Jim Beam Bourbon Burger and Heidi Klum

Ahead of Carl’s Jr.’s 11th store opening in New Zealand, the popular burger chain has paired up with the world’s number one bourbon brand to produce the Jim Beam Bourbon Burger, which debuts in New Zealand today.

The Jim Beam Bourbon Burger features a rich and tangy sauce flavoured with Jim Beam bourbon, combined with crispy onion straws, two strips of bacon, cheese, fresh lettuce and tomato all atop a charbroiled beef patty and served on a sesame seed bun.

Craig Neal, General Manager for Carl’s Jr. says “It’s a mature burger for mature tastes. While higher-end restaurants have long served menu items flavoured with branded spirits it has not been a regular feature on fast-food menus.”

“There is no residual alcohol in the sauce as it is burnt off in the cooking process, but that distinctive smoky bourbon taste remains”, he added.

Carl’s Jr. is known for its premium burgers and advertising campaigns which star international celebrities like Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian and Kate Upton.

Supermodel Heidi Klum is the latest Carl’s Jr. girl, promoting the Jim Beam Bourbon Burger in a television advertisement which has screened in the US. Inspired by the classic coming-of-age film The Graduate the advertisement, titled "Mrs. Robinson", depicts Klum seducing a wide-eyed younger man with the indulgent burger.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja-5YA5_4pQ

The Jim Beam Bourbon Burger will be on the menu at Carl’s Jr. stores in Auckland, Hamilton and Palmerston North from today for a limited time only.

Since opening in New Zealand Carl’s Jr.’s has become a hit with Kiwi burger lovers – its ten restaurants are among the premium burger chain’s top performers internationally, with Carl’s Jr. New Zealand holding the world record for highest store sales in the first week of trade.

The next Carl’s Jr. restaurant is due to open in Rotorua in mid August.

About Carl’s Jr.

Carl’s Jr. is celebrating more than 70 years in the quick-service industry. What began as a lone hot dog cart in Los Angeles, Calif. in 1941 is today a wholly owned subsidiary of CKE Restaurants, Inc. of Carpinteria, Calif. As of the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2013, the Company, through its subsidiaries, had a total of 3,279 franchised or company-operated restaurants in 42 states and in 26 countries, including 1,333 Carl's Jr. restaurants and 1,939 Hardee's® restaurants. For more information on CKE, visit www.ckr.com, or for brand information go to www.carlsjr.com. Carl’s Jr. social media sites include www.facebook.com/carlsjr, www.twitter.com/carlsjr and www.youtube.com/carlsjr. For more information on Carl’s Jr. in New Zealand visit www.carlsjr.co.nz, www.facebook.com/carlsjrnz or www.twitter.com/nzcarlsjr.