J. Wakefield Collaborates With Run the Jewels on a Coffee-Infused Stout

Miami's J. Wakefield Brewing recently collaborated with two other breweries to make Panther Like a Panther, a stout to be released this month. It was created for Run the Jewels, the hip-hop duo of rapper/producers El-P and Killer Mike.

The beer is being released in conjunction with the group's hit song, "Legend Has It," which is featured in Lexus' new ad for the blockbuster film Black Panther.

It's the duo's second beer and the first of several it has lined up to release this year, including the pilsner Legend Has It, slated for release in April, and the IPA Down Double, set for release in October. The beers are named for songs from the group's third album, RTJ3, which was released digitally in 2016 and debuted at number one on Billboard's Rap, Hip-Hop/R&B, Vinyl, and Independent charts.

The breweries Pipeworks and Interboro joined J. Wakefield to create the latest beer.

Panther Like a Panther is actually a series of three beers, each with its own own recipe. Interboro produced a traditional stout, whereas Pipeworks created a porter blended with bourbon-barrel-aged beer. J. Wakefield made a coffee-infused stout using beans from Miami's Panther Coffee. Art for the beer was created by Jermaine Rogers, who has also designed concert posters for David Bowie, the Beastie Boys, Melvins, and Radiohead.
The Panther Like a Panther series is being rolled out at the collaborating breweries over the next few months. It's available at Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago and will be released at New York City's Interboro Spirits & Ales February 24 before coming to J. Wakefield in Wynwood in April. An exact date for the Wakefield release will be announced.

According to brewer Johnathan Wakefield, Interboro Spirits & Ales introduced him to the project. "To be in the same lineup with Interboro and Pipeworks is really special, and, of course, we love the music of Run the Jewels and are honored to be collaborating with them," he says. "It's also cool that we will be using coffee from our friends and neighbors at Panther Coffee."

Run the Jewels also plans to partner with Berlin's BRLO craft brewery to create a cannabidiol-infused version of the pilsner Legend Has It, which will be released April 20 and will be available across Europe.

Other hip-hop groups have collaborated with breweries in the past. Dogfish Head in Delaware and Dan the Automator teamed up in 2011 to produce a beer/cider hybrid containing cilantro and cayenne pepper. Chance the Rapper collaborated with Goose Island in Chicago to make a hells lager exclusively for the 2016 Pitchfork Music Festival.