A$AP ROCKY RELEASES FIRST EVER SPIRIT BRAND: MERCER + PRINCE

Mercer + Prince Is A Whisky Born At The Intersection Of Art And Culture Created In Partnership With Global Brand Equities And E. & J. Gallo 

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NEW YORK, March 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Multi-hyphenated artist, entrepreneur, actor, and fashion icon A$AP Rocky announces today his highly anticipated venture, Mercer + Prince, a new blended Canadian whisky created and developed in partnership with Global Brand Equities and E. & J. Gallo. Crafted to defy the traditional norms surrounding whisky production, Mercer + Prince is an unconventional spirit with unparalleled smoothness. Aged in American white oak barrels and influenced by Japanese Mizunara oak, this whisky is presented in a dynamic two-cup bottle design created to stand out on any surface.

"I'm so excited and grateful to finally introduce Mercer + Prince to the world," said Mercer + Prince founder A$AP Rocky. "I have wanted to launch a whisky 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 whisky 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 A$AP Rocky's favorite cross streets in New York City, where people from all walks of life with different backgrounds intersect and come together, embodying the zeitgeist of the city's energy at the convergence of the fashion and cultural spheres. A$AP Rocky's sophisticated taste and cutting-edge style is reflected in the bottle design, a direct result of a napkin-sketch-turned-reality. When ideating on what he wanted the bottle to look like, A$AP Rocky knew he wanted to create something that had a real functionality to it yet was also sleek and pushing the boundaries. Through A$AP Rocky's vision, the bottle is encased with two cups on either end, giving consumers the opportunity to immediately open the bottle and pour a drink for themselves and a friend. The artistic yet functional design is also created to stand out on any surface, allowing the bottle to sit vertically or horizontally on a bar or table.

"Rocky has been a friend and someone I have always shared a creative connection with, so when he wanted to create a whisky, it was a no-brainer for us to create this partnership," said James Morrissey, Founder & CEO of 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 whisky. 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."

Distilled, aged over four years in American white oak barrels, and blended in Canada, Mercer + Prince is a highly versatile spirit that heightens many senses. Upon opening, inviting fruit aromas meet brown sweet whisky undertones that come from the ex-Bourbon barrels used in the aging process. Mizunara oak adds complexity and creates smooth dark caramel and vanilla notes layered with intense hints of baked apple and cinnamon, ultimately allowing the spirit to be easily enjoyed neat, over ice, or in a variety of cocktails.

"Bringing Rocky's vision to life has been a terrific opportunity for Gallo and we appreciate his commitment," said West. "It's been an exciting process, helping him source the right whisky, 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 will be available online for exclusive pre-release through ReserveBar in participating states on March 24th and available in retail later this summer at the suggested retail price of $29.99. For more information, please visit mercerandprince.com and follow @mercerandprince on Instagram.

ABOUT A$AP ROCKY
Multi-hyphenated artist, entrepreneur, actor and fashion icon A$AP Rocky, born Rakim Mayers, has taken the world by storm since his emergence in 2011. Rocky has continued to dominate the music industry by clocking over 7.8 Billion streams to date. In addition, his music videos have earned a staggering 1.9 Billion combined views on YouTube. In 2018, with two critically acclaimed, #1 debuts on the Billboard 200 for freshman & sophomore albums, LONG.LIVE.A$AP and AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP, Rocky released his highly-anticipated third studio album, TESTING, which has garnered over 1 Billion streams worldwide, landing at #1 on the iTunes charts in 16 countries upon release. In August of 2019, Rocky dropped new single "Babushka Boi" accompanied by a viral Dick Tracy-inspired video featuring A$AP Ferg, ScHoolboy Q, A$AP Nast and Kamil Abbas, which went on to receive a 2020 MTV Video Music Award nomination for "Best Art Direction".

A$AP Rocky has been a part of many high-profile commercial campaigns including Calvin Klein, Gucci, Courvoisier, Dior, Mercedes Benz, Guess and Fenty Skin. The past four years have also seen Rocky's creative agency AWGE in the spotlight, launching partnerships with Marine Serre, Amina Muaddi, Selfridges, JW Anderson, MTV, and more. In addition, AWGE has launched the careers of notable artists such as Playboi Carti, slowthai, Smooky MarGielaa, and more.

ABOUT MERCER + PRINCE
Born at the intersection of art and culture, Mercer + Prince is a Canadian whisky that is defying the traditional rules surrounding the whisky industry through co-founder A$AP Rocky's cutting-edge style and sophisticated taste. Distilled, aged, and blended in Canada complemented by a minimum of 4 years aging in American White Oak barrels, Mercer + Prince has a complex profile driven by fruit, vanilla and caramel balanced with a combination of light and toasted oak, layered with intense hints of baked apple and cinnamon from the Japanese Mizunara oak. Named after A$AP Rocky's favorite New York City cross streets, Mercer + Prince is for cultural tastemakers that push boundaries consistently. Mercer + Prince's artistic yet functional design is created to stand out on any surface, with two cups built in yet hidden to the naked eye. Consumers can immediately open the bottle and pour a drink for themselves and a friend, celebrating creativity in all forms. Mercer + Prince will be available in retail this summer at the suggested retail price of $29.99. To learn about Mercer + Prince, follow @mercerandprince on Instagram or visit mercerandprince.com.

ABOUT GLOBAL BRAND EQUITIES
Global Brand Equities (GBE) is the leading producer, owner, and operator of disruptive consumer brands in the spirits industry. Founded by international entrepreneur James Morrissey, the GBE portfolio consists of investments in brands that live in high-growth categories. Responsible for some of the industry's most successful product launches globally, the company continues to innovate and evolve beyond the average industry standard, resulting in the creation of some of the best-known brand names of our generation. Creating long-term growth of brand equity is a priority for all of the GBE businesses, and its foundations are deep rooted in the liquor, manufacturing, and entertainment sectors, ensuring longevity and the ability to scale at a global level. Always focused on delivering products at the highest level of quality, the portfolio continues to receive exceptional accolades from leading experts. The company's global perspective is seen with its Maison No 9 French rosé wine brand. In partnership with Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum recording artist Post Malone, the brand has disrupted the wine industry globally, breaking records for its sales at launch, and scaling across multiple continents in its first 18 months. The liquid currently retains a 91-point score on wine.com.

ABOUT SPIRIT OF GALLO, A DIVISION OF E. & J. GALLO
For nearly half a century, the Gallo family has been growing its portfolio of spirits, now enjoyed by people around the world at occasions ranging from a day at the beach to a fine, after-dinner drink. Known best for E&J Brandy, New Amsterdam and the highly acclaimed High Noon Sun Sips, Spirit of Gallo also delivers RumChata, Stratusphere Gin, RumHaven and esteemed partner-owned brands such as The Dalmore, Diplomatico, Don Fulano, and Montenegro Amaro. The Spirit of Gallo portfolio is featured on www.spiritofgallo.com

SOURCE Mercer + Prince