Artist, entrepreneur and actor A$AP Rocky has announced Mercer + Prince, a blended Canadian whiskey created and developed in partnership with Global Brand Equities and E. & J. Gallo. The whiskey is presented in a two-cup bottle design, a direct result of a napkin sketch turned reality. When ideating what he wanted the bottle to look like, A$AP Rocky knew he wanted to create something that had an actual functionality to it yet was also sleek and pushing the boundaries. Through A$AP Rocky's vision, the bottle is encased with two cups on either end, allowing consumers to immediately open the bottle and pour a drink for themselves and a friend. The artistic yet functional design is also created to enable the bottle to sit vertically or horizontally on a bar or table. 

"I'm so excited and grateful to finally introduce Mercer + Prince to the world," says Rocky. "I have wanted to launch a whiskey for a few years, but it was difficult to find partners willing to innovate to the level I envisioned. Fortunately, I found those partners in Global Brand Equities and Gallo. I have been learning about whiskey from all over the world for the past decade and wanted to defy the rules to create something unique, while honoring and respecting industry traditions. The bottle I designed is made to connect with the contemporary consumer. Mercer + Prince is smooth in taste, disruptive in packaging and close to my heart in name. It's accessible to all and appeals to a diverse audience, which was very important to me." 

Mercer + Prince represents two of Rocky's favorite cross streets in New York City.  

"Rocky has been a friend and someone I have always shared a creative connection with, so when he wanted to create a whiskey, it was a no-brainer for us to create this partnership," says James Morrissey, founder, chief executive officer, Global Brand Equities. "Rocky and I have always shared a vision to push the boundaries of innovation across genres and communicate with each other on the same frequency. Rocky is an intentional creator with a proven track record to innovate and I knew he would have the inventiveness to build a consumer product that is sophisticated yet disruptive. We went from him showing me a napkin sketch, to what later became the Mercer + Prince bottle, to bringing on board the best partner for this project, global leader, E. & J. Gallo. They helped make this vision a reality and Britt West, the vice president and general manager of the spirit division at Gallo, has provided the tools for us to create an incredible whiskey. It has been an honor to work alongside Rocky and Gallo on this project for the past two years and I am thrilled to continue to see Mercer + Prince grow in the years to come." 

Mercer + Prince is distilled, aged over four years in American white oak barrels, and blended in Canada. 

"Bringing Rocky's vision to life has been a terrific opportunity for Gallo and we appreciate his commitment," says West. "It's been an exciting process, helping him source the right whiskey, finding partners capable of producing the package and ultimately getting it to the market effectively. With Mercer + Prince, Rocky wants to shake things up for the long term and we are fully on board." 

Mercer + Prince is available online for exclusive pre-release through ReserveBar in participating states and will be available in retail later this summer.