Veterans Honored with Story on a Bottle of Evan Williams Bourbon and $10,000 Donations to Charity

Heaven Hill Distillery - Veteran Chris Cruise Honored with Image on Bottle of Evan Williams Bourbon and $10,000 Donation to Charity

Evan Williams Bourbon celebrates American-made heroes each year by honoring six outstanding veterans for their heroic acts of service both in the military and in their communities. Evan Williams is making a $10,000 donation to the charity of the veteran’s choice to help further their mission of service in their community. Each veteran’s inspiring story of service at home and abroad will also be featured on a custom bottle of bourbon.

Chris Cruise was one of six veterans chosen from more than 5,500 nominations as a 2019 Evan Williams American-Made Hero. Cruise is a former Sergeant in the US Army and Paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division and served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Upon leaving the military, Chris was in search of a way to continue giving back and being part of something bigger than himself. In 2017, Chris combined his love of country and bourbon and founded Cruise Customs, working with fellow veterans to build wooden American flag displays out of barrel staves. His main goal is to help veterans transition from military service to the workforce and to give back to the community by donating funds raised to several organizations including USA Cares, Dogs Helping Heroes, and the Norton Children’s Cancer Institute. Chris has chosen Fairdale Christian Church as the beneficiary of his $10,000 Evan Williams American-Made Hero honor.

Heaven Hill Distillery - Veteran Chris Cruise Honored with Image on Bottle of Evan Williams Bourbon and $10,000 Donation to His Favorite Charity — Heaven Hill Brand Ambassador Bernie Lubbers, Fairdale Christian Church Pastor Brandon Hatfield, Heaven Hill Director of Corporate Analysis and Division Andy Shapira, Sergeant in the US Army and Co-Founder of Cruise Customs Chris Cruise Liquor Barn Chairman and Managing Director Jonathan Blue (L to R.)

“We find it important to give back to the consumers who love and enjoy our Bourbon. Evan Williams embodies the American spirit as an American-owned and American-made brand and values the leadership and sacrifice of all veterans who protect the American spirit,” said Bernie Lubbers, Evan Williams Bourbon Brand Representative. “Evan Williams is honored to show this appreciation by celebrating six American heroes with custom bottles detailing their impressive story of sacrifice both in the military and in their communities.”

Stay Informed: Sign up here for the Distillery Trail free email newsletter and be the first to get all the latest news, trends, job listings and events in your inbox.

The six recipients of the Evan Williams American-Made Hero honor for 2019 are as follows:

Chris Cruise, Shepherdsville, Kentucky – Former Sergeant in the US Army, and Paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom
Tracey DeVita, El Dorado, California – Former member of the 3rd Amphibious Assault Battalion in the US Marine Corps
Mike Waggett, Lake Ozark, Missouri – Former Colonel in the US Air Force, ROTC Scholar, fighter pilot, and Pentagon officer
Terri Jordan, Cataula, Georgia – Former Major, combat medic and physician’s assistant in the US Army
Terry Sharpe, Summerfield, North Carolina- Former M60 Machine Gunner in the US Marine Corps, now known as ‘The Walking Marine’
Dionne Archibald, Newport News, Virginia – Former Master Chief in the US Navy

Evan Williams Black Bourbon American Hero Edition is a limited edition label run and is available nationwide now through Independence Day.

View all Kentucky Distilleries.
View all Louisville Distilleries.