(Photo: Blue Note Bourbon)
As pickleball serves up another year of breakout popularity in the U.S., the sport's major U.S. league is beginning to pick up its fair share of spirits sponsors.
Tennessee's Blue Note Bourbon has signed on for a multi-year partnership that'll make it the third official spirit and first official bourbon of Major League Pickleball. Ahead of the 2024 MLP event in Atlanta, Georgia, the brand will be commemorated with signage, advertisements, public address announcements and signature cocktails beside the court.
“We’re thrilled to be the first official bourbon sponsor of Major League Pickleball,” said Logan Welk, the president and chief operating officer of B.R. Distilling Company. “Like MLP and the sport of pickleball, Blue Note is experiencing unprecedented interest and growth. The sport aligns perfectly with the Blue Note drinker, and we look forward to introducing our award-winning bourbons to the players and fans alike.”
Since its founding in 2021, MLP has brought on Dulce Vida Tequila and The Botanist Islay Dry Gin as official league sponsors.
A few years prior, it would've been difficult to imagine pickleball picking up partnerships left and right akin to NASCAR or the NFL. Much has changed since the sport surged to viral popularity at the onset of COVID. Pickleball is reportedly the fastest-growing sport in America, with an estimated 36 million players and a participation increase of 51.8% from 2023 to 2022.
Blue Note Bourbon intends to celebrate that success. The brand was founded in 2018 as an homage to Memphis blues music, incorporating an indigo guitar logo into its flagship Juke Joint, Crossroads, Uncut and Rye Whiskey expressions. Learn more about the distiller here.
“Blue Note Bourbon and Major League Pickleball share many of the same core qualities for fans–they are both approachable while also being bold and smooth,” MLP Chief Executive Officer Bruce Popko said.“We look forward to welcoming them to the MLP family, starting with MLP Atlanta."
