At a Glance
- Eli Manning releases Eli Manning’s Bold Pick: 2026 Batch, a cask-strength bourbon with Knob Creek ahead of Super Bowl LX
- The retired quarterback visited the distillery, tasted barrels and worked with Master Distiller Freddie Noe to craft a warmer, fuller-bodied spirit
- Manning predicts Seattle could dominate the NFC while Denver’s string of close wins in the AFC “scare” him
- Why it matters: Fans can sip the same bold bourbon Manning selected while watching the biggest football game of the year
The two-time Super Bowl champion is tackling bourbon with the same intensity he once brought to the gridiron. Eli Manning, 45, has unveiled Eli Manning’s Bold Pick: 2026 Batch, a full cask-strength release created alongside Knob Creek just in time for Super Bowl LX.
This marks year two of Manning’s limited-edition partnership with the distillery. He traveled to the Knob Creek distillery in August 2025 to sample barrels alongside Master Distiller Freddie Noe.
“We started this kind of project last year, in the beginning of 2025 for my first batch. And so I went back again this year in August and met with Freddie Noe, who’s legendary and just so knowledgeable,” Manning told News Of Losangeles. “I’m sitting there and I’m tasting the different barrels and kind of acting like I know what’s going on, but really listening to him and letting him kind of lead the way.”
The result, he says, is a “very bold” pour.
“It’s a little bit, I think, warmer and full body, last year’s is a little spicier. I think seeing that difference from year to year has been really cool,” Manning added.
From the Field to the Barrel
Manning’s bourbon education began only after he hung up his cleats.
“I’ve been drinking probably the last like five or six years, probably when I retired from playing football, I started getting in a little bit into bourbon,” he said. “My dad started getting into it. He likes an old fashioned, so I started having a few old fashions.”
His game-day serve?
“On the rocks on kind of a cold day watching a big game.”
Playoff Predictions
Manning sees no clear-cut juggernaut entering the postseason, but he likes Seattle’s chances in the NFC.
“I think maybe Seattle, if you kind of look at it as the team that might be the most dominant, of any of them and in my mind from the NFC,” he said.
In the AFC, Denver’s habit of surviving tight contests gives him pause.
“The Broncos have obviously won a lot of close games but that scares me a little bit, the fact they played so many.”
He expects drama regardless of who reaches Levi’s Stadium.
“I think that that’s what makes the playoffs so exciting is that it’s gonna come down to some bold decisions, some fourth quarter drive, some going forward on fourth down, you know, going for two in certain situations,” Manning said.
Bottle Details
- Name: Eli Manning’s Bold Pick: 2026 Batch
- Proof: Cask strength
- Release: Limited edition ahead of Super Bowl LX
- Availability: Nationwide where Knob Creek is sold
Manning promises the liquid lives up to its billing.
“Just being there, talking around bourbon, the history around that and going through the tastings of the different barrels and opening them up, it’s so much fun. So I’m so excited about this project,” he said.
Key Takeaways
- Manning personally selected every barrel for the 2026 Batch, creating a warmer, fuller style than last year’s spicier release.
- The partnership pairs football’s biggest stage with a high-proof bourbon designed for sipping during the game.
- While Manning stops short of a firm Super Bowl pick, he views Seattle as the NFC’s most complete team and questions whether Denver’s close-call trend can continue in the AFC.
