Let the mad rush for Rick Pitino bottles begin.
The person who answered the telephone at the Makers Mark Distillery in Loretto said the company has a news conference planned for Tuesday to provide more specifics on the design and distribution plans for the limited edition bottle honoring the University of Louisville basketball coach.
The news conference will held on the campus at Noon, presumably at the Yum! Practice Center on Floyd Street.
Pitino will be honored for winning two NCAA championships (at UofL and Kentucky) and his upcoming induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame at Springfield, Mass. the weekend of Sept. 6.
A portion of the proceeds will go to Marker’s Mark’s commitment to fund its commitment of $500,000 to the planned $8 million student athlete academic center at UofL. An anonymous donor has also pledged a seven-figure gift for the center.
Maker’s Mark sold out quickly on the Charlie Strong bottle last year. There are reports of still another UofL bottle design in the future.