Supper clubs were a thing of the 50s and 60s, but with dinner parties and socializing at home on the rise, a leading craft rye whiskey brand has just launched a throwback supper club kit.
WhistlePig Whiskey is raising a glass to the timeless supper club experience with the launch of its Proof & Provisions Supper Club Kit. The $94.99 kit includes everything a person needs to celebrate and share good times with friends.
The kit includes a 375 ml bottle of WhistlePig Small Batch Rye aged 10 years and a 375 ml bottle of WhistlePig maple syrup, along with all of the ingredients needed to make a make a Maple Espresso Martini and a Holiday Cranberry Rye Punch, including cold brew coffee, cranberry juice, gold-dusted cranberries and more. The kit also includes recipes to make a madeira pork loin, along with a rye berry squash salad and ancho chocolate crème brûlée.
What’s more, the first 100 people to order a kit also get a $100 gift card to purchase all the ingredients they’ll need to make these dishes, which were curated by WhistlePig’s in-house chef, Ashley Sanderson.
“There has been a generational shift toward staying in, cooking together and trading loud nights out for more meaningful nights in,” says Alex Short, vice president of marketing for WhistlePig. “At the same time, we’ve seen a cultural resurgence of supper clubs, aligning with that shift. People are craving more intimate, connection-driven gatherings with good food and good company.”
“The Proof & Provisions Supper Club Kit came from that exact vibe,” he adds. “It’s our way of helping people recreate that feeling at home during the holidays with good company and incredible whiskey.”
This new kit is right on trend. Research from Innova Market Insights shows that 43% of Gen X consumers preferred socializing at home over going out. According to Stylus, Gen Zers organize “at-home cafés,” where they create a space to socialize with friends, and they even create their own “branding and menus.” Also, Axios notes that dinner party searches are up 148%.
“Supper clubs used to be an exclusive gathering, complete with tuxedos and tablecloths,” Short says. “Our version of supper clubs is loosened up and fun. It allows people to roll up their sleeves and elevate their own hosting experience.”
Short says he expects the kit to be popular with Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, and other holiday gatherings. That’s why they decided to include the $100 gift card for the first 100 people who order it. “Two big themes of the holidays are getting together with the ones you love and giving back,” he says. “We wanted to wrap both together. “
The gift card, he says, is the brand’s way of making hosting a little easier for the first hundred people who purchase the Proof & Provisions Supper Club Kit. “If you’re already opening your home to the people you love, we figured we could help take one thing off your plate,” he says.
The kit also, he says, might sell very well in Wisconsin, which is home to more than 250 of the restaurant version of supper clubs. According to Experience Wisconsin and Mary Bergin, author of Wisconsin Supper Club Cookbook, there is a Facebook supper clubbing group with more than 60,000 members.
“WhistlePig and Wisconsin have a lot in common, and we expect fans of the brand in Wisconsin to gravitate toward this product,” Short says. “Wisconsin is known as America’s Dairyland and the WhistlePig farm was originally a dairy farm too, so there’s a shared sense of tradition and hospitality baked in.”
“Supper clubs are such a big part of the culture in Wisconsin,” Short adds. “The kit gives people another way to bring that spirit home – great food, great drinks and a chance to slow down and actually talk to each other.”