Sgt 1st Class Will Summers (USA ret.) is a former "12 Strong" Special Forces. Upon retiring in 2013 after 25 years of service, Will promotes Horse Soldier Bourbon as a tribute to his 11 fellow Green Berets and their highly unique and arduous mission.

Summers and 11 of his fellow Green Berets were featured in the movie "12 Strong," as the first group of soldiers to fight the Taliban after 9/11. It's easy to write a few paragraphs describing the mission. It's impossible to capture the miserable conditions that ODA 595 endured. Will lost about 35 pounds, wore the same uniform, and didn't shower for weeks.

Oh, and he had to learn to develop the skills of a 19th-century cavalry soldier. Besides their leader, Captain Mark Nutsch, none of the 11 others had experience with horses. Overnight, they became veteran horsemen not so much by choice but through necessity and the will to survive.

"Before this mission, the only horse I have ever ridden had its nose in another horse's tail," Will gingerly explained. "The horses we rode in Afghanistan were poorly trained stallions (male horses) that spent more time bucking and biting at one another than focusing on giving us a smooth ride. It was a harrowing experience when navigating narrow mountain trails."

That's how the men of ODA-595 became known as the "Horse Soldiers."

Every bottle of Horse Soldier Bourbon is molded from a portion of a steel beam from one of the World Trade Center towers. Merrick refers to the product line's design as "Bar Jewelry." Interestingly, Elizabeth Pritchard, one of its co-founders, created the label design.

Commander's Select is Horse Soldier's top barrel. They use these proceeds through a 501(c)(3) to maintain America's Response Monument at Ground Zero, unofficially known as the Horse Soldier Statue. Individuals can also apply for financial aid through the Commander's Select website.

This bottle is signed by members of that Special Forces team of 12 Strong! The Horse Soldiers.