The Program
Wild Turkey is launching Thanksgiving Traditions, a new annual giveback initiative built around a $101,000 donation to The Farmlink Project, a national nonprofit that redirects surplus farm produce to food banks and community organizations. The contribution — a nod to the brand's flagship Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon — is expected to help provide approximately 1.2 million meals across the country during the holiday season.
The program runs throughout November and spans on-premise, retail, and direct-to-consumer channels. At participating bars and restaurants, operators can feature seasonal Wild Turkey 101 cocktail specials and, if they choose, make a voluntary $20 contribution directly to The Farmlink Project. That optional giving mechanism gives on-premise accounts a straightforward way to align with the campaign's charitable angle without a hard financial commitment — a model increasingly common in spirits brand activations heading into the holiday quarter. Operators looking for beverage programming strategies this season may find the low-barrier structure worth noting.
Operator and Consumer Touchpoints
Beyond the bar rail, Wild Turkey is offering a $115 Holiday Hosting Edition kit through Cocktail Courier, which includes a 375ml bottle of Wild Turkey 101, pear-citrus syrup, apple cinnamon tea, Cran-Apple juice, lemon, aromatic bitters, dehydrated apple garnish, a limited-edition 1.75L Wild Turkey can, a funnel, and a recipe card — all geared toward a batch Holiday Punch format designed for home entertaining. The bundled approach reflects a broader industry trend of spirits brands extending their reach into the at-home occasion through curated cocktail kits, particularly during Q4.
"Thanksgiving is about coming together, and giving back has always been part of Wild Turkey's tradition," said Allison Varone, Head of Marketing at Campari America. "This year, we're proud to carry that forward by bringing people together over Wild Turkey while supporting The Farmlink Project's mission to fight food insecurity."
Kate Nelson, Founding Team Member and Head of Brand Partnerships at The Farmlink Project, noted the timeliness of the support: "As a holiday centered around food and gathering, Thanksgiving is a time of abundance for many, but for too many families, putting enough food on the table remains a challenge. With so much perfectly good food going to waste across the country, we're incredibly grateful for Wild Turkey's continued support."
Food Waste and the Spirits Industry
The Farmlink Project has delivered more than 500 million pounds of fresh food since its founding in 2020, coordinating logistics between farms, distributors, food banks, and community partners. Aligning a spirits brand with a food-recovery nonprofit taps a cause that resonates strongly in the restaurant and hospitality space, where food waste reduction has become a front-of-house and back-of-house priority alike.
Wild Turkey is part of Campari Group's portfolio, which spans more than 50 premium and super-premium spirits brands sold in over 190 markets. A location finder for participating accounts is available at WildTurkeyBourbon.com/Thanksgiving, and consumers can donate directly to The Farmlink Project through the brand's site.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
