Published:
Readtime: 4 min
Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here.
Jim Beam is stepping onto the Formula 1 grid. The bourbon heavyweight has signed a multi-year deal as the Official Spirits Partner of the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, which will make its competitive debut at the Australian Grand Prix in March 2026. The move puts one of America’s most recognisable whiskey brands straight into Formula 1, a sport now as much about culture and partnerships as it is racing.
The agreement brings Jim Beam into an already competitive sponsorship landscape. Rival drinks groups William Grant & Sons and Pernod Ricard are firmly established in Formula 1, with Glenfiddich aligned to Aston Martin and Chivas Regal backing Ferrari. Since 2023, Jack Daniel’s has partnered with McLaren, while Bacardi supports Red Bull Racing through Patrón. Formula 1 itself counts Heineken and Moët Hennessy as its only liquor category Official Partners. It’s safe to say the drinks cabinet is getting full.
Formed by TWG Motorsports and General Motors, the Cadillac Formula 1 Team will be the first new outfit to join the grid since 2016. Team boss Dan Towriss called the Jim Beam deal a meeting of “two American icons,” as the team builds momentum ahead of its first season on the world stage.
“Formula 1 is a global stage, and we want to take our fans on this journey with us,” Towriss said. “Our vision goes beyond racing. We’re building a team that lives where sport, technology, and culture collide. With Jim Beam joining our family of partners, the momentum behind this project grows stronger every day as we gear up for our debut next year.”
For Jim Beam, the partnership taps into a story the brand has been telling for decades. During Prohibition, founder James B. Beam would drive his prized yeast home each night in the front seat of a Cadillac to keep it safe from fire and confiscation. That yeast still sits at the heart of Jim Beam today. Nearly a century later, seventh-generation master distiller Fred Noe still drives a Cadillac, a small but deliberate nod to that history.
“We are excited to bring the soul of Kentucky to the global stage of Formula 1 with Cadillac, a brand that’s been part of the Beam family’s story through the ages,” said Rashidi Hodari, managing director of James B. Beam Distilling Co.
The Formula 1 deal also fits neatly into Jim Beam’s broader playbook. The brand already sponsors major teams across the NFL, MLB, and U.S. Soccer, with deep roots in American motorsport through NASCAR and the Indianapolis 500. Closer to home, it backs Dick Johnson Racing, Australia’s oldest touring car team. Add in its long-running links to music festivals and global acts like Muse and LE SSERAFIM, and this partnership feels less like a left turn and more like the next lap.
That alignment is no accident. Cadillac’s Formula 1 partnerships are being led by Willem Dinger, a former Unilever executive tasked with building a tight, culturally connected partner roster ahead of the team’s debut. Dinger has spoken about combining long-term relationships with brand moments designed to resonate beyond the track. Jim Beam is among the first brands locked in, alongside Tommy Hilfiger, with more partner announcements expected as the team approaches its first race in Melbourne.
And Cadillac is already past its first big checkpoint. Early in December, the team passed the FIA’s mandatory impact tests, clearing a key hurdle on the road to its first race. The project is on track for a January shakedown ahead of closed-door testing in Spain. With the car taking shape and Jim Beam now officially on board, the same yeast that once rode shotgun in a Cadillac is now along for the ride at Formula 1 speeds.
Comments
We love hearing from you. or to leave a comment.