‘Suits’ Star Gabriel Macht Joins Seth MacFarlane as Part of Bear Fight Whiskey’s A-List Team

“Suits” actor Gabriel Macht, is joining forces with the Bear Fight whiskey team. (Photo: Bear Fight)

Bear Fight Whiskey shared on Wednesday that “Suits” star Gabriel Macht, is coming aboard the whiskey brand’s celebrity-studded team and joining the likes of “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane, who currently serves as a brand stakeholder and “chief storyteller.” Macht’s official titles are creative partner and equity stakeholder, according to a news release from the whiskey brand.

“I’ve been a long-time whiskey fan, so linking arms with Bear Fight and Next Century Spirits was a compelling opportunity I was eager to jump on. I’ve always been drawn to projects that are bold and unique, and Bear Fight is no exception,” said Macht in a statement. “The brand challenges tradition, bringing new-world methods and attributes to the spirits realm. As a proud whiskey enthusiast, I’m excited to tap into my creativity and help define the Bear Fight brand while building a sense of connection and enjoying a few ‘new’ fashioneds along the way.”

Macht is known for his role as Harvey Specter in the legal dramedy “Suits.” The actor will “bring his signature charisma and sharp presence” to Bear Fight’s inaugural commercial campaign set to air in early 2025. The campaign aims to bring whiskey lovers and novices together under one question: “What’s your Bear Fight?”

Owned by Next Century Spirits (NCS,) Bear Fight boasts two expressions within its portfolio: an American Single Malt and a Kentucky Bourbon finished in reposado tequila barrels.

Bear Fight shared that MacFarlane will continue his role in conjunction with entrepreneur Matthew Bronfman, who is another founding investor. If you’re curious to see what critics thought about Bear Fight’s American Single Malt, you can view its Raided Score™ here.

More on the American Single Malt — an Increasingly Popular Category

The American Single Malt’s rise is nothing short of meteoric. Yet, with its rampant popularity, certain challenges within the category have emerged, generating uncertainty for distillers.

In July, the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission sent a letter to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) on Monday, asking the organization to finalize regulations for the new category. The guidelines were submitted to the organization in July 2022, and distillers are growing restless.

“American Single Malt Whiskey is also facing threats from brands with questionable or misleading labeling, as well as spurious and self-motivated claims that American Single Malt is broadly of suspect quality,” the letter read.

The situation appears to be quite similar to what took place within the landscape of Japanese whisky before the country passed labeling standards in April. Those in favor of labeling standards claimed they would offer protection from opportunists aiming to pass off imported whiskies as Japanese.

Those in favor of protecting the category, like Honkaku Spirits Co-Founder Christopher Pellegrini claimed to Wine Spectator that the category was way too broad before the new labeling standards passed. Pellegrini referred to certain unnamed scotch whisky brands as “snake oil salesman” passing off imported scotch as Japanese whisky, chipping away at its authenticity.

The TTB appears to still be in the process of finalizing requirements for the American Single Malt category.