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Beyoncé is the latest star to break into the lucrative alcohol business. The Grammy-winning singer announced this year the launch of a brand new American whisky under the LVMH-owned spirits company Moët Hennessy, called SirDavis.
In addition to being a smart business move, Beyoncé’s latest venture also has personal roots. The singer’s drink of choice has long been whisky (it shows up in the lyrics of multiple songs in “Cowboy Carter”), and her great-grandfather Davis Hogue, the brand’s namesake, even worked as a farmer and moonshiner in the American South during Prohibition.
The bottle is now available to purchase online at at a variety of retailers. Other celeb-backed spirits brands include Matthew McConaughey and wife Camila Alves’s Pantalones Tequila which has already made a splash this year with their playful (and sometimes pantless) marketing tactics. There’s also Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation Gin, which this year released a limited-edition “Deadpool” bottle in support of the Marvel blockbuster.
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For “Vampire Diaries” fans, there’s Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley’s Bond Brothers Bourbon, nodding to the pair’s beloved on-screen relationship during the show’s eight-season run (not to mention Cara and Poppy Delevingne’s own sibling creation, Della Vite Prosecco). And, of course, for the whiskey drinkers among us, there’s always Nick Offerman’s Lagavulin Whiskey, whose latest limited-edition bottle received a double Gold Medal at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition
Here are the best celebrity-founded alcohol brands to get excited about.
Beyonce & SirDavis
Years in the making, “SirDavis offers an unexpected take on American whisky with a bespoke recipe, unusual maturation process and one-of-a-kind taste profile with inspiration from Japanese and Scottish styles — perfectly suited to Knowles-Carter’s whisky ideal,” according to a press release.
The new blend was created by Master Distiller, Dr. Bill Lumsden, and challenges category norms by combining the complex, rich character of rye with the soft elegance of malted barley for a uniquely harmonious blend of fruit and spice. Notes include orange, raisins, clove, cinnamon and ginger.
Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves Pantalones Tequila
Matthew McConaughey and wife Camila Alves have spent the latter half of this year promoting their new Pantalones Tequila brand — featuring one pantless campaign video that got the internet buzzing. The new release, which follows McConaughey’s LongBranch Bourbon in 2016, was founded alongside industry veterans Chrisomalis and Guillaume Cuvelier, and has already made a splash for its playful marketing tactics. The lineup includes a Blanco, Reposado and Añejo for every preference.
Ryan Reynolds Aviation Gin
Reynolds, who still maintains a stake in the Aviation Gin company he invested in back in 2018, has included sneaky Aviation plugs throughout his filmography including “Red Notice” and “Deadpool 2.” In the 2021 film “Free Guy” you can see a tiny bottle appear under the cheeky labeling “subtle product placement.”
Now, Deadpool official has his own booze line at Aviation along with a funny drink titled “The Vasectomy” that Reynolds demonstrated how to make online. Note the plug to his wife Blake Lively’s lovely mixer line Betty Buzz, subtle cross-marketing technique, or vague foreshadowing to a possible Lively cameo on the “Deadpool & Wolverine” film? You be the judge.
Originally founded in Portland, Ore., Aviation Gin ushered in a new wave of American gin with a softer, smother taste of citrus and floral notes with juniper. It’s still handcrafted in small, 100-case batches and distilled with a special process that guarantees the purest flavor.
Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul Dos Hombres Mezcal
Most “Breaking Bad” fans are likely well aware of the bromance that took place between the co-stars off-screen, so it’s no surprise the dos hombres decided to create a mezcal line together. Dos Hombres gave them a way to continue working together after the TV series ended. The artisanal mezcal is made by producers in San Luis del Rio, a small village in a rural area of Oaxaca.
<strong>Jay-Z & Armand de Brignac Champagne </strong>
Remember Jay-Z’s infamous feud with Cristal Champagne? In case it doesn’t ring a bell, when asked about his thoughts on all the rappers drinking their Champagne, the company director said he can’t forbid people from buying it. Jay-Z promptly stopped serving it at his 40/40 Club and told his fans to boycott it too. To fill that bubbly void, he invested in and eventually bought Armand de Brignac, AKA Ace of Spades, a French Champagne company. This month, the brand released a brand its first-ever vintage Champagne, Blanc de Noirs Vintage 2015.
Nick Offerman Lagavulin Whiskey
Ron Swanson is somewhat of a scotch whiskey connoisseur in “Parks and Recreation” but Nick Offerman has made clear that the expertise extends to the actor himself after teaming up with Lagavulin to create his own bottle of whiskey in 2019. But it’s the latest edition to the line, the Guiness Cask Finish, that received a double Gold Medal at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The limited-edition bottle came out in 2021, and its classic notes of barbeque smoke, citrus and brine will make for a thoughtful gift for any Offerman and whiskey fans you know.
Rita Ora Próspero Tequila
Próspero Tequila is one of only four spirits founded by a female celebrity. The British singer and songwriter teamed up with Próspero (and their female master distiller Stella Anguiano) last year for three tequila variants: blanco, reposado and añejo. So, if you know a tequila-lover who likes the idea of women breaking into the male-dominated spirits space, then you’ll want to check out her new collection.
