LiveWire Drinks just debuted its first bottled cocktail, Alley Cat Old Fashioned, in collaboration with bartender and industry icon Chris Patino.
Developed and designed by Patino, Alley Cat will be a rare but much-deserved moment in the spotlight for one of the most influential behind-the-scenes bar industry figures of the last few decades.
“There are few drinks in life better than a good old fashioned,” says Patino. “It’s a drink that stands the test of time, and I’m thrilled to be making one with LiveWire using the best ingredients that can be enjoyed at a moment’s notice.”
A spirits educator, brand consultant, former award-winning ambassador for Pernod-Ricard, and co-owner of renowned cocktail bar Raised by Wolves in San Diego, Patino has been an instrumental mover and shaker in the cocktail industry for decades and launched brands with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (Teremana Tequila) Campari America, Stoli USA, and Proximo.
“Chris is an unsung hero in the craft cocktail world,” says LiveWire founder Aaron Polsky. “He’s done so much to highlight the work of others and give back to the industry. I’m looking forward to seeing the bartender’s bartender get his time in the limelight.”
Operating in the vein of a record label, LiveWire works directly with leading bartenders to develop ready-to-drink versions of their signature cocktails. Bartenders can choose the artist that designs their packaging, which functions like album covers, and are compensated for their intellectual property with royalties from each sale. To date, LiveWire has released cocktails with Polsky, Joey Bernardo and Erin Hayes.
Conceptualized by Patino after sampling a delicious, over-aged apple brandy that seemed too perfect not to work with, Alley Cat Old Fashioned is made with two-year straight rye whiskey and apple brandy from Ventura Spirits balanced with Bittercube cherry bark vanilla bitters.
An ode to Polsky’s cats, Nightrain and Mr. Brownstone, who presided over the entire creative process, Alley Cat Old Fashioned features artwork donated by renowned illustrator Mark Reihill, a good friend of Patino’s who previously illustrated him for menus at The Dead Rabbit. As a testament to Patino’s career-long commitment to giving back, a portion of proceeds from the sales of Alley Cat Old Fashioned will be donated to a charity to aid in the fight against pancreatic cancer.
LiveWire’s Alley Cat Old Fashioned is available in 375ml bottles at retailers in NY, NJ, TX, and CA, and online with shipping to 46 states.
