Jim Beam and Cadillac Reignite a 90 Year Story From Kentucky Roads to the F1 Grid

Long before champagne sprays and starting lights, there was a mason jar riding shotgun in a Cadillac. Nearly a century ago in Kentucky, Jim Beam protected the living heart of his bourbon recipe by transporting his proprietary yeast home each night, safeguarding it from fire, uncertainty and the looming shadow of Prohibition. That ritual, simple yet determined, preserved the flavour that would go on to define the world’s best selling bourbon. Now, that origin story becomes the backbone of a new global campaign as Jim Beam reunites with Cadillac Formula 1 Team ahead of its debut season.

Titled Raised Together, the brand film launches in tandem with Cadillac’s first appearance on the Formula 1 stage at the Australian Grand Prix, the start of a multi chapter campaign unfolding across the 2026 season. The film reframes bourbon and motorsport not as separate worlds, but as parallel legacies built on risk, craft and resilience. Cadillac once played a role in protecting the Beam family recipe. Today, the partnership shifts from preservation to propulsion, carrying that shared history onto one of the fastest and most visible platforms in global sport.

Formula 1’s explosive growth provides the perfect backdrop. With a worldwide fanbase of more than 827 million and the United States emerging as one of its fastest expanding markets, the sport has become a cultural force as much as a competition. For Jim Beam, stepping onto the grid as Official Spirits Partner is a strategic move to connect with a new generation of legal drinking age fans who are discovering racing through spectacle, storytelling and community.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA27jyLGbvk

The collaboration will extend far beyond trackside logos. Throughout 2026, fans can expect immersive race week experiences, citywide activations, retail moments and curated on trade programmes designed to bring people together. The aim is to reshape how audiences engage with Formula 1, creating spaces where lifelong motorsport devotees and first time viewers intersect. In doing so, Jim Beam positions itself not just as a sponsor, but as a cultural conduit between heritage and momentum.

Yet at the centre of it all remains responsibility. As the partnership accelerates, messaging around moderation and the importance of never drinking and driving will remain integral. The story that began with a careful drive home in Kentucky now continues on the world’s fastest circuits, but its core principle is unchanged. Legacy is protected through intention. Whether safeguarding a yeast strain or welcoming millions of fans to a new era of racing, progress is always strongest when it is raised together.