Louisville might be Bourbon City, but there’s always a little more room in the liquor cabinet.
West End Gin is a new drink brand launched by Dr. Dawn and Stacey Wade, the husband + wife team of the Louisville/Atlanta-based marketing agency NIMBUS.
West End Gin launched with two expressions. The original is a citrus-forward gin made with juniper, citrus peel, lemon verbena, and cardamom. The Rose Ann is a more floral recipe made with rosebud and fenugreek.
It’s created and bottled right here in Louisville, and the Wades are keen on keeping it grounded in the community. For every bottle sold, $1 will be donated to communities in Louisville and beyond.
Right now, that support is directed to the West End School, a scholarship-based independent school serving boys in grades K-8. West End Gin launched by giving $10,000 to the school, but the Wades don’t plan to stop there.
“I didn’t grow up in Louisville,” Dr. Dawn Wade said at the brand’s launch event. Unlike her husband Stacey, who is from Louisville, Dr. Wade is from Louisiana. “There’s a West End in every city.” As West End Gin expands, the money generated will be directed to other communities to create more opportunities.
“I know my parents tried their best to give me a good life,” said Wade. “What they lacked was opportunity.” She hopes West End Gin can be a catalyst for creating opportunities in Louisville and beyond.
West End Gin is now available in stores like Waterfront Wine + Spirits, Liquor Barn, and The Wine Rack at $39.99 a bottle.
Ready to mix it up with West End Gin? Try these recipes:
White Negroni
- 1.5 oz. West End Gin
- .75 oz. part Lillet blank
- .75 oz. dolin vermouth blanc
- 2 dashes of orange bitter
Red Light Special
- .5 oz. rose syrup
- 1 oz. lime juice
- 2 oz. West End Gin Rose Ann
- 1 oz. rosé
- small splash of rose water and lime wheel for garnish
