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Ja Rule‘s Hip-Hop legacy has aged flavorfully, just as deep brown liquor distilled in his whiskey venture Amber & Opal, or at least that is what the rapper sets to prove as he sets sight on new territory in 2025.
The new year comes with expansion for not only his music career with a set tour, planned new releases, and more but also evolution for Amber & Opal. Cofounded with Herb Rice, Kelvin Barton, and Sandy Sandiford, the Black-owned whiskey debuted in Maryland and will now launch across New York, California, New Jersey, and Florida, with additional states to be announced in the coming months.
In the days before the Christmas holiday, the 48-year-old is as jolly as one can be on Zoom, proudly smiling as his wife brings him a bottle of Amber & Opal to display while he sips a “whisquito,” his version of a traditional Puerto Rican coquito, crafted with his spirit.
“I mean, who doesn’t love a little libation,” explained the chart-topping rapper about his decision to enter the world of whiskey. His previous experience in the adult beverage industry came in 2019 with the launch of Rose Vine Cellars and the Red Rose Cabernet Sauvignon.
“With the wine, I wanted to create something that just wasn’t there for me. With the whiskey, it was a whole situation. Me and my partner, Herb, one of the four founders of the company, we went down this rabbit hole… we were just doing a lot of different investments at the time. And lo and behold, a really cool investment came across our desk. Basically it was a whole warehouse in Iowa of whiskey being sold. So it was a bunch of barrels that we originally just intended to buy these barrels at one price and sell them at a premium when they aged about seven years.”
He continued to elaborate, “The seventh year came up, which was about last year sometime, a lot of the guys in the group started buzzing open barrels and making personal bottles of that bourbon for themselves to just have in their homes. A light bulb went off of me and Herb like, ‘This is an opportunity for us to create a really dope business because we have these really, really amazing aged barrels of bourbon that can be premium.’ And so we sought out to start this business.”
Amber & Opal is officially described as a premium honey botanical whiskey that redefines the spirit landscape with bold flavors and a commitment to community and inclusivity. Each bottle blends Maryland Straight Rye Whiskey—aged two years in medium-charred oak barrels—with the flavors of orange blossom honey, smoky black tea, and spiced herbal notes of cinnamon, ginger, and fig.
“It was a lot of taste testing, a lot of making sure that our product was a product that can stand on its own, not just be a celebrity product there, or be something that I’m putting my name on,” detailed Ja Rule. “This is something that I put my heart into with my brothers. And we really created something that we can be proud of, from the bottle to what’s in the bottle. So, very proud of what we’ve done thus far.”
The brand encourages sipping and cocktails, noting the signature pour as the Amber Rush, a modified version of a traditional gold rush. Amber & Opal bottles also serve as decanters, with an intentional sleek design, standing taller than the average whiskey bottle on a bar or store shelf.
The pending evolution of the Amber & Opal brand is preceded by Ja Rule kicking off 2025 Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve during DJ Cassidy’s Pass The Mic Live! He will also perform during the Where The Party At Tour next, hitting several concerts across the United States next summer alongside Nelly, Eve, Chingy, and Jermaine Dupri.
“I’m really excited. It’s going to be a fun tour,” shared the Queens native. “I just want to get out there and touch the people. I got some really dope installations that I’m doing for my meet and greets, and meet and greet packages will be really cool. Come on and hang out, and it’s where the party going is to be at for the summer.”
He continued to confirm, “I’m thinking I’m going to put out some new tunes before I go out on the road. So yeah, be looking forward to some new music before they through next year, probably around June.”
Beyond the whiskey barrels and anticipated summer tour, Ja Rule’s 2025 also comes with the benefits of fatherhood. His youngest son is set to graduate college while his eldest child is tying the knot and starting a family of their own.
“It’s going to be a big year for me. A big daddy year,” proclaimed Ja Rule. “If I could just put it out in the atmosphere just for peace and calm for the year… Leave some of this crazy sh*t back in 2024,” he signs off with a smile.
Amber & Opal can currently be purchased online nationally via Seelbachs.com, as well as at Total Wine locations in select markets.
English (US) ·