Great Jones x Jean-Michel Basquiat: Empire Edition

Great Jones Distilling Co. Is Bringing Basquiat Back to Great Jones Street in New York City    

New York, NY – June 25, 2024 – Great Jones® Distilling Co., Manhattan’s first and only whiskey distillery  since Prohibition, is bringing Basquiat’s iconic artwork back to Great Jones Street. Just down the block  from the site of his apartment and famous art studio in Noho, the distillery is unveiling a brand-new  special edition bourbon bottle featuring Basquiat’s celebrated art. The Great Jones x Jean-Michel  Basquiat: Empire Edition bottle showcases Basquiat’s “Mecca” (1982) artwork, known for helping  establish Basquiat as an artist in Downtown Manhattan, featuring the New York City skyline and  Basquiat’s trademark crown.  

This special edition bottle celebrates New York City – its history, its agriculture, its culture and now, its  whiskey. Great Jones is 100% New York Bourbon, made of ingredients grown in the Hudson Valley,  distilled at the Great Jones Distillery in Manhattan, aged in New American Oak barrels, and finally cut to  proof with Catskill Mountain water – the best of Great Jones street, inside and out.  

In addition to the exclusive Straight Bourbon bottle, this campaign also includes a capsule collection of  merchandise produced and designed by Rome Pays Of: a t-shirt, sweatshirt, and bucket hat – each piece  featuring Basquiat’s «Mecca» graphic. This artwork was selected for its vivid portrayal of New York’s  skyline, symbolizing the city’s energy and allure. The distinctive graphic, dating back to 1982,  encapsulates Basquiat’s electrifying impact on the New York art scene and serves as a testament to his  unparalleled vision and enduring influence on contemporary art with its bold strokes and arresting  imagery.  

«In continuing our partnership with Jean-Michel Basquiat, we are proud to align Great Jones Whiskey  with a New York icon whose art represents the vibrant culture of downtown New York. With this special  edition bottle release we are paying homage to Basquiat’s legacy on Great Jones Street, while also 

setting a new standard for craft distilling in Manhattan using entirely New York ingredients, to make our  award-winning whiskeys,» said Lander Otegui, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Proximo Spirits.  

Consumers can visit the Great Jones Distillery at 686 Broadway in the heart of Noho to purchase a bottle  of the Basquiat-decorated whiskey or to enjoy signature cocktails inspired by Basquiat’s legacy, created  by the Great Jones Head Mixologist, Collin Frazier. This special edition bottle has been created in  collaboration with Artestar, a global licensing agency and creative consultancy representing high-profile  artists, photographers, designers, and creatives. The Great Jones x Jean-Michel Basquiat: Empire Edition  bottle is on sale now at the Great Jones Distillery and fine retailers throughout the tri-state area for  $39.99 SRP. Visit GreatJonesDistillingCo.com for more information on the campaign and to visit the  distillery and book a tour or specialty experience. Learn more on social media at  @GreatJonesDistillingCo.  

Product Imagery: HERE 

Retail Link: HERE 

Press Contact:  

Rachel Harrison Communications | [email protected] 

ABOUT GREAT JONES DISTILLING CO.  

For more than 100 years, no whiskey distillery has called Manhattan its home. Great Jones Distilling Co. is Manhattan’s first and only legal whiskey distillery since prohibition, which opened in August of 2021.  Located at 686 Broadway, Great Jones Distilling Co. is situated in the heart of the historic NoHo  neighborhood, encompassing the collective energy that sets New York City apart, with a working  distillery, tours, tasting room bar, and The Restaurant at Great Jones. The distillery produces whiskey  crafted from 100% New York-sourced grain, which are distilled, aged in new charred American Oak  barrels, and bottled by Great Jones Distilling Co.  

Great Jones® Bourbon Whiskey. 43% Alc./Vol. (86 proof). ©2024 Great Jones Distilling Co., New York, NY.  Please drink responsibly.  

ABOUT JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT 

Jean-Michel Basquiat is one of the best known artists of his generation and is widely considered one of  the most important artists of the 20th century. His career in art spanned the late 1970s through the  1980s until his death in 1988, at the age of 27.  

Basquiat works are edgy and raw, and through a bold sense of color and composition, he maintains a fine  balance between seemingly contradictory forces such as control and spontaneity, menace and wit, urban  imagery and primitivism. The Basquiat brand embodies the values and aspirations of young,  international urban culture.  

Basquiat often incorporated words into his paintings. Before his career as a painter began, he produced  punk-inspired postcards for sale on the street, and became known for the political–poetical graffiti under  the name of SAMO.  

The conjunction of various media is an integral element of Basquiat’s art. His paintings are typically  covered with text and codes of all kinds: words, letters, numerals, pictograms, logos, map symbols, 

diagrams and more, and featured multi-panel paintings and individual canvases with exposed stretcher  bars, the surface dense with writing, collage and imagery.  

© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York.  

ABOUT ARTESTAR 

This special edition bottle was created in collaboration with Artestar, a global licensing agency and  creative consultancy representing world-renowned visual artists, estates, and foundations. Artestar  conceptualizes and develops some of the world’s most iconic brand partnerships across an array of  categories and geographic regions, all while preserving and elevating each artist’s unique legacy.  

Through strategic planning and thoughtful curation, Artestar powers creative collaborations to make art  accessible to everyone. Learn more at artestar.com.