marries the spirit of New York sports with refined craftmanship, giving fans something to enjoy all season long.

A straight bourbon finished using Bespoken Spirits' signature oak staves, The Garden Reserve is a bold, 114 Proof (57% ABV) whiskey, and will soon be available for St. John's and New York bourbon fans to enjoy all season long at NYC metro-area retailers and via e-commerce. Each bottle sale directly contributes to Johnnies' Collective's NIL mission.

"We are incredibly proud of this award and bringing to market such an amazing whiskey for St. John's fans to celebrate with," said Darick Brown, Vice President of Sales at Bespoken Spirits. "This important recognition from the New York World Spirits Competition adds to the 270+ accolades Bespoken Spirits has earned to date. It also underscores our commitment to creating amazing whiskies to support student athletes across the country."

St. John's Johnnies Collective is one of 11 collegiate NIL organizations Bespoken Spirits is partnering with, making them the go-to creator of whiskeys for booster groups looking to raise money to support student athletes. Other schools include the University of Alabama, University of Kentucky, University of Tennessee, Ole Miss, University of Florida, and University of Connecticut.

"Blending local pride with refined craftsmanship, The Garden Reserve celebrates the spirit of New York through its bourbon. [It] stood out to judges for its balance, complexity, and depth — a bourbon that captures both character and craftsmanship in perfect harmony," noted in an article posted by the NYWSC.

The 2025 NYWSC Judging Panel described the bourbon as, "a richly expressive and elegantly crafted bourbon … that balances concentrated flavor with refined oak and a satisfying, enduring warmth."

For additional information on the award, including tasting notes from the 2025 NYWSC Judging Panel, visit www.thetastingalliance.com/posts/the-beststraight-bourbon-from-the-2025-new-york-world-spirits-competition. For additional information on Bespoken Spirits and its brands, visit www.bespokenspirits.com.

About Bespoken Spirits
Born in Silicon Valley and now headquartered in Lexington, KY, Bespoken Spirits is rewriting the rules of whiskey through a proprietary, patented precision finishing process that leverages all-natural elements of wood, toast, and char. The technology empowers distillers with surgical precision over taste, aroma, and mouthfeel. With more than 5,000 whiskey trials under its belt, earning over 240 medals from top-tier tasting competitions in San Francisco, New York, and Europe, Bespoken is delivering superior spirits with a fraction of the wood, water, and energy—positioning itself as the future of responsible, scalable spirit production.

About Johnnies Collective 
Johnnies Collective is an assemblage of engaged and passionate supporters of St. John's headlined by World Champion and Entrepreneur Metta World Peace followed up by St. John's Legends DJ Kennedy, Sean Evans and Paris Horne. Our Team at Johnnies Collective has pooled together decades of experience competing as and working directly with pro athletes and organizations to further the name, image, and likeness ("NIL") opportunities for St. John's Students.

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SOURCE Bespoken Spirits