There are partnerships in spirits that feel inevitable, as though time itself was winding toward their announcement. And then there’s this one: Jim Beam, the “people’s bourbon” born in Kentucky more than two centuries ago, aligning with Cadillac, America’s paragon of steel and speed, to join the world’s fastest stage — Formula 1.
From 2026, when the Cadillac Formula 1 Team becomes the first new entrant on the grid in a decade, Jim Beam will stand as its proud Official Spirits Partner. The pairing is not just about logos on cars or hospitality suites. It is a cultural collision, an American original distilled from corn and limestone water meeting an American original forged in chrome and horsepower.
A Legacy in Motion
The story of Jim Beam’s Cadillac connection is more than marketing coincidence. Ninety years ago, during the lean years of Prohibition, founder Jim Beam placed his most precious cargo — a mason jar of proprietary yeast — in the front seat of his Cadillac each evening, driving it home to safeguard it from fire and raids. That yeast remains the living core of every drop of Jim Beam bourbon today.
Fred Noe, the brand’s seventh-generation master distiller, still drives a Cadillac, a quiet nod to the car that once carried the family’s legacy. Now, with Cadillac returning the favor, bourbon and machine share a grid slot in the twenty-first century’s great circus of speed.
Building the Next Chapter of American Racing
Formed by TWG Motorsports and General Motors, the Cadillac Formula 1 Team represents a new chapter in American participation in F1 — one that pairs Detroit’s engineering might with Kentucky’s distilling tradition. The ambition is clear: not just to compete, but to connect.
“This partnership brings together two icons of American heritage to create something truly special,” said Dan Towriss, CEO of Cadillac Formula 1 Team and TWG Motorsports. “Formula 1 is a global stage, and we want to take our fans on this journey with us every step of the way.”
For Jim Beam, the resonance lies in community. “Both car racing and making Jim Beam bourbon require every individual and moving part to come together,” said Rashidi Hodari, managing director of the James B. Beam Distilling Co. “The pit crew and our distillery workers both rely on the power of their communities to win.”
More Than Sponsorship
Beyond the trackside banners, the partnership will come alive through immersive fan experiences, trade activations, and an emphasis on responsible enjoyment. The aim is not just to celebrate speed and whiskey, but to broaden the sport’s reach — particularly to younger fans who might be encountering both bourbon and Formula 1 for the first time.
It is also consistent with Jim Beam’s longstanding presence in sport and music. From the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys, to MLB’s L.A. Dodgers, to NASCAR, to Australia’s Dick Johnson Racing, Jim Beam has long understood the power of spectacle. The brand has poured whiskey beneath music festival lights and underground stages alike, with acts ranging from Muse to LeSserafim.
Bourbon at Full Throttle
The Cadillac partnership is the natural continuation of that legacy — a whiskey rooted in ritual and community now tied to the roar of a Formula 1 engine. From a mason jar of yeast nestled in a Cadillac’s passenger seat to a bourbon logo flashing past grandstands at 200 miles per hour, the message remains unchanged: Jim Beam is best enjoyed together, best enjoyed responsibly.
To learn more about Jim Beam and the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, visit the brand’s official website.
Last year, Glenfiddich celebrated Aston Martin’s Formula 1 debut with a 1959 Bottling.
