*By Samantha Errico* "Dangerously smooth" ー that's how John Rich, creator and owner of Redneck Riviera, describes his American-blended whiskey. The country singer, and half of the Big & Rich duo, created a lifestyle brand that focuses on America's "work hard, play hard" mentality and creates products to match ー ranging from cowboy boots to spirits. The brand is in 41 states and counting; Rich had a goal of selling 5,000 cases of whiskey this year, and has sold four times that number as of December. "I have approached this like I approach music ー on a local level, then on a regional level, then on a national level," the singer told Cheddar on Friday. Ten percent of the proceeds go to Folds of Honor, an organization that provides scholarships to children and spouses of fallen service members. Rich said his team has already paid 37 college grants this year. The singer is currently on tour with Big & Rich and aiming to hit close to 80 major markets in the new year. The team plans to make stops in every city to build conversations around the whiskey. Redneck Riviera whiskey is produced by Eastside Distilling ($EAST). According to Rich, the brand is launching its own beef jerky, bars, and boots this month. For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/country-singer-john-rich-builds-a-conversation-around-redneck-riviera-whiskey).
