Sips & Sites & Bites

FEW Spirits, in collaboration with the multi-platinum selling modern rock icons, The Smashing Pumpkins, recently unveiled FEW Smashing Pumpkins Bourbon. 

This 93-proof bottling represents FEW’s whiskey craftsmanship, blending their signature straight bourbon aged for four years with the exquisite Midnight Rose black tea sourced from Madame Zuzu’s Emporium. Located in Highland Park, this independent boutique tea shop is helmed by none other than The Smashing Pumpkins’ frontman, Billy Corgan, and his entrepreneurial wife, Chloé Mendel Corgan.

Situated just a short journey south along the shores of Lake Michigan from Highland Park lies FEW Spirits’ Evanston, Illinois distillery. It’s here that FEW’s founder and master distiller, Paul Hletko, has cultivated a reputation for collaborating with renowned musicians to craft spirits that embody their artistic vision.

“Whether you’re crafting melodies, painting masterpieces, blending teas, or distilling spirits, it’s all an art form,” Hletko said. “As a proud Chicagoan, I felt a personal connection to The Smashing Pumpkins’ raw, primal energy. Their music, like ‘I Am One’ from their debut album Gish, resonated deeply with me. It’s that driving, yet symphonic quality that we aimed to capture in every drop of this liquid.”

FEW Smashing Pumpkins Bourbon is a testament to the band’s distinctive essence. Vibrant aromas of rose water and ripe honeydew melon dance above familiar notes of vanilla and caramel. On the palate, aficionados will recognize FEW’s signature bold, sweet, and spicy bourbon profile, intertwined with hints of rose water, sandalwood, caramel, vanilla, and black tea, all culminating in a full-bodied, lingering finish.

Renowned Chicago visual artist Katelan Foisy lends her talent to the label design of FEW Smashing Pumpkins Bourbon. With previous collaborations with Madame Zuzu’s and The Smashing Pumpkins, including stage backdrops and album art, Foisy infuses the label with elements reminiscent of vintage tea tins and labels, seamlessly connecting the bourbon to Madame Zuzu’s. 

She artfully merges Art Deco and Victorian design elements to evoke a sense of enchantment. As a tribute to her long standing relationship with the Corgans, Foisy includes the poignant lyric “time is never time at all” from “Tonight, Tonight” on the rear label, a track from The Smashing Pumpkins’ iconic album Melancholie and the Infinite Sadness.

FEW Smashing Pumpkins Bourbon is available now and has a suggested retail price of $50. Its release coincides with the release of The Smashing Pumpkins’ newest single. Available in select markets along the band’s North American tour route, as well as nationally through FEW Spirits’ online ecommerce shop, you can find a bottle at www.fewspirits.com/products.