Old Forester Unveils 2026 Birthday Bourbon Alongside Limited-Edition Jacket

(Photos: Old Forester)

On Wednesday, Old Forester unveiled the 2026 release of its popular Birthday Bourbon. What’s more, the Kentucky bourbon producer is teaming up with Alpha Industries on a corresponding, limited-edition distiller’s jacket launching this month to accompany the bourbon.

The 2026 Birthday Bourbon is an 11-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon bottled at 97 proof. The release was drawn from 212 barrels stored on the third floor of Warehouse B, the oldest warehouse at the Brown-Forman Distillery in Shively, Kentucky.

Master Distiller Emeritus Chris Morris and Assistant Master Distiller Caleb Trigo selected the barrels for this year’s release, which has a suggested retail price of $199.99 and will be available in limited quantities at select retailers nationwide.

Old Forester describes the bourbon as having a dark brown sugar color, with ginger, vanilla bean, honey, malted graham cracker and cherry on the nose. The palate is said to bring honey and buttery caramel alongside tobacco, herbal notes and cherry, while the finish emphasizes toasted oak, graham cracker and lingering mint.

Birthday Bourbon dates back to 2002 and celebrates the birthday of George Garvin Brown, who founded Old Forester in 1870.

As for the outerwear portion of the collaboration: It reworks Alpha Industries’ N-1 deck-jacket silhouette with details drawn from Old Forester’s bourbon-making history. The jacket will be available in limited quantities for $250 beginning Sept. 10 at Alpha Industries stores in New York City and online.

The jacket is made with a cotton construction with a dark brown corduroy collar and a garment-washed finish intended to evoke the textures and character of bourbon production. Distillery-inspired touches include custom Old Forester woven labels, distressed hardware, a removable sleeve patch, a debossed flight ribbon and interior artwork.

The collaboration marks the first time the two heritage brands have partnered, with both positioning the jacket around craftsmanship, durability and functional design.

“Old Forester and Alpha come from very different worlds, but there’s a shared philosophy behind the two brands,” said Matt Pantoja, chief brand officer of Alpha Industries. “Both were built around products that had to deliver on quality, function and longevity.”

Old Forester says the jacket and bourbon reflect different sides of the brand’s heritage: one rooted in the practical traditions of American workwear and the other in a bourbon-making legacy that stretches back more than 150 years.