Last Updated on 04/14/2021 by Inside Tailgating
Whiskey Missing, $10,000 Reward Remains Unclaimed: Update on Previous Article
CHARLESTON, S.C. (June 18, 2013) – Investigators revealed yesterday that the long-haul trailer that contained 884 cases of Chicken Cock Whiskey, originally bound for Texas before being stolen last week from a South Carolina truckstop, has been found. The whiskey, however, was gone. Details regarding the location of the trailer were not released due to the ongoing investigation. The $10,000 reward, offered by the distiller for the return of the shipment in full, remains unclaimed.
The recovery of the trailer marks a breakthrough in the investigation of the theft of the popular spirit, a brand that gained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the clandestine house whiskey in Harlem’s legendary Cotton Club. Originally produced in Kentucky in 1856, Chicken Cock Whiskey is a revitalized heritage brand that is generating widespread consumer demand, driven by the rising popularity of flavored whiskeys, one of the fastest-growing segments of the spirits industry.
“I’m confident that the resources being deployed by police and investigators will lead to the successful recovery of the product,” said Matti Anttila, owner and president of Chicken Cock Whiskey. “We immediately ramped up production to get the original orders back on the road to our Texas accounts, and don’t anticipate any additional delays.”
In a case that received national attention, the tractor-trailer containing more than 10,000 bottles of Chicken Cock Whiskey and headed for Glazer’s, the brand’s Texas-based distributor, was stolen from a truck service area in Florence, S.C. shortly after leaving the distillery in Charleston. The truck cab was later found but the trailer and contents were not.
Chicken Cock Whiskey is easily recognizable for its distinctive, quick-chill aluminum bottle, a reference to the original brand’s reputation for being presented in tin cans in the speakeasies of the Roaring 20s. With a retail value of over $200,000, the stolen shipment is estimated to be worth as much as $1.4 million if sold through restaurants or bars.
Texas-Bound Shipment Of Popular Whiskey Stolen, $10,000 Reward Offered By S.C. Distiller