Eli Manning among group behind new Tennessee-based bourbon

Retired New York Giants QB Eli Manning is among a group of sports icons behind a brand new Tennessee-based bourbon.

It’s not uncommon for sports figures and celebrities to not only endorse new liquor brands but to take part in their ownership. Such notables as George Clooney, Sean Combs and Dan Aykroyd have kicked off their own booze brands, reaping in big returns.

So, why shouldn’t the famous Manning Brothers join in on the fun? The New York Post is reporting that Eli and Peyton are two of the many investors in a new Tennessee-based bourbon named after a fabled golf course in South Pittsburgh, which is located outside of Chattanooga.

A new super-premium bourbon endorsed by a slew of sports celebrities is about hit the shelves in Tennessee.

Tennis legend Andy Roddick, football greats Peyton and Eli Manning and notable sportscaster Jim Nantz are among 40 investors behind Sweetens Cove Tennessee Bourbon Whiskey, a 13-year cask aged product, that will make its debut next Tuesday.

First-timers on the course take a shot of bourbon ahead of a round — the plan is to release the first 500 bottles of the whiskey, which will retail at roughly $200 per, to Tennessee residents only.

Eli and Peyton are the two highest-earning players in NFL history, raking in a fortune estimated at $500 million in salary and that’s without  their lucrative endorsement deals.

Eli earned $252.3 million in his 16-year career with the Giants. Brother Peyton was paid $248.7 million over his Hall of Fame career with the Colts and Broncos.

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