A$AP Rocky drops whiskey label

Future. A$AP Rocky is releasing his own whiskey, Mercer + Prince, with a design distinct enough for anybody to want to grab a bottle. It’s also another reminder that the mark of celebrity status may be using your image to brand a business venture that can help you shine in any industry, even one as crowded as liquor.

Sippy bottle

Rapper A$AP Rocky is getting in on a new beat — the whiskey market.

• In partnership with Global Brand Equities and E. & J. Gallo, Rocky is releasing a Canadian whiskey label, Mercer + Prince.
  • The brand name is a tribute to his favorite cross-street in New York City.
• Rocky crafted the whiskey to be a cross-cultural experience, using American white oak barrels, Japanese Mizunara oak, with the whole thing blended in Canada.
• And in a unique departure, the bottle itself is rectangular, coming with two glasses as bookends on the top and bottom… you know, to share.

It’s available online for $29.99.

Money pour

Okay, so why are we here talking about the details of Rocky’s whiskey (besides enjoying a nightcap after a long day of writing this newsletter)? Celebrity-alcohol companies are bonafide moneymakers, landing Ryan Reynolds (Aviation Gin), George Clooney (Casamigos Tequila), and Dwayne Johnson (Terra Mana tequila) multi-million dollar paydays.

And with business ventures sometimes scoring creatives more money than their artwork ever can (just ask Rocky’s girlfriend Rihanna or the management company designed to help A-list talent build brands), Rocky may be looking to cash in on his image with a spirit he really loves.