He launched New Liberty Distillery in an old horse barn in Kensington with his Kinsey whiskey as the first product.
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Kinsey is a nod back to an old-school whiskey brand popular in the 1940s and 50s. You can see its neon sign on Time Square in the background of that famous photo of a sailor kissing a nurse during the V-J Day celebration in 1945.
Cassell now makes nearly a hundred varieties of whiskeys, canned cocktails and liqueurs, aging spirits in barrels once used for burgundy, Bordeaux and sherry wines.
Malcolm Jenkins is a neighbor and a fellow fan of finely crafted whiskeys.
So over the years, when Cassell felt he had something particularly. good, he would message Jenkins, inviting the two-time Super Bowl Champ and former Eagle to swing by for a taste.
Now Jenkins is a board member and investor in Millstone Spirits Group, the parent company of New Liberty Distillery.
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His intention is to create a high-quality craft spirit he can call his own and making it with grains sourced exclusively from boutique Black and Brown farmers.
The main crops they're looking for are corn, wheat, rye, and barley. Malcolm says, "we can meet these farmers at a price point that actually empowers them."
Actually finding Black and Brown farmers has proved more challenging than either Rob or Malcolm anticipated. They've found two so far, enough to plant for the first very small batch, and they're on the lookout for more.
It will be a few years before the Malcolm Jenkins spirit gets from grain to glass and they've yet to choose a name for the new brand.
But they're determined to tell a story that has an impact on Black and Brown farmers and creates memories for tipplers.
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1431 Cadwallader St, Philadelphia, Pa. 19122
267-928-4650