Milwaukee basketball fans who also happen to enjoy a good pour of Tennessee whiskey have reason to smile this fall. Jack Daniel’s just released the second limited-edition bottle in its ongoing partnership with the Milwaukee Bucks, and early word from the people who helped create it is that this one brings more fire than the first.
Back in June, the distillery threw a launch party in Milwaukee where Bucks legend Brandon Jennings and Jack Daniel’s Barrel Maturation Manager Byron Copeland officially unveiled the new expression. Called “The Culture,” it’s part of the Bucks’ 2025-26 Collection and carries the full name Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey. Bottles started hitting liquor store shelves across Wisconsin shortly after, and if you’re anywhere near Bucks country, you’ve probably already seen the black-and-cream labels with the familiar deer logo standing tall.
Image credit: NBA/Jack Daniel’s
This isn’t the first time these two brands have teamed up. Last year they dropped a single-barrel release simply called “Six” that disappeared fast. Jennings says that one leaned smooth—easy drinking, crowd-pleasing, the kind of whiskey you could sip all fourth quarter. This year he wanted something different.
“I had a great time, man,” Jennings said when he visited Lynchburg to pick the barrel back in the spring. “Just the process, being able to pick a barrel for the city of Milwaukee. Last year we did the Six, which was smoother. This year we picked a barrel that was a little more spicy, right? We couldn’t go smooth twice. I think the barrel that we picked, everybody's going to love. I'm excited about it.”
Anyone who has ever stood in the Jack Daniel’s barrelhouses knows no two barrels are exactly alike. That’s part of what makes single-barrel programs special, and part of what makes scaling them up tricky. Byron Copeland explained it plain and simple: one barrel never produces enough whiskey for a full commercial release, and even if it did, you couldn’t perfectly duplicate it.
Image credit: NBA/Jack Daniel’s
“Can we match everything that we’ve picked?” Copeland asked when the barrel was chosen. “No, because a single barrel is very unique – 70 percent of the flavor is going to come from the barrel. And if you think about what that barrel imparts, the oxidation that’s going on inside of it, there’s too much going on inside of a barrel that we can’t mimic as humans.”
So here’s how they did it: Jennings nosed and tasted his way through rows of rickhouses until he landed on the exact barrel he wanted—the spicy one. That cask became the target. Copeland and the team then hunted down five more barrels that came as close as humanly possible to the same flavor profile. Blend those six together and you’ve got “The Culture,” a small-batch single-barrel-style whiskey that still carries Jennings’ personal stamp.
If you crack one open at home, expect the classic Jack Daniel’s charcoal-mellowed backbone with an extra kick of rye spice, baking spices, and a little more pepper on the finish than the mellow “Six” offered last year. It’s still 94 proof, still Tennessee whiskey through and through, but it’s got attitude—perfect for a cold Fiserv Forum night or a backyard firepit after the game.
Image credit: NBA/Jack Daniel’s
The partnership runs deeper than just pretty bottles, too. This year Jack Daniel’s and the Bucks are putting real money and effort behind Operation Ride Home, a program that flies junior-enlisted service members home to their families for the holidays when they otherwise couldn’t afford the trip. Every bottle of “The Culture” sold helps fund those flights. So when you pick one up for yourself or as a Christmas gift for the Bucks fan in your life, you’re also helping a young soldier or Marine surprise Mom under the tree.
Stock isn’t unlimited. The first collaboration sold out faster than anyone expected, and stores are already warning that this one will move quick too—especially with the holidays coming. If you’re in Wisconsin, northern Illinois, or anywhere the deer logo runs deep, keep an eye on your local liquor store or the big-box beverage aisles. These bottles tend to vanish the minute word gets out.
Two years in, and the Jack Daniel’s-Milwaukee Bucks partnership feels less like a marketing gimmick and more like two institutions that genuinely respect what the other stands for: hard work, loyalty, and giving the people something worth raising a glass to. This year’s pour is spicier, bolder, and tied to a cause that matters. Sounds like the perfect nightcap for any guy who’s been around long enough to appreciate all three.
