Growing up in a Wofford family served as the foundation. A trip to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail provided the inspiration. A long car ride settled the idea in place.
Now 1854 Reserve bourbon whiskey (Old Main edition) is bottled and ready, and Garrett Steck Jr. ’24 says he has many in the Wofford community to thank.
“As a Wofford student, I had so much support. So many people were willing to listen to and aid another Terrier. I feel so fortunate,” says the biology major from Greenville, S.C. Steck is now studying business management at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. He plans to combine that with his biology degree to pursue a career in biotech. “I reached out to Calhoun Kennedy ’89 to share the idea, and he immediately connected me with Dixon Dedman ’03.”
Dedman, a whiskey blender, taster, speaker and consultant, grew up on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and ran his family’s James Beard award-winning Beaumont Inn. He resurrected his family’s Kentucky Owl bourbon after it was destroyed during prohibition and most recently established the 2XO bourbon brand. Dedman was intrigued by the project and agreed to collaborate with Steck to create a bourbon to celebrate Wofford.
“Dixon’s experience was invaluable. He’s been there. He knows everything about the bourbon business,” says Steck, who met Dedman in early October to watch the bottling of the first batch of 1854 Reserve (Old Main edition). “As I watched the bourbon move from the barrel to the bottle, I realized that the planning and hard work were worth it.”
According to Steck, Wofford connections have crisscrossed every step of the process. Wofford graduates connected Steck to others and mentored him through the business side of the process. A Wofford trustee is among the investors. Steck says his participation in Wofford’s Launch program helped build a framework for the venture. Garrett Steck ’92, Steck’s father and an attorney, handled legal matters. The graphic designer, label designer, distributor and retail stores all have ties to Wofford as well.
Steck will offer an early taste of 1854 Reserve on campus during Homecoming.
When the bottles hit select South Carolina stores in late fall, a portion of the proceeds will benefit Wofford College. The label features an image of Main Building from the late 1800s as well as an old tax stamp from the archives. Consistent with the hand-botting, Steck hand-numbered each of the 800 bottles in the first batch.