As Matthew McConaughey launches his own whiskey, we take a look at ten famous names that have their very own booze brand…
Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey introduced his very own bourbon whiskey brand to the world – Wild Turkey Longbranch. And he’s part of a long line of high profile celebrities that have helped create their own signature alcohol brand.
Here we round up ten of the most well-known and recent celebrity alcohol brands:
Matthew Mcconaughey’s Wild Turkey Longbranch Whisky
Matthew has served as the ‘Creative Director’ of Kentucky, USA bourbon whiskey brand since 2016 (and paid a reported $4 million for the privilege) and finally in April 2018 has introduced to the world his first Wild Turkey creation: Wild Turkey Longbranch.
Longbranch is created using an eight-year-old bourbon that’s been through a double filtration process: first filtered through white oak charcoal and then filtered through Texas mesquite charcoal. The brand claims it took two years to finesse and the finished result is a golden-brown whiskey that promises a subtle smoky flavour.
George Clooney’s Tequila Casamigos
Another Academy Award winner attached to a major booze line, George Clooney sold his tequila company Casamigos – a joint partnership with businessman Rande Gerber and property developer Mike Meldman – for a reported in $1 billion in June 2017.
The three had originally tossed around the idea of a creating a tequila that wouldn’t cause a hangover to enjoy on their vacations spent in Mexico. Little did they know that their humble commission of small-batch tequila would prove so popular among their friends that it would inspire them to launch it as an international brand in 2013 and be sold for an incredible billion dollars within four years!
Diddy’s Ciroc and Deleon
Rapper Diddy (real name Sean Combs) has become synonymous with his alcohol brands in recent years. Diddy took on all marketing responsibilities for struggling French vodka brand CIROC (manufactured by Diageo) back in 2007. That year the vodka was only shifting around 40k units per year, but by 2012 an incredible 2.1 million units were sold.
Diddy jokingly refers to himself as ‘Ciroc Obama’ and in 2014 announced a new Dieageo product – DeLeon tequila – for which he owns 50% of. Watch this space…
Dan Aykroyd’s Crystal Head Vodka
Ghostbusters’ star and comedian Dan Aykroyd has his own vodka – Crystal Head. Packaged in as the name suggests – a glass skull shaped bottle – it was first launched in 2007.
Boasting a quadruple-distillation process and being filtered an incredible seven times with three of the filtrations containing diamond crystals – this may just be one of the world’s most unique vodkas currently on the market.
And its fancy bottle is designed by Aykroyd’s business partner John Alexander, who’s an award winning American painter. Aykroyd seems to have put his heart and soul into the brand, and since 2013 claims to spend at least a third of his time on the road promoting the brand.
Dave Matthews Dreaming Tree Wine
Dave Matthews, of the Dave Matthews Band fame, launched his own line of wines in 2011 called ‘Dreaming Tree.’ Made in collaboration with Sonoma County winemaker Sean McKenzie, it is named after the Dave Matthew Band ‘The Dreaming Tree’ track.
The wine has gone on to win multiple awards, and the brand now features five wines: a crush red blend, a chardonnay, a pinot noir, a cabernet sauvignon and a sauvignon blanc. Sustainability is a huge part of their brand, with each label made from 100% recycled paper and bottles are made lighter than average, taking less fuel to get from vineyard to table.
David Beckham’s Scotch Whisky
Diddy isn’t the only big-name celeb to have a deal with Diageo. Indeed since 2014 David Beckham has been the face of Haig Club, a luxury Scottish highland whiskey in partnership with Diageo.
Packaged in a glamourous blue-tinted perfume style bottle, Haig Club is a single grain scotch whiskey that flavours are billed as ‘a soft aroma of butterscotch and toffee.’ Made at the Cameronbridge distillery in Scotland, it is currently available to buy worldwide.
Nikki and Brie Bella’s Wine
WWE superstar twins Nikki and Brie Bella may be mainly known for their prowess in the ring, but they’re also keen oenophiles.
Last year they launched their own wine line ‘Belle Radici’ – translated from Italian to mean ‘Beautiful Roots.’ A homage to their Italian American background, their wine includes a red, sauvignon blanc and a rosé. Cultivated in California’s famed Napa Valley its initial release sold out and a new line is expected later this year.
Justin Timberlake’s Tequila
Justin Timberlake transitioned from being in one of the biggest boybands of all time (N*Sync) to one of the most successful solo artists of all time – and now he’s added tequila creator to his many achievements. In 2009 he launched his own tequila and then partnered with established tequila brand Sauza to re-launch it in 2014, calling it Sauza 901 – named after Justin’s hometown post code of Memphis, Tennessee.
Sauza 901 is a triple-distilled, 80-proof agave-based tequila and can regularly be seen featured on Justin’s social media posts. He even downed shots of it and playing ‘drunk golf’ with Jonathan Ross on The Jonathan Ross Show.
Ryan Reynold’s Gin
Gin, the uber en vogue drink has quickly become one of the most popular drinks in the Western world. And Hollywood actor Ryan Reynold seems to have taken note, as this year he purchased Aviation Gin, a Portland, Oregon based gin company.
According to Aviation American Gin’s website, the gin is blended with botanicals: cardamom, coriander, French lavender, anise seed, sarsaparilla, juniper and two kinds of orange peel.