Bruno Mars & SelvaRey Rum
You might’ve heard of Bruno Mars’ SelvaRey for the first time last year when the singer created nine cocktails recipes using the tropical rum in tandem with the songs off he and Anderson Paak’s “Silk Sonic” album. The single-estate rum distilled in Panama was originally founded in 2014 by Seth Gold, Marc Gold and Robert Herzig but Mars came on as a co-owner shortly after the launch. And, of course, a distinct creative vision for the brand (alongside a bunch of fun new flavors) followed. The white and chocolate rums are the most unique offerings from the line, and also earned the highest scores by the trade publication “The Tasting Panel.”
<strong>Kate Hudson & King St. Vodka</strong>
When Kate Hudson was hosting a cocktail party for friends, she wanted to whip up a few dirty martinis but wasn’t happy with her vodka options. And when she realized none of them were made by women, she decided to create her own. King St. Vodka is gluten-free, non-GMO, made with alkaline water and distilled seven times and then filtered for purity in Santa Barbara, California. The name comes from Hudson’s former home on King Street in New York City.
George Clooney & Casamigos Blanco Tequila
George Clooney ventured into the tequila space before it became an oversaturated Hollywood trend — and the brand’s three varieties (blanco, reposado and anejo) still manage to be some of the best on the market, beloved by the A-list crowd and tequila snobs alike. Co-founded with Rande Gerber, Casamigos is made from 100% agave in the Jalisco highlands.
Post Malone Maison No. 9 Rosé
Post Malone released his first wine in 2020, but his new rosé bottle called Maison No. 9, which hit shelves this past summer, has been the musician’s most popular blend. Named after Malone’s favorite tarot card (the nine of swords), the No. 9 is a mix of Grenache, Syra and Merlot with notes of pineapple, pear and strawberry.
Mariah Carey & Black Irish Liqueur
Whip up sugary cocktails at home with Mariah Carey’s new liqueur brand “Black Irish” named after the pop star’s own heritage, born to a Black-Venezuelan father and Irish mother. The original blends come in three flavors (Original, White Chocolate and Salted Caramel), perfect for a coffee-based cocktail or festive hot toddy.
Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley Brother’s Bond Bourbon
Fans will be happy to see former on-screen brothers and “Vampire Diaries” stars back together again, this time as the business partners behind their own bourbon brand. When they weren’t playing the bloodthirsty vampires on CW that catapulted them into fame during the show’s eight-season run, they were sipping bourbon together to wind down from their long days of shooting. The pair finally launched their own brand this past July with Brother’s Bond, whose first blend is a four-grain bourbon made with corn, rye, wheat and malt.
Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo Calirosa Tequila
Power couple Behati Prinsloo and Adam Levine are more than just a Victoria’s Secret model and Maroon 5 frontman, respectively. They’re also avid tequila drinkers, and turned their love for their spirit into what they’ve called their “third baby,” the Calirosa. The pink-tinted tequila is made in Mexico and aged in California wine barrels for a unique distilling process (usually tequila is aged in whiskey or bourbon barrels) that gives off fruity notes.
Cara and Poppy Delevingne Della Vite Prosecco
Cara and Poppy’s Della Vite first launched in the U.K but finally made it to the states with the duo’s first sustainably-produced prosecco this past September. The sisters’ love for Italy was one of the first inspirations behind the blend, which pays homage to the traditional wine-making process in Italy, and comes in two different expressions: Superiore DOCG and Treviso DOC.
Bob Dylan Heaven’s Door Whisky
Beloved folk singer and composer Bob Dylan joined the ranks of celebrity spirits founders in 2018 with Heaven’s Door, referencing one of his biggest hit songs “Knocking on Heaven’s Door.” To date, the brand has three core expressions: Straight Rye Whiskey, Double Barrel Whiskey and Tennessee Straight Bourbon. Plus, the bottles make for a perfect gift for anyone who prefers to deck their bar cart out with pretty bottles. Each bottle features artwork of metal sculptures from Dylan’s art studio Black Buffalo Ironworks.
Kendall Jenner 818 Tequila
818 Tequila, the spirits brand created by the model and “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” star, sold out brick-and-mortar storefronts within hours of its first initial launch in May. While the celebrity-to-tequila-brand pipeline has sparked debates online, Jenner has pledged to use profits to both benefit the community in Jalisco, Mexico where it’s distilled, in addition to the planet as a whole. She and her team discovered eco-friendly ways to source the agave, using the agave waste and fibers to build sustainable bricks to build homes in the area. 1% of profits will also go towards planet-saving initiatives through 1% For the Planet.
Dwayne Johnson Teramana Tequila
How about a margarita on the rocks with the Rock? Dwayne Johnson’s small-batch tequila is made by hand in a town in the highlands of Jalisco by a Mexican-owned distillery. Wonder where the name comes from? He explained it all in an Instagram post: “TERA is meant to represent ‘Terre’ which means of the earth and MANA is our powerful Polynesian spirit that guides us. Spirit of the earth. Our goal is to create a tequila that is the best of quality and taste, but done the right way — by hand. Small-batch, hand-crafted tequila from our Teremana blue agave, maturing in the highlands of Jalisco, for everyone to enjoy.”
