Stephen Malbon on Launch of Malbon x Bushmills Capsule Collection

You know whiskey, and you know golf, but you don’t know ’em like this.

For the first time ever, Malbon Golf is joining forces with a spirits brand, launching its collaborative capsule collection in partnership with Bushmills on July 18. Inspired by friendships made on the course and personal style off it, the collection is all about a shift in perspective, a modernizing of tradition.

“We’re trying to show what the new face of golf is and what the new face of whiskey is together,” says Stephen Malbon, founder of Malbon Golf, in an exclusive interview with Esquire. “Back in the day, when people thought about golf, they thought about it in one certain way: kind of dusty, kind of old-school. And I think whiskey was probably a similar thought, where you drink whiskey when you play golf. But now, golf is changing. Whiskey’s changing. Us together are able to do some cool stuff.”

a couple of men standing on a golf course

Malbon Golf

The “cool stuff” in question has emerged as a capsule collection consisting of a crewneck sweatshirt, two T-shirts, two hats, and a custom leather flask, all featuring new cobranding from Bushmills and Malbon. Across the collection, Malbon’s script “M” is woven into the Bushmills logo, with Bushmills’ iconic teal serving as the primary color motif throughout.

From the apparel to the accessories, Malbon’s signature streetwear-inspired look remains firmly in place; this is golf, but not as you usually think of it. It’s made anew—younger, fresher, freer, with clothing that’s not quite as stiff as the classic attire you’d see on the green, but just as functional. Instead of a polo, you have a boxy tee; instead of a visor, an embroidered snapback. There’s really no wrong choice in this capsule, but Malbon’s personal favorite pieces? The crewneck and the bucket hat.

“You can curve [the brim] up a bit and make it have less sun protection, make it a little more styled,” he says. “The crewneck is great; it can go over top of a polo, which still gives a vibe, and you just have a little polo popping out from underneath it. Or I can wear it with sweatpants to the airport or to a coffee shop.”

Malbon Golf

Seriously, what other golf gear would you wear to the airport? The only piece from the collection that you probably shouldn’t bring with you through TSA—but definitely can and should bring on the green—is the standout accessory: the leather flask. Designed with space to hold both whiskey and golf tees, it snaps onto a golf bag, so you can take a second to enjoy a drink as you play.

“Years back, I played golf in Scotland, and on the first tee and the ninth tee, all of the caddies pulled a flask out,” says Malbon. “They said, ‘It’s a tradition here in Scotland.’ So it was interesting, just the whole thought of having the flask in the bag. And doing it with a spirits brand makes total sense.”

With every piece, Malbon says, the two brands are rewriting the narrative, making room for younger people who are coming in from creative spaces, wanting to merge golf with things like art and fashion. People who haven’t been taught the sport by their fathers and their fathers’ fathers, who didn’t pick it up as a means to conduct business but who play for the fun of it. Maybe they had a great time at Topgolf once and decided to stick with it. “They play with their friends. They like to look cool. They like to have fun. They’re not as serious stuffy as it historically has been,” he says.

Malbon Golf

“Back in the day, it was like, if you golf, this is what you have to do,” Malbon continues. “This is how you have to look, this is how you have to talk, this is how you have to dress. There’s tons of traditions, there’s tons of rules, and all of that stuff may have been a bit intimidating or overwhelming for people that are younger.”

He noticed the shift in the game during Covid, when, faced with nothing else to do, young people started going to the driving range. “You can go to Staten Island and play golf. It’s $60 to go play for five, six hours. There’s not a lot of things you can do in New York for $10 an hour,” he says.

For the younger crowd coming in, it was never about the old traditions, the old rules—it was just about the love of the game, coming together on the course, and perhaps sharing some whiskey on the ninth tee.

“Golf’s kind of heavy,” Malbon says, “and now, with what we’re involved with and what Bushmills is helping with, it can be light. It can be light and it can be fun. And it’s totally okay now for you to be yourself and to play golf. Be respectful [on the course], but also be who you are.”