ASW Distillery Named the First and Only Official Craft Spirits Partner of the University of Georgia Athletic Association

Hunker Spirits, the only brand created by UGA grads to support Georgia Athletics, joins the Bulldogs as Atlanta's most awarded distillery marks its 10th year

ATLANTA, GA, UNITED STATES, October 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Hunker Spirits has been named an Official Partner of the University of Georgia Athletic Association, the only spirits brand created by Georgia grads specifically to support Georgia Athletics. Hunker is produced by ASW Distillery, the most awarded U.S. craft distillery at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition since 2018 and now in its 10th year. It's a full-circle moment: a company founded by two UGA graduates, with five UGA graduates among its partners today, is standing alongside the university where it began.

The partnership includes both Hunker Vodka and Hunker Bourbon, and it brings together two Georgia institutions built on the same belief: that the things worth having are never rushed. ASW traces its start to a friendship at the University of Georgia, where co-founders Jim Chasteen and Charlie Thompson were undergraduate roommates in Athens before reconnecting years later over a shared love of whiskey and deciding to build something of their own. What began as a nights-and-weekends venture grew into an Atlanta distillery that opened in 2016 and has since become one of the most decorated craft producers in the country.

It's a philosophy the partnership's launch film captures in a single line: great traditions "are built with patience, crafted with character, and rooted in Georgia." The same could be said of how ASW makes its whiskey.

Bulldog fans will see the partnership come to life throughout football season. ASW is marking the launch with a video across UGA Athletics' social channels (watch here: https://vimeo.com/1229552479/eaa7739d31) and a dedicated email to the Bulldog community, and Hunker creative is running on the statewide radio network all season. Hunker Spirits are distributed in Georgia by United Distributors.

"This one is personal for us. Five of us on the ASW team are Georgia graduates, and UGA is really where this company started, long before we ever distilled a drop. Standing alongside Georgia Athletics as the first and only official craft spirits partner is one of the things we're proudest of in our first ten years."
— Jim Chasteen, Co-Founder and CEO, ASW Distillery

"We built ASW on craftsmanship and a belief that Georgia could make world-class spirits. Getting to share that with Bulldog Nation, in the state where it all began, means the world to us."
— Charlie Thompson, Co-Founder, ASW Distillery

"For our family, this isn't just a partnership, it's personal. UGA gave Jim and me our education, our closest friendships, and a community we've been part of ever since. Now we get to watch our own children become Bulldogs, which makes bringing ASW alongside Georgia Athletics feel less like a business deal and more like home."
— Kelly Chasteen, Partner and Chief Human Resources Officer, ASW Distillery, a University of Georgia graduate who serves on the UGA Board of Visitors and is active with Georgia Women Give

"We're proud to name ASW Distillery our first and only official craft spirits partner. They're a homegrown Georgia company founded by Bulldogs, and their commitment to craft reflects the standard we hold across Georgia Athletics. We're glad to have them in the Bulldog family."
— Alan Thomas, Senior Associate Athletic Director, Marketing & Revenue Strategy, University of Georgia Athletic Association

The partnership is one of several milestones in ASW's 10th-anniversary year, which has also brought collaborations with the Atlanta Braves, Big Green Egg, and John Deere, along with continued growth into new markets.

For more information, visit aswdistillery.com.

Media assets: The launch video (https://vimeo.com/1229552479/eaa7739d31) and high-resolution photography are available for media use.

About ASW Distillery
Founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 2016 by two University of Georgia graduates, ASW Distillery is the most awarded craft distillery in the U.S. at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition since 2018. Forbes has called ASW "Atlanta's New Bourbon Powerhouse" and "one of the most compelling American craft producers today." A UGA Bulldog 100 honoree and recipient of the university's 2024 Michael J. Bryan Award for entrepreneurial spirit, ASW is known as a Southern Pot-Still Pioneer for combining traditional Scottish double copper pot distillation with Southern grain-in fermentation. The company operates three Atlanta locations, its Buckhead distillery, the ASW Whiskey Exchange in the West End, and ASW at The Battery Atlanta, along with the ASW Flights & Bites restaurant at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. ASW distributes nationally, and its partnership portfolio includes collaborations with the University of Georgia Athletics, the Atlanta Braves, Big Green Egg, and John Deere.

aswdistillery.com

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Chandler Call
ASW Distillery
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Hunker Spirits | Official Partner of the University of Georgia