Wild Turkey®, The Farmlink Project, and Andrew Rea (“Babish”) Announce Friendsgiving Campaign Donation Initiative and Sweepstakes

Join Wild Turkey in a celebration of community, bold flavors, and giving back, for a chance to win the ultimate Friendsgiving experience in NYC

NEW YORK, New York Oct. 14, 2025 – This Friendsgiving season, award-winning Wild Turkey Distilling Co., known for its bold Kentucky bourbon, is teaming up with The Farmlink Project—one of the fastest growing solutions in the charitable food space, and acclaimed cook, author and YouTuber Andrew Rea (“Babish”) to raise awareness and drive action around food waste – turning traditional Friendsgiving get-togethers into an opportunity to toast to an important cause.


Crafted with Wild Turkey 101, dehydrated apple syrup, and aromatic bitters, the Wild Apple Pie cocktail is ideal for Friendsgiving gatherings.

For more than a century, Wild Turkey has been synonymous with Thanksgiving, bringing together families and friends in celebration of the holiday. In securing a partner to support their annual “give back” platform, the brand connected with The Farmlink Project, a nonprofit organization that matches farms with surplus crops to food banks around the country to feed people in need. In addition to Wild Turkey’s donation of $101,000 to Farmlink, the brand enlisted Andrew Rea, the personality behind the popular cooking show, “Binging with Babish” to help build awareness and distribute unused, excess produce to Americans in select markets this holiday season – turning surplus into sustenance. The collective has additionally joined forces to launch a nationwide Friendsgiving Sweepstakes, to inspire Americans to transform their Friendsgiving celebrations into opportunities to give back.

“An  estimated  25% increase* in household waste occurs between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, with much of this increase attributed to food,” remarked Aidan Reilly, Chief of External Affairs at The Farmlink Project. “We’re grateful not only for Wild Turkey’s generous donation, but also for the partnership with Andrew, whose positive influence extends far beyond the culinary world. Together, we’re turning surplus food into opportunity, working to make a lasting impact in communities nationwide and inspiring others to give back this season,” he added.
Farmlink identifies surplus produce at risk of going to waste and works to move it into communities facing food insecurity. This involves collaborating directly with farmers, food banks, and partners to bridge gaps in the food system and ensure fresh, nutritious food doesn’t get left behind in the field. In October and November, apples are especially abundant, and Farmlink is focused on rescuing and redistributing as much of that surplus—as well as other produce—as possible, reducing waste, supporting farmers, and increasing access to healthy food.

In recognition of Farmlink’s efforts, Wild Turkey and Babish have collaborated to create innovative apple-infused cocktails. Crafted with Wild Turkey 101, dehydrated apple syrup, and aromatic bitters, the Wild Apple Pie cocktail is ideal for Friendsgiving gatherings and offers a flavorful tribute to autumn while highlighting Farmlink’s mission.  “This seasonal twist on a classic cocktail highlights an ingredient currently in abundance among farmers, so we created a flavorful nod to autumn, to kick off the season of giving back,” said Babish “Friendsgiving is all about coming together and sharing great food, but as it kicks off the giving season, it’s also an opportunity to make a difference,” he added.
As part of the Friendsgiving campaign, Wild Turkey is giving consumers 21+ the chance to win the ultimate Friendsgiving experience. Four lucky groups of friends will experience a private Friendsgiving dinner in NYC hosted by Babish, featuring expertly crafted cocktail pairings by Wild Turkey.

“At Wild Turkey, we believe in shared moments and giving back,” said Allison Varone, Head of Marketing at Campari America. “This Friendsgiving, we’re proud to partner with The Farmlink Project and Babish to create a campaign that goes beyond the table, inviting people to savor bold flavors while making a real, immediate impact in their communities.”

Learn more about Wild Turkey’s Friendsgiving Sweepstakes by visiting iheartradio.com/wildturkey or following @WildTurkey on Instagram and X.

*Source : https://ecori.org/waste-less-give-more-how-reducing-food-waste-can-save-the-holidays-and-the-planet/

WILD APPLE PIE COCKTAIL
2 parts Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon
1/2 parts ugly apple syrup*
2 Dashes Aromatic Bitters
Strain over ice into rocks glass
Garnish with a dehydrated apple slice** and a lemon twist
*Ugly Apple Syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1.5 lb. “Ugly” apples (roughly chopped, skin on, core discarded)
1 Tsp. Powdered Cinnamon
1 tsp. Chinese five spice powder (optional)
1/4 tsp. Salt 

Bring all ingredients to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent burning
Continue to cook until the apples are soft enough to mash with a fork
-Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Store in airtight container. 

**Dehydrated Apple Slices
Slice apples from top to bottom (with a mandolin, if available). Place slices in a dehydrator or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 200°F for four hours, or until crisp.

ABOUT WILD TURKEY

The distillery for Wild Turkey Bourbon is in Kentucky, situated on a deep limestone shelf on the Kentucky River. The shelf acts as a natural filter and provides the distillery with crystal clear water, vital to making such a high-quality product. Wild Turkey features the legendary father and son Master Distilling team of Jimmy and Eddie Russell, who have over 100 years of collective experience working at the Wild Turkey distillery, and are now joined by the next generation, Associate Master Blender Bruce Russell.

The famous Wild Turkey brand name first came about back in 1940 when distillery executive Thomas McCarthey took a few warehouse samples on a Wild Turkey hunting trip with a group of friends. The following year, his friends asked him for “some of that Wild Turkey whiskey” and the brand was born.

Wild Turkey is distilled and put into new oak barrels at a much lower ABV than most bourbons. This results in a much richer flavor, as less is cooked out during the production process. Aging in the highest quality new American oak barrels with the heaviest char available (the Number 4 “alligator” char), imparts a smooth flavor and deep amber color to the whiskey. The barrels are filled at the distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Website: wildturkey.com.

ABOUT CAMPARI GROUP

Campari Group is a major player in the global spirits industry, with a portfolio of over 50 premium and super premium brands, spreading across Global, Regional and Local priorities.

Global Priorities, the Group’s key focus, include Aperol, Campari, SKYY, Grand Marnier, Espolòn, Courvoisier, Wild Turkey and Appleton Estate.

The Group was founded in 1860 and today is the sixth-largest player worldwide in the premium spirits industry. It has a global distribution reach, trading in over 190 nations around the world with leading positions in Europe and the Americas.

Campari Group’s growth strategy aims to combine organic growth through strong brand building and external growth via selective acquisitions of brands and businesses.

Headquartered in Sesto San Giovanni, Italy, Campari Group operates in 23 production sites worldwide and has its own distribution network in 26 countries. Campari Group employs approximately 4,900 people.

The shares of the parent company, Davide Campari-Milano N.V. (Reuters CPRI.MI – Bloomberg CPR IM), have been listed on the Italian Stock Exchange since 2001. For more information: http://www.camparigroup.com/en. Please enjoy our brands responsibly.

ABOUT FARMLINK

The Farmlink Project is a student‑founded nonprofit on a mission to turn America’s food abundance into opportunity. Despite the U.S. growing enough food to feed every person on the planet, people across the country struggle to afford groceries, and approximately 47 million Americans experience food insecurity. At the same time, nearly half of all produce grown goes to waste.

Farmlink bridges this gap by connecting farmers with surplus food to hunger‑fighting charities nationwide. By recovering surplus produce, Farmlink makes fresh, nutritious food accessible to communities in need, supports farmers, and reduces waste, building a more equitable and sustainable food system for everyone. Farmlink moves food efficiently and at scale, addressing food insecurity while keeping surplus out of landfills and reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that result from food waste.