Louisville Wins Title: Twin City of Bushmills in America

Louisville Wins Title: Twin City of Bushmills in America

City Awarded $40,000 for Cultural Events and to Promote Responsible Drinking

BUSHMILLS, Northern Ireland, April 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Louisville, Ky. was declared the winner today in the Search for the Twin City of Bushmills in America. In addition to the Twin City title, Louisville also takes home a $40,000 grand prize -- $20,000 for the advancement of local culture and $20,000 for a responsible drinking program.

As part of a celebration honoring the 400th anniversary of the original license to distill granted to the Bushmills region, Bushmills -- home of BUSHMILLS Irish Whiskey -- searched for its Twin City in America. After narrowing the search to three finalist cities, Bushmills asked Americans to choose the winner by voting online at Bushmills400years.com. More than 55,000 votes were cast, and Louisville emerged the clear champion.

Louisville became a finalist in the search after the Mayor's Office for Community Relations and Events submitted an application explaining why Louisville and Bushmills shared the same four key personality traits: pride of place, hospitality, craftsmanship, humor and wit.

When told of Louisville's win, Mayor Jerry Abramson said, "We're excited that Louisville has won the stiff competition to be the twin city of Bushmills. This distinction provides a great opportunity to share with the world Louisville's winning personality, which mixes small-town pride and hospitality with big-city spirit to prove that anything is possible." He also said that the mayor's office plans to put the grant money toward Louisville's many cultural festivals and toward local responsible drinking programs.

At a press conference at 11:30am on April 14 at Louisville's Metro Hall, Gordon Donoghue, Master Distiller of BUSHMILLS Irish Whiskey will present Mayor Abramson with the $40,000 grant for the city of Louisville. Mayor Abramson and Gordon Donoghue will also exchange whiskey barrels, signifying the partnership between Bushmills and Louisville, two of the great whiskey capitals of the world.

Donoghue, who visited all three Twin City finalists earlier this year, was declared an honorary citizen of Louisville and given the title of Kentucky Colonel during his last visit to the city. He says, "All three finalist cities have such great Bushmills spirit, but after spending time in Louisville and experiencing its charm and personality first hand, I'm certain that Americans made a great choice in Louisville. We're looking forward to developing a long lasting Twin City relationship."

To celebrate the new relationship between Louisville and Bushmills, WLRS-FM listeners over legal purchase age will have the opportunity to attend a private Twin City concert with platinum-selling rock band Seether.

400th Anniversary of the License to Distill

In 2008, BUSHMILLS Irish Whiskey will celebrate the 400th Anniversary of the original license to distill, granted to the Bushmills region by King James I in 1608. BUSHMILLS Irish Whiskey continues to be crafted with time-honored skills and traditions, true to the history and spirit of Ireland's oldest whiskey distillery. The portfolio features five award-winning whiskies: BUSHMILLS ORIGINAL(TM), BLACK BUSH(R), BUSHMILLS(R) 10-year-old Malt, BUSHMILLS(R) 16-year-old Malt and BUSHMILLS(R) 21-year-old malt.

About Seether

This South African-born, Los Angeles-based hard rock band made its U.S. debut in 2002 with the album Disclaimer. Since then, several of their albums have gone platinum, including Disclaimer II and Karma and Effect, which boasts several hits, most notably the song Remedy, which topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart for eight consecutive weeks. Seether's most recent album release was 2007's Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces.

About Diageo

Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world's leading premium drinks business, with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wine and beer. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards.

Diageo is a global company, trading in some 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com. Celebrating life, every day, everywhere, responsibly.

FCMN Contact:

Source: BUSHMILLS Irish Whiskey

CONTACT: Stacey Druker of Hunter PR for Diageo +1-212-679-6600 x245,
sdruker@hunterpr.com; or Gillian Cook of Diageo, +1-203-919-6536,
Gillian.Cook@diageo.com

Web site: http://www.diageo.com/
http://bushmills400years.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment