When you think of celebrities who have their own alcohol brands, do you picture them in their garage or guest house-turned-distillery? Do you envision a cellar full of wine barrels and backyards with rows of grapevines? I know I do!
I was definitely a little disappointed to hear that most of these celebrities aren’t involved at all in the production, but are just the spokesperson. Some are a little closer to the production process than others, but many just put up the funds to back the project then hit the road until it’s time to promote it.
Don’t get me wrong, celebrity alcohol brands are still pretty cool and I will totally buy them every time. But I still wish Ryan Reynolds was bottling my gin in his garage.
Celebrities With Alcohol Brands
Here are 13 alcohol brands owned or endorsed by celebrities we love. Some we have already tried, and a few were new, pleasant surprises!
Snoop Dogg / 19 Crimes – Cali Red
Snoop is a connoisseur of more than just cannabis – he has a pallet for wine as well! I’ll admit that when I saw this at the store, I purchased it just because his face was on the bottle. And at $12.00, I wasn’t expecting much.
I was absolutely stunned when it turned out to be one of my favorite wines ever. Not too sweet, strong blackberry and cherry notes, some spice, and that oak finish that I love.
And Snoop is not just the face on the label. He was actively involved in creating the recipe for the first California wine of the 19 Crimes brand. It’s one of the best things to come out of 2020 and I will definitely be purchasing this wine again!
Snoop’s also been involved with a few other alcohol brands, and in September 2020 he launched INDOGGO Gin, his first owned and operated project.
Aaron Paul and Brian Cranston / Dos Hombres Mezcal
When Breaking Bad co-stars Aaron Paul and Brian Cranston knew they wouldn’t be sharing the screen anymore, they started thinking about a new project to work on together. They decided to find a Mezcal “so damn good even people who don’t think they like Mezcal will love it.”
According to an Instagram post by Paul, the two “searched high and low all over Oaxaca” (Mexico) and found the perfect Mezcal.
Shannon is a HUGE Breaking Bad fan and a mezcal lover, so she got a little over-excited about Dos Hombres and immediately ordered it online! Stay tuned for our review!
George Clooney / Casamigos Tequila
Casamigos was founded in 2013 by George Clooney and friends Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman. George and Rande had neighboring vacation homes in Mexico and spent many nights sipping tequila before they birthed the idea of Casamigos. They actually created their tequila as their personal “house tequila” and didn’t originally intend to release it to the public.
They hoped to create a smooth, sippable tequila that didn’t have to be covered up with salt or lime and didn’t give you a hangover the next day. They were very hands-on with the project, testing recipes with their master distiller in Jalisco, Mexico for years until they got it right.
As far as I am concerned, they accomplished the sippable goal, but I am scared to test the hangover claim!
After consuming over 1000 bottles a year, they were forced to obtain a distribution license. So, due to government guidelines, we are now all able to enjoy this delicious creation. In 2017, Clooney and friends sold Casamigos in a deal that valued the company at up to $1 billion.
Nick Jonas / Villa One Tequila
There must be something in the Mexico air that brings your tequila-making dreams to life!
Villa One was inspired by a 2017 trip to Mexico where Nick Jonas and fashion designer friend John Varvatos “came together over a love for tequila and for experiencing ‘life as it should be,’ with friends old and new, one glass at a time.” A couple years later, their product is on the shelf and while it’s on the top shelf at my local liquor store, it’s still pretty affordable for a premium tequila.
It seems natural that Jonas would be drawn to tequila as a diabetic. Studies have shown that the natural sugars in agave don’t spike blood sugar the same way as other alcohols. Tequila is also gluten-free and we like to think of it as the healthiest of all spirits!
Their tequila sources 100% blue weber agave from both the Highland and Lowland regions of Jalisco, Mexico, resulting in a well-rounded profile.
Sammy Hagar and Guy Fieri / Santo Tequila and Mezquila
Rocker Sammy Hagar and Chef Guy Fieri – who look like they should be brothers – teamed up with master distiller Juan Eduardo Nunez (who also created Hagar’s Cabo Wabo brand more than 10 years ago) to bring you Santo Blanco and Santo Mezquila.
The Mezquila is the world’s first blend of mezcal and tequila and it’s on our “to-buy” list for sure!
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson / Teremana Tequila
Another celebrity tequila? Yup! Dwayne Johnson worked with a Mexican family-owned distillery in the highlands of Jalisco to build his Distileria Teremana.
Teremana combines two words: “tere” derived from the Latin “terra” meaning earth and “mana,” the Polynesian word meaning spirit. Teremana is the “Spirit of the Earth,” described as a “a bright flavorful tequila that honors the land it comes from.”
