Eric Church Forms Outsiders Spirits With Whiskey Jypsi As First Product
Pictured (L-R): Raj Alva, Eric Church and Ari Sussman. Photo: Courtesy of Whiskey Jypsi
Eric Church has unveiled Whiskey Jypsi, a new whiskey he’s created with friend and entrepreneur Raj Alva.
The first release from Church’s and Alva’s Outsiders Spirits, Whiskey Jypsi’s Legacy Batch 001, recently won the Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and is based on a traditional bourbon mash bill. Instead of blending the grains before fermentation, or sourcing from the usual geographies, Whiskey Jypsi sources individual aged whiskey components from various origins, scientifically blending them to recreate the mash bill.
“Whiskey Jypsi celebrates doing things the unconventional way. It’s the commitment to the creative spirit, the process and the journey that excite me the most,” says Church. “It’s meant to inspire others to take chances like we have – follow a different path and enjoy and experience life at its fullest.”
Whiskey Jypsi. Photo: Courtesy of Whiskey Jypsi
The Outsiders partners took a hands-on approach to every aspect of their new whiskey, creating and curating everything from taste, packaging and marketing from inception to release. They chose Ari Sussman to help develop Jypsi. Sussman is the former Head of Spirits Development at the Artisan Distilling Program at Michigan State University as well as an award-winning whiskey maker. He also has a bit of the Jypsi spirit in him, working in the vineyards of Bordeaux, raising ostriches and growing almonds with Bedouin tribes and living in an Israeli kibbutz before he entered the whiskey world.
“Eric’s music led the way to Jypsi’s unique mix,” says Sussman. “I immersed myself in Eric’s music, thinking it just might influence my process,” he adds. “What I discovered was a rich, diverse blend of music and an artist who doesn’t conform to the usual norms. That inspired me, so I took that road in creating the premiere batch of Whiskey Jypsi.”
Whiskey Jypsi has partnered with ReserveBar to make Legacy Batch 001 available in 38 states with an SRP of $199.99. Due to state legalities, alcohol cannot be shipped to Tennessee, Alabama, Alaska, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon, Utah and Vermont. Retailers in Tennessee will carry product while supplies last.
