A bold design collaboration bringing the golden age of San Francisco to life

Thirst has partnered with Gold Bar Whiskey to create Double Gold – a new brand and Gold Bar’s first-ever ready-to-drink cocktail. The design reimagines 1980s San Francisco through the lens of Hall of Fame quarterback and 49ers legend Joe Montana, bringing back the golden-era energy of the city he helped define.

Rooted in the belief that drinks can move culture, Thirst’s design for new brand Double Gold revives the optimism, ambition, and shine of the City by the Bay. Inspired by Montana’s heroic presence and the original Gold Bar bottle – itself a symbol of treasure and transformation – this new expression turns nostalgia into iconography.

Reviving San Francisco’s Golden Spirit
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 49ers’ historic 1985 championship, Gold Bar Whiskey and Thirst set out to create a design that captures the essence of San Francisco’s golden age. Working closely with Gold Bar founder Elliot Gillespie, Thirst took cues from an original 80s poster of Montana, pairing it with a striking red-and-gold visual world. The result: a new RTD brand that feels like a collectible, radiating weight, victory, and nostalgia.

“Double Gold captures a feeling – not just a flavour,” says Matt Burns, Founder & Executive Creative Director at Thirst. “It’s a design that glows with optimism. A love letter to the golden era of San Francisco, told through modern craft.”

The design dials up the heft of gold – literally and metaphorically. From metallic typography to rich golden grounds, every element is built to feel solid, tactile, and valuable – a visual metaphor for the golden standard Gold Bar is setting in whiskey RTDs.

At its heart sits the gold varsity jacket – the defining visual cue from Montana’s era, reinterpreted by Thirst as a symbol of victory and belonging. Even the red-white-red sleeve detail from that original jacket became a design reference: it inspired the band of colour that wraps around the top of the can, a subtle nod that connects the pack directly to its 80s sporting roots.

Double Gold is already turning heads across San Francisco and the Bay Area, appearing on landmark billboards across the Bay Area during the NFL season this fall. The collaboration marks a milestone moment for Gold Bar, and a showcase of Thirst’s ability to create new brands through design, storytelling, and cultural insight.

“Working with Thirst has been an incredible creative partnership,” says Elliott Gillespie, Founder of Gold Bar Whiskey. “They understood our vision instantly and pushed it further than we imagined. The team brought real craft, energy, and boldness to Double Gold – capturing the spirit of our brand and this iconic story in a way that feels both premium and powerful. We couldn’t be happier with how the design brings our story to life.”