Three rare bottles from the personal archives of Heaven Hill Brands Executive Chairman Max Shapira will go under the hammer at Sotheby's Whisky & Whiskey online auction, running June 11 to 26, 2026, in what the Kentucky distiller is billing as an unprecedented public offering of Old Fitzgerald archival material. The consignment, titled *The Old Fitzgerald Archival Collection from Max Shapira*, comprises a pre-Prohibition pint and two additional expressions that together trace the brand's arc from its pre-1920s origins through its modern incarnation under Heaven Hill's ownership. The lots will be offered for charitable benefit, though the specific recipient organisation and pre-sale estimates have not been disclosed. Sotheby's has not yet published individual estimate ranges for the bottles. Old Fitzgerald, founded before Prohibition and later acquired by Heaven Hill — one of the largest family-owned distilled spirits producers in the United States — occupies a singular position in American whiskey collecting. Its [wheated mash bill and bonded heritage](/spirits/old-fitzgerald-heritage) have drawn sustained collector interest, particularly since Heaven Hill relaunched the brand's Bottled-in-Bond Decanter series in 2018. Pre-Prohibition American whiskey at auction has become an increasingly competitive category, with comparable lots at major houses commanding prices well into the five-figure range. The Sotheby's sale adds institutional weight to what has been a broadening [secondary market for American whiskey](/market-trends/american-whiskey-auction-market), a segment that expanded sharply during the pandemic era and has retained elevated price floors even as broader spirits investment has cooled. Consignments sourced directly from brand principals or founding families are considered particularly desirable by collectors, given documented provenance and chain of custody. "This collection offers a rare window into Old Fitzgerald's evolution — from its pre-Prohibition roots to its revival under Heaven Hill's stewardship," a company spokesperson said in release materials. Heaven Hill and Sotheby's have not provided additional commentary on reserve prices or bidder registration thresholds ahead of the June 11 opening. As noted in coverage by [Food & Beverage Magazine](https://fb101.com/?utm_source=fbindustrynews&utm_campaign=powered_by), premium and ultra-premium bourbon continues to command outsized consumer and investor attention relative to other brown spirits categories, underpinning the rationale for high-profile charity consignments of this kind. Written by Michael Politz, Author of [Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1)](https://www.amazon.com/Beverage-Magazines-Guide-Restaurant-Success/dp/1119668964), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.