How can you not love The Rock? His movies have provided my family with many laughs and we quote them regularly. And while I’m sure he’s not actually working in the agave fields as this photo suggests, I still like what he stands for.
Kenny Chesney / Blue Chair Bay Rum
Of course Kenny Chesney owns a rum brand in the Caribbean! Blue Chair Bay Rum is located on the coast of Barbados, and is fully owned by Chesney, who worked with one of the world’s great master blenders, Mike Booth, to create the blends. As Chairman of the Board and Chief Brand Officer, he is very involved in all product decisions right down to the smallest details.
The Blue Chair Bay web site says each bottle is “infused with Kenny Chesney’s heart and soul, from beach to bottle.” There are 10 flavors to choose from, but I am partial to the coconut and white rum. Check out this Coconut Rum Seltzer!
Ryan Reynolds / Aviation American Gin
Ryan Reynolds became a minority co-owner and ambassador for Aviation American Gin in 2018 because he said he “tried every gin on the planet and liked Aviation the best.” In 2020, Reynolds sold his stake in the company for a cool $610 million.
The humor he infused into marketing Aviation catapulted it to becoming the second-largest brand within the US super-premium gin segment. I think Ryan could sell sand in the desert – he is just SO FUNNY! Check out this “Rejected Slogans” video (and more hilarious videos on their web site!).
Sam Huegan / The Sassenach Blended Scotch Whisky
If you’ve seen the TV show Outlander (Shannon and Naomi love this show!), you know you want to buy this whisky. How can you possibly resist anything this gorgeous man has to sell?
In an interview with the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Huegan said, “I set up the Great Glen Company to produce products that I believe in, using my heritage and passion as inspiration. … First stop is obviously the lifelong dream of having my own dram.”
The flavor notes of this whisky are described as butterscotch, apricot and honey. But the hard part is finding it! The Sassenach is sold out everywhere online as of right now, but we’ll keep trying!
Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder / Brother’s Bond Bourbon
These “brothers” could make cat food and I would buy it.
Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder played the Salvatore brothers on the TV series The Vampire Diaries, where they were often shown drinking bourbon. Like Aaron Paul and Brian Cranston, they formed a bond that they wanted to continue into another project. And so Brother’s Bond Bourbon was founded.
Following along on their Instagram, it seemed that the two spent a good amount of time crafting the taste of their bourbon and it’s clear that they both love this spirit.
Shannon was on the list to be notified about the pre-sale of Brother’s Bond, but she didn’t get any notification and now it’s sold out. She’s a little (lot) annoyed.
Conor McGregor / Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey
Irish professional mixed martial artist and boxer Conor McGregor has a passion for Ireland and whiskey, so he sought out the master distiller at the oldest whiskey distillery on the Isle of Ireland. Through much trial and error, they worked together to create a blend of sweet Irish grain and single malt Irish whiskey.
Matthew McConaughey / Longbranch Bourbon
Matthew McConaughey is the Creative Director of Wild Turkey, but I like that the iconic bourbon brand doesn’t throw that in your face. In fact, I had to dig a bit to even find mention of him on their web site. He has worked with the company since 2016, and launched a bourbon with his name on it in 2018.
While McConaughey didn’t produce Wild Turkey’s Longbranch bourbon in his barn, as we would like to imagine, he does appear to have had a significant part in creating the taste of it.
Longbranch is inspired by McConaughey’s Kentucky and Texas roots. It’s refined with Texas Mesquite and oak charcoals to create the “Texas” half he was looking for. This bourbon is the first time Wild Turkey has launched a product that bears a signature of someone other than the Master Distillers Jimmy and Eddie Russell.
Val and Candace Cameron-Bure / Bure Family Wines
We all knew DJ Tanner would go far in life and now she’s got her own wines. Actually, it seems that her husband, retired pro hockey player Val Bure, is the driving force behind this venture. Apparently as he traveled the world during his hockey career, he became quite the wine connoisseur and collector.
Val and Candace own a second home in Napa Valley and it’s there that they grow some of the grapes for their wines, though most are locally sourced from Napa and Sonoma Counties.
This wine has been on my list to try for awhile, but it’s not easy to get a hold of. They are a small operation and you have to get on the purchase list. I’ve signed up, now I wait!
Do you have a favorite celebrity owned (or endorsed) alcohol?
I love to drink Brother’s Bond Bourbon. I feel something in this that no other bourbons can give. It’s a personal opinion. I have tried several types of bourbon but liked this one.