Two American Originals: Old Forester and Alpha Industries Drop a Limited-Edition Distiller’s Jacket Alongside the 2026 Birthday Bourbon
There are brand collaborations, and then there are collaborations that actually make sense on a deeper level — ones where the overlap isn’t manufactured but genuinely earned. The new partnership between Old Forester and Alpha Industries lands squarely in that second category. Old Forester, the world’s first bottled bourbon born out of Louisville, and Alpha Industries, the original military clothing manufacturer with Knoxville roots, have come together to launch a limited-edition Distiller’s Jacket, reflecting shared passions for craftsmanship, heritage, and functionality. The release arrives during one of bourbon’s most anticipated annual calendar events, and for the first time, that event comes with a jacket worth talking about long after the last pour.
The Birthday Bourbon Tradition: America’s Original Vintage-Dated Whiskey
To understand why this collaboration carries real weight, you have to understand what Birthday Bourbon means to the bourbon world. The concept was born in 2002 as a birthday celebration of George Garvin Brown, who founded the Louisville distillery back in 1870 — and Old Forester calls it the first vintage-dated bourbon in the industry. That’s not a small claim. The notion of treating bourbon with the same year-specific reverence given to a great Burgundy or a single-malt Scotch was, at the time, a genuine departure from how American whiskey was marketed and consumed.
Image credit: Old Forester
Birthday Bourbon is released annually in recognition of the September 2 birthday of Old Forester founder George Garvin Brown. Since its introduction in 2002, the annual expression has become one of the distillery’s most collectible releases and is closely watched by bourbon enthusiasts each fall. The secondary market reflects that status year after year. Bottles change hands well above retail, and the swirl of speculation around each year’s proof, age statement, and warehouse selection has become its own seasonal ritual for the bourbon faithful…