CONCORD – The New Hampshire Liquor Commission has raised over half a million dollars for the nonprofit community in New Hampshire over the past six months by donating proceeds from exclusive raffles featuring some of the most coveted spirits on the planet. Proceeds from raffles of sought-after spirits such as Pappy Van Winkle bourbon have supported individuals and nonprofits hit especially hard from the COVID-19 recession, including hospitality and restaurant industry employees and children and adults with disabilities.

Most recently, NHLC’s “Buddy-Up!” raffle sold 2,000 tickets and raised $200,000 in just one weekend with proceeds benefiting Best Buddies New Hampshire, which provides those with intellectual and developmental disabilities with the opportunity to take part in social activities through one-to-one friendships. The one-of-a-kind raffle featured 20 bottles of some of the world’s most hard-to-find whiskeys, including the Buffalo Trace O.F.C. 1994 Bourbon Whiskey and Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 23yr Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

“We are extremely proud to have been able to raise more than $500,000 for New Hampshire’s nonprofit community, which together performs tremendous services to support those in need in New Hampshire,” said NHLC Chairman Joseph Mollica. “These exclusive raffles allow us to showcase our array of rare products–many of which simply cannot be found anywhere else–while raising critical funding for Granite State nonprofits. We look forward to continuing to work with our broker partners to find ways to make a positive impact on nonprofits.”

This year, NHLC chose two Best Buddies New Hampshire raffle winners – David Marks of Orinda, California and Jeffrey Kerst of Shreveport, Louisiana.

“I saw it was the state of New Hampshire’s Liquor Commission that was auctioning off incredible bottles you can never find anywhere and that there was an incredible charity, Best Buddies, that would benefit from this and I thought, I have to donate,” said “Buddy-Up!” raffle winner, David Marks. “I can’t imagine a better prize. The bottles that were raffled are very, very difficult to find.”

Due to limited production and high demand, few, if any, of the products included in the “Buddy-Up!” raffle are available for sale at the manufacturer’s suggested retail prices of nearly $5,000 combined. The value of these products on the secondary market is nearly $35,000.

This past July, NHLC raffled off some of the world’s most sought-after whiskeys, bourbons, scotches, and cordials to benefit the Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire, Live and Let Live Farm, and Friends of Manchester Animal Shelter. The “Allies for Animals” raffle, which included rare bottles of Pappy Van Winkle, Sazerac Rye, and a Craigellachie 33-year-old Scotch, raised more than $120,000. The winner of the “Allies for Animals” raffle was Richard Budka, Sr. of Chicopee, MA.

The value of these products on the secondary market is more than $25,000.

This past spring, NHLC also raised $102,000 for the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association’s New Hampshire Hospitality Employee Relief Fund by raffling six of the world’s most rare whiskeys and bourbons, including decades-old, rare bottles of Pappy Van Winkle, Buffalo Trace O.F.C and Sazerac Rye from the Buffalo Trace Distillery, and selections from Heaven Hill and Michter’s. The New Hampshire Hospitality Employee Relief Fund provides hospitality industry employees who have been impacted by COVID-19 with a one-time grant of $250. The value of the products included in the raffle totaled nearly $23,000 on the secondary market.

In addition to winning six bottles of extremely rare whiskey and bourbon, the winner of the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association raffle received an all-expenses paid trip to Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, including luxury hotel accommodations and $500 to spend on meals at New Hampshire restaurants. The winner of the exclusive raffle was Patricia Cassel of Amherst, New Hampshire.

Over the past six years, the NHLC has worked with suppliers and brokers to raise nearly $2.8 million for nonprofits making an impact in New Hampshire and beyond, including Crotched Mountain Foundation, New Hampshire Food Bank, Easterseals New Hampshire, Best Buddies New Hampshire, Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire, Homes for Our Troops, Operation Care for Troops, New Toys for Tots, Granite United Way, Community Foundation Sonoma County, Napa Valley Community Foundation, and many more.