Though many celebrities are known for being performers — whether it be acting, singing or sports — they don’t let their business be restricted to the entertainment industry. There are some who have ventured into the world of liquor, dabbling in everything from vodka to tequila to whiskey and even absinthe.
Here are 10 celebrities who are involved in running a liquor brand:
1. Drake
The Grammy-winning rapper teamed up with spirits entrepreneur Brent Hocking in 2016 to found his own brand of whiskey, Virginia Black. But it wasn’t until recently that the brand has made moves toward commercial sales.
Drake and Hocking announced in January they are hoping to raise $30 million via investors in order to increase domestic and international expansion starting at the end of 2018’s first quarter. According to People magazine, the whiskey is “much smoother and sweeter than your average bourbon.”
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2. Channing Tatum
After discovering the Grand Teton Distillery while snowmobiling in Idaho, Tatum teamed up with the company to produce his own brand of vodka — Born and Bred. Though his character in Kingsman: The Golden Circle had an affinity for tequila, Tatum has always had a love for vodka but had difficulty finding a good American brand, he told Bon Appétit.
According to the Grand Teton Distillery website, Born and Bred vodka is the choice for any casual or impromptu event and strives to celebrate “what unfolds when camaraderie meets adventure.”
3. Drew Barrymore
“I am passionate about wine,” Barrymore wrote on the website for Barrymore Wines, a collection of California wines produced by the actress. There are three types of wine in the collection — Barrymore Drew’s Blend Pinot Noir, Barrymore Rosé of Pinot Noir and Barrymore Pinot Grigio.
According to the Carmel Road website, Barrymore launched her wine collection with “the chance to create an offering to share with her family and friends.”
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4. Justin Timberlake
JT is an actor, singer, producer… and tequila brand owner. He launched his tequila Sauza 901 after partnering with Sauza Liquors in 2014. The tequila, named after the area code of Timberlake’s hometown Memphis, was advertised under the promise that it was so smooth, no limes were needed to drink it.
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5. George Clooney
The Oscar-winning actor teamed up with businessman Rande Gerber to make Casamigos Tequila, a company that seems like it would be the main supplier for the vampire bar in From Dusk Till Dawn. The company offers bottles of Blanco, Reposado, Añejo and the brand new Mezcal, which launched early February 2018.
The now-billion dollar company was born when Clooney and Gerber were together in Mexico. “We wanted [a tequila] that didn’t burn going down, that was super smooth, and had the right flavor profile,” Gerber told Business Insider. “One that we didn’t have to mix — typically we drink it straight or on the rocks — that we could drink all day long and not be hungover in the morning.”
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6. Matthew McConaughey
It’s not surprising that Matthew McConaughey would be the creative director of a bourbon company. It’s also not surprising that said company would be called Wild Turkey.
The Kentucky-based distillery was founded in 1855, with the Dallas Buyers Club actor joining the team in 2016. McConaughey began working with Wild Turkey when he was approached to be a celebrity spokesman, but now creates and stars in ads and shorts for the distillery.
“I said, ‘look, I want to be more than just a face in the campaign,'” McConaughey said in a video announcement about his new role. “I want to have my hands in the clay of how we tell the story, and I want to be part of the whole story, not just a character in it. So this is my new gig.”
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7. Adam Levine and Sammy Hagar
The Maroon 5 frontman and The Red Rocker joined forces to form the very first “mezquila,” a tequila and mezcal hybrid, called Santo Mezquila. The two became friends over a shared love of tequila and their collaboration is marketed as a “higher spirit,” for “the true believer, the thirsty, the non-conformist, those seeking to transcend the night,” according to the drink’s website. The website says the mezquila has “unique, smoky flavors” that will “explode with mouth filling richness.”
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8. Fergie
Singer and fashion designer Fergie entered the liquor business six years ago by becoming a co-owner of Voli, a low-calorie vodka. The vodka is available in six flavors: Original Lyte, lemon, orange vanilla, espresso vanilla, pear vanilla and raspberry cocoa.
“I think a lot of people with healthy lifestyles like me, who love to work out, work hard, socialize and have a drink at the end of the day, have been craving something like Voli,” Fergie is quoted saying in Food & Wine. “I put the cocoa fusion or orange vanilla over ice, and it’s perfect. There are no extra sugars, and it’s a drink that doesn’t need any mixers.”
Fergie isn’t the only celebrity involved with Voli — rapper Pitbull is also a spokesperson for the brand.
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9. Dan Aykroyd
The Ghostbusters star’s Crystal Head Vodka isn’t your average brand — it’s uniquely contained in a skull-shaped bottle designed “with a pure spirit in mind,” according to its website. But the ornate bottle isn’t the only elaborate element of the vodka — the drink is filtered seven times, three of which through semi-precious crystals called Herkimer diamonds.
10. Marilyn Manson
Mansinthe is a signature absinthe blend from musician Marilyn Manson, who is famous not only for his nightmare-inducing music and visual artistry but for his green fairy consumption. That is until he gave the drink up in 2015.
“The absinthe I was drinking had wormwood, which not only Biblically was what God sent down to poison all the sinners, it affects your temporal lobe,” Manson told the Mirror. “It can convince you that you’re not schizophrenic… or that you are.”
The brand was launched in 2007 and won gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition just a year later. But be warned — not everyone can handle the 66.6 percent proof drink.
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