Chef Paul Wahlberg creates new fall dish inspired by his travels to Tennessee

HINGHAM, Mass. and GATLINBURG, Tenn. – (September 5, 2023) – Sugarlands Distilling Co., an award-winning craft distillery, and Wahlburgers, the gourmet burger restaurant and bar founded by Chef Paul Wahlberg alongside his brothers Donnie and Mark Wahlberg, are collaborating on a limited-time offer (LTO) menu item available at Wahlburgers nationwide beginning today.

Inspired by a recent visit to Tennessee, Chef Paul crafted Apple Rye BBQ Pork Sliders featuring a scratch-made BBQ sauce made using Mark & Digger’s Rye Apple Moonshine, an unaged rye made by Sugarlands Distilling in collaboration with Mark Ramsey and Digger Manes, stars of Discovery Channel’s Moonshiners. Each order of Wahlburgers’ new Apple Rye BBQ Pork Sliders includes three sliders with succulent, slow-smoked pulled pork, house-made Apple Rye BBQ sauce and freshly prepared coleslaw, served with a stack of onion rings.

During his visit to Tennessee, Chef Paul spent time with Mark and Digger, who showed Paul the secret world of moonshining in the Great Smoky Mountains before giving him a tour of Sugarlands’ distillery in Gatlinburg. Camera crews captured the interactions with Chef Paul, Mark and Digger, with footage released on Sugarlands and Wahlburgers’ social media channels over the next month.

“I’m always searching for new ideas to bring to the kitchen, and my latest trip to Tennessee was full of unexpected stories, people and flavors that inspired me greatly,” said Chef Paul. “Mark, Digger and everyone at Sugarlands were fantastic hosts, and I left with a new understanding of the rich history of moonshine and the area’s devotion to slow-cooked barbecue. I can’t wait to share my interpretation of this southern staple with Wahlburgers guests this fall.”

To accompany its Apple Rye BBQ Pork Sliders, Wahlburgers will also serve a specialty Bootlegger Apple Cider craft cocktail for a limited time. The Bootlegger Apple Cider combines Mark & Digger’s Rye Apple Moonshine from Sugarlands Distilling Company with the crisp refreshment of apple cider, the perfect fall complement to Chef Paul’s Apple Rye BBQ Pork Sliders.

The Apple Rye BBQ Pork Sliders and Bootlegger Apple Cider cocktail will be available at Wahlburgers locations from September 5 through November 2023.

“We’re always exploring new ways to share our product offerings and reach new customers,” said Patrick Sullivan, Sugarlands chief revenue officer and Boston native. “Partnering with Wahlburgers offers an exciting and unique avenue to do that. We’re intentional about whom we collaborate with, and the family values and a commitment to quality of Wahlburgers align perfectly with Sugarlands. It’s been a tremendous experience working with Chef Paul and the entire Wahlburgers team to bring these menu items to life, and we’re excited for what the future could hold for our two brands working together.”Sugarlands has a long-standing relationship with Mark, Digger and other moonshining icons from the Moonshiners television show. Along with Mark & Digger’s Rye Apple Moonshine, Sugarlands also produces Mark & Digger’s Hazelnut Rum, Jim Tom Hedrick’s Unaged Rye, Mark Rogers’ American Peach and Tickle’s Dynamite Cinnamon, which are all part of Sugarlands’ Legends Series.

In addition to its relationship with Moonshiners, Sugarlands boasts strategic partnerships with the Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, Baseball Hall of Famer Chipper Jones, Grammy-nominated country superstar Cole Swindell, platinum-selling recording artist O.A.R., 2023 Daytona 500 Champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and JTG Daugherty Racing, JR Motorsports and multiple Speedway Motorsports properties. Sugarlands partnered with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Amy Earnhardt to launch High Rock, a premium line of handcrafted vodka, last year.

To find a Wahlburgers near you, visit www.wahlburgers.com/locations, or to find Wahlburgers at Home at a retailer near you, visit www.wahlburgersathome.com To find a Sugarlands retailer near you, visit www.findmoonshine.com.

Sip Wisely! Mark & Digger’s Rye Apple Moonshine is produced and bottled by Sugarlands Distilling Company, Gatlinburg, Tennessee. 40% alc/vol, 80 proof, available in 750 ml jars. Must be 21+ to purchase.

About Wahlburgers

Wahlburgers is a casual dining restaurant & bar founded by brothers Mark, Donnie and Chef Paul Wahlberg, which wrapped 10 successful seasons of A&E Network’s Emmy-nominated reality show in 2019 (which is now airing on AXS TV). While its interior decor is filled with photos and memories celebrating the brothers’ life journeys from Dorchester neighborhood kids to rising chef and international superstars, Wahlburgers makes food, beverages and its guests the real stars. With menu items like delicious fresh ground beef burgers, entrée salads and sandwiches, loaded tots and frothy shakes, Chef Paul and team are obsessed with making guests happy and feeling like family. Wahlburgers currently has 100+ locations and is dedicated to giving back to every community it serves. Wahlburgers At Home, the brand’s line of proprietary blended Certified Angus Beef, signature Wahl Sauce, bacon, hot dogs, pickles and BBQ sauce, is available in thousands of retail stores throughout the US. Learn more at hwww.wahlburgers.com and follow along @Wahlburgers on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

About Sugarlands Distilling Co.

Sugarlands Distilling Company is a craft distillery located in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Founded in 2014, Sugarlands produces a full line of craft moonshines and sippin’ creams with flavors like Mark Roger’s American Peach Moonshine, Butter Pecan Sippin’ Cream, Banana Pudding Sippin’ Cream and Appalachian Apple Pie Moonshine. Sugarlands also produces Roaming Man Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey, which has won multiple prestigious spirits awards, including Best Whiskey in the 2019 American Craft Spirits Association Awards and two Double Gold Medals at the esteemed San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2021 and 2023).

In 2022, Sugarlands launched High Rock Vodka with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his wife, Amy Earnhardt. High Rock Vodka is distilled seven times and then triple-filtered using the Lincoln County Process. Made famous by Tennessee whiskeys, the Lincoln County Process uses sugar maple charcoal to smooth and mellow the finish. High Rock checks in at 88 proof, a nod to the number Earnhardt drove for a decade in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Sugarlands’ downtown Gatlinburg distillery welcomes more than one million guests each year. The distillery was recently voted as the top craft spirits distillery tasting room in America by USA TODAY 10Best and is rated as TripAdvisor’s number one thing to do in Gatlinburg and the world’s top-rated distillery experience. A proud community supporter, Sugarlands Distilling Company has donated nearly $1 million to nonprofits nationwide through their giveback program, MoonShare.

For more information, please visit www.sugarlands.com and follow Sugarlands on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @SugarlandsShine.

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Media Contacts:
Sammy Eanes
Sugarlands Distilling Co.
[email protected]
540-525-0864