MILWAUKEE — There's a new tree in town, but it's not the type of tree you'd think. Jack Daniels has put together a barrel tree and it is now on display outside of Fiserv Forum.
The tree is a part of a Jack Daniels tradition called Operation Ride Home that helps junior-enlisted service members and families travel home.
The top barrel from all the trees across the country will be sold. The proceeds from those sales will then go towards helping junior-enlisted service members and families travel home from their place of military service.
Each year, a 26-foot tall barrel tree is built in Lynchburg, Tennessee, home of Jack Daniel’s. However, there are replicas of the tree in Minneapolis, Dallas, Boston, Las Vegas, Tampa, Cleveland, and Nashville.
Since its inception in 2011, Operation Ride Home has helped send 8,583 individual junior-enlisted service members and their families home while raising $1.8 million in donations.
“The Jack Daniel Distillery barrel tree has always brought people together to celebrate the spirit of the season and remind us of the sacrifice of so many heroes and their loved ones” said Chris Fletcher, Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller. “We hope our friends in Milwaukee will stop by and join us to reflect on this special time of year. After all, we all need some extra cheer this holiday season.”
Jack Daniels uses new charred oak barrels to make its whiskey, and those barrels are never used more than once. The barrel tree auction begins on Dec. 1. To find out more about taking home one of the barrels from this year’s trees, please click here.
