Rapper Ja Rule, Baltimore Distillery Team Up On New Whiskey

BALTIMORE, MD — A Baltimore distillery has teamed up with rapper and actor Ja Rule to create a new whiskey slated for a winter public release.

Baltimore Spirits Co., the maker of Epoch Rye Whiskey and Shot Tower Gin, created the new spirit with the help of Ja Rule and a team of others including Herb Rice, Kelvin Barton, and Sandy Sandiford, according to a Baltimore Business Journal report.

In a news release, the makers of Amber & Opal described it as a botanical spirit made with Maryland Straight Rye Whiskey, honey and a blend of teas.

"When we set out to create Amber & Opal, there was a very specific flavor profile we wanted to achieve," co-founder Rice said in a news release. "Thankfully, our partners at Baltimore Spirit Company not only executed but helped us to elevate the product."

In an interview with the Baltimore Sun, BSC founders Max Lents and Eli Breitburg-Smith said they didn't know the "Always On Time" singer would be involved in the project until he attended a Zoom meeting with the other partners.

“It was unexpected,” Lents told the Sun. “It was certainly a fun development. We were all smiles.”

Distribution of Amber & Opal in Maryland and other markets is slated for the end of the year. Learn more at www.amberopalspirits.com.