Dale Earnhardt Jr. owes a lot to Traveller Whiskey. Owned by Buffalo Trace Distillery and made in collaboration with 10-time Grammy Award winner Chris Stapleton, the drink has helped JR Motorsports field its inaugural entry at the upcoming Daytona 500 in the NASCAR Cup Series. Justin Allgaier will drive the No. 40 Chevy and will feature a paint scheme to make the car look like a whiskey bottle at ‘The Great American Race’.

In a candid conversation with Dale Jr. and Justin Allgaier, Chris Stapleton revealed the origin story of Traveller Whiskey. The country artist was involved in the design elements of the bottle, including picking the font, colors, and wood for the bottle’s cork.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s partner shares his whiskey’s backstory

Just like JR Motorsports, Traveller Whiskey has a rich heritage. The drink is blended and bottled at the Buffalo Trace Distillery under the supervision of Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley. Collaborating with Stapleton was a sure-shot way for the company to produce a quality product, one that has been meticulously refined after hours of tasting, testing, and dedication to craftsmanship. The premium whiskey was launched in January 2024 and has received 15 awards, including the ‘Master’ medal and the ‘Best in Class Gold’ award at the 2024 Whiskies of the World competition.

Revealing the origins of Traveller Whiskey, Chris Stapleton said on the Dale Jr. Download podcast, “I’ve been approached by different whiskey companies and things like that to do things before and none of that ever felt like the right thing, you know? This came up as an opportunity. They wanted to make a blended whiskey which they’d never really done there at Buffalo Trace and they wanted my involvement. They were a little bit down the road, but they hadn’t wholly chosen the blend and so I got to do a little bit of that with Harlen (Wheatley) and pick that out.”

The country artist then shared how the name ‘Traveller Whiskey’ came into being, with Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s partner saying, “They had a different name for it originally and I didn’t really care for the name. I said, ‘Well how about we just be real on the nose about it and call it Traveller Whiskey’ so we can, you know, draw that line really easily for people.” It seems like lady luck was on Chris Stapleton’s side, as Buffalo Trace Distillery had already copyrighted the name, which made naming the whiskey after the country artist’s new album as straightforward as it could have been.

As blend No. 40 is utilized in every bottle of Traveller, the JR Motorsports Chevy, which is sponsored by the premium whiskey, will also feature the same number at ‘The Great American Race’. Bottled at 90 proof, the drink is characterized by notes of oak, sweet maple, tart currant, and leather with the flavor profile showcasing slight sweetness along with a hint of spice. In 2022, Buffalo Trace Distillery underwent a $1.2 billion expansion, and with $39.4 million in revenue, the company is worth around $2 billion. It’s not the first time Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been associated with an alcoholic drink, as he co-owns High Rock Vodka with his wife Amy Earnhardt.

Stapleton looks forward to seeing Traveller Whiskey grow

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The collaboration between JR Motorsports and Buffalo Trace Distillery seems to be a match made in heaven. Not only is Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team getting a chance to compete at the crown jewel Daytona 500, but Chris Stapleton’s Traveller Whiskey is getting a platform for publicity at a high-profile event. Describing it as a “natural partnership”, the American singer is looking forward to seeing Justin Allgaier attempt to qualify for ‘The Great American Race’ with a car featuring design elements from a bottle he helped create.

Expressing pride at his involvement, Chris Stapleton said, “It’s a great product. I’m most proud of what’s in the bottle and you know obviously, much like the race car I worked on the design of the bottle and what it needed to be and we arrived at that. But what’s in the bottle is really what the meat of it is and if that didn’t hold up to anything, I didn’t think we would be getting to put it on put it on a car or any other things that we’re getting to do with it. It’s really done well so far and we’re looking forward to, you know, growing it and making more people aware of it and this is all part of it.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is happy with the partnership as well, as the veteran driver said, “With Justin winning the Xfinity Series championship and Chris Stapleton’s undeniable star power, the planets aligned for this perfect opportunity to enter this year’s Daytona 500.” While JR Motorsports will still need to qualify for the season-opening race, the No. 40 Chevy, which will be powered by Hendrick Motorsports’ engines should stand a good chance of making it into the 40-car field. The stakes are higher than ever, and it remains to be seen if JRM manages to live up to the expectations.