*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).
Apple announced that starting this week, it will stop selling some versions of the Apple watch in the U.S.
Southwest Airlines will pay a $35 million fine as part of a $140 million settlement to resolve a federal investigation into a debacle in December 2022 when the airline canceled thousands of flights and stranded more than 2 million travelers over the holidays.
The House of Representatives recently passed a bill aimed at increasing transparency in healthcare.
If you have a flexible spending account, here's some short information for you so you don't leave money on the table.
With high healthcare costs, bills can quickly add up. In some cases, it is possible to negotiate your medical bills. Barak Richman, law professor at George Washington University, joined Cheddar News to discuss the easiest way to talk to medical debt companies about what's owed.
Millions of people have selected insurance plans for 2024 but sometimes navigating them can be tricky time consuming and expensive. Paula Pant, host of 'Afford Anything' podcast, joined Cheddar News to break down what's needed to know about their insurance plans.
The European Union is investigating Elon Musk's X over alleged illicit content and disinformation on its platform. Cheddar News breaks it all down and discusses what it could mean for users.
Adobe and Figma called off their $20 million merger, Southwest Airlines gets fined, Nippon Steel is buying U.S. Steel and oil and gas prices surge after a pause in shipments.
With more employees being called back to the office, many workers are suddenly protesting by being in the office for as little time as possible. As the term suggests, coffee-badging means coming in for just enough time to have a cup of coffee, show your face, and swipe your badge.
Japan's Nippon steel is buying U.S. Steel for $14.9 billion.
