RI whiskey distillery has 'spirits' for Patriots

It's a showdown for a spot in Super Bowl 50 between two of the greatest players ever.

"I think playing someone 17 times is pretty cool, especially someone as great as him," New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said of his rival, Peyton Manning.

And the respect is mutual.

"Tom Brady - he plays the position the way it's supposed to be played," said Manning, who is the quarterback of the Denver Broncos.

Now, a local whiskey company is having a little fun with it all.

The owners of Sons of Liberty whiskey distillery in South Kingstown are picking the Pats to win on Sunday.

They're also proud to represent New England in a very unique way.

"Two years ago when the Pats played the Broncos, Peyton said in a press conference, 'I can't wait to have my Bud Light.' We said, 'He's got to have better taste than that,'" said Mike Reppucci, who owns the company.

So, the guys are packaging up some of their Battle Cry whiskey and shipping it to Denver for Manning to sample while he watches the Super Bowl.

"We're a bunch of guys that love sports and all the people that drink whiskey and live in Rhode Island love sports too, so it's something we can all rally behind together," said Bryan Ricard, who handles marketing for Sons of Liberty.

In addition to the whiskey, Sons of Liberty also sent a letter addressed to Peyton.

It included a jab relating to HGH rumors surrounding Manning. The letter said, "We're sorry for addressing the package to your wife. We heard that's the best way to get something to you."

"I think local people love it because everybody wants to hate the Patriots," said Chris Guillette, a distiller for Sons of Liberty. "We're in New England. We're Patriots people."

And what do locals think of the company representing them in this way?

NBC 10 News visited Mews Tavern in Wakefield to get some feedback.

"I love what they're doing," said Chad Self of Providence. "I think it's appropriate. We win. They lose. They're doing what they think is right."

Others agreed.

"I think it's great," said Kelsey Meleady of Wilbraham, Mass. "I think it's really funny, and I think (Manning's) going to actually need it."

Back at the distillery, the men of Sons of Liberty said that if the Patriots make it to the Super Bowl, they're going to reach out to a distillery in Charlotte or Arizona and make a bet with them. The winner gets whiskey sent to them from the loser.