The Whiskey That's Inspired By A Fan-Favorite Sitcom
The sitcom "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" features a group of friends whose chaotic antics have been holding viewers' attention for more than a decade and a half. The gang runs a fictional, South Philadelphia Irish pub on the small screen. When the pandemic lockdown hit, three of the show's big-hearted male leads decided to do what they could for the Philadelphia hospitality industry in real life. In homage to the show's bar and backdrop, Paddy's Pub, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, and Charlie Day made an announcement this month that they would be launching a new brand of whiskey.
The new whiskey, called Four Walls, rolls out with two selections. The first, with an $89 price point, is an Irish whiskey blend with Pennsylvania sourced rye whiskey. The second, targeted to the connoisseur, has a price point just shy of a thousand dollars. Yes, it's a little spendy, but each bottle features autographs of the three contributing stars. Plus, whiskey enthusiasts will appreciate its single-barrel source, aged 15 years (just like the show) along with its exclusivity (less than 800 bottles are being made). According to the official Four Walls website, all proceeds made from the whiskey sales will go to non-profit organizations that benefit the bartending community, illustrating the stars and their characters have at least one thing in common: their gratitude to Paddy's Pub and all the bars like it.
It's the $100 sitcom pilot that just made television history.
Last year, "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" became the longest-running live-action sitcom (per NPR), after it edged past its last remaining competitor, "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," which maxed out at 14 seasons. The acerbic wit in "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" started with a pilot episode that was shot for a mere $100, according to Slash Film. The show is uniquely dark, or maybe fresh and real, depending on your point of view. It is uniquely improvisational as well, which the actors and writers say happens indiscriminately in their process, often with great results.
Those results are striking the right chord among an audience who keep watching to the tune of 3 million viewers per episode, (via Variety). That's a fairly consistent uptick since the sitcom's inception and a boost from its 2.2 million back in Season 10. The Philadelphia Inquirer announced that FX would renew the series through 2024, enough time for the whiskey to gain the acclaim it likely deserves while giving a nice payback to an industry that has treated "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" so well.