NIL
Cougar Collective and Paddock Spirits team up to fuel WSU NIL
COUGAR NATION HAS a new way to raise a glass for Washington State athletes and NIL in addition to the Ol’ Crimson beer and coffee. On Wednesday, Paddock Spirits, an award-winning ready-to-drink cocktail company founded by WSU alumni, teams up with the Cougar Collective and Ol’ Crimson Booster Club to launch Ol’ Crimson Legendary Cocktail, a vodka-based blackberry and pomegranate blend.
And like Ol’ Crimson Lager and Ol’ Crimson Legendary Brew, the Ol’ Crimson Legendary Cocktail directly supports Cougar athletes. A portion of proceeds will go toward the Cougar Collective, which helps WSU student-athletes maximize opportunities through Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL).
Plus, the online store is ramping up at OlCrimson.com, with more and more items will be making their way onto the site.
“This is a creative, unique way to raise money for NIL,” Cougar Collective co-founder Luke Wetzstein tells Cougfan.com. “Not too many other collectives are doing something like this, we think it’s going to be pretty good for us.”
Launch Party in Seattle
The official launch party for the drink is Wednesday, August 20 at 5 p.m. at Marco Polo Bar & Grill in Seattle. The event will feature tastings of the Ol’ Crimson Legendary Cocktail, WSU VIPs and alumni, giveaways, a silent auction, and plenty of Cougar camaraderie.
How to Get It
The cocktail is beginning distribution through Odom and Northwest Beverage in Washington and Idaho. It’s already trickling into bars, and will expand into grocery stores and retailers over the coming weeks.
A Wine is Coming Too
Details are being held close to the vest but plans are in the final stages for an Ol’ Crimson wine launch: look for it soon.
From Pullman Roots to a National Stage
Paddock Spirits, founded in Pullman, has quickly made a name for itself in the competitive spirits industry, winning multiple gold medals and a “Best in Class” award at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
More Than Just Cocktails
The Ol’ Crimson Legendary Cocktail is part of a broader effort by the Cougar Collective to creatively engage fans. The new online store offers hats, t-shirts, koozies, and specialty items like custom coolers made in partnership with Tailgater Supply.
“We got a handful of the custom coolers last fall that we sold at some of our Friday afternoon happy hour events before home games on Saturdays and people loved them,” said Wetzstein. “And we’ll continue to add to the online store’s offerings, this is just the first step.”
Wetzstein credited Ryan Mulcahy, who worked closely with the Cougar Collective, with spearheading the online store launch. His leadership, paired with the support of the Ol’ Crimson Booster Club made the project possible.
“We can’t thank the Ol’ Crimson Booster Club and Ryan enough, they really stepped up big to make this happen,” said Wetzstein.
A Toast to Cougar Spirit
From a flag that waved on ESPN’s College GameDay for two decades to a cocktail in cans across the Northwest, Ol’ Crimson continues to symbolize WSU’s unique pride and community. Now, every sip of the Ol’ Crimson Legendary Cocktail helps ensure Cougar athletes have the support they need to succeed.
For more information, fans and retailers can contact Tony Poston at tony@paddockspirits.com or (208) 290-1271.
