The Best (and Worst) Celebrity Booze Brands

Credit — or blame, as the case may be — usually goes to Sammy Hagar. The former Van Halen frontman started the celebrity liquor movement when he launched his own Cabo Wabo Tequila in 1999. The trend increased in 2017 after George Clooney offloaded his Casamigos tequila label for $1 billion. Suddenly, every A-lister (and aspiring A-lister) needed to get in. And while the ubiquitous parodies of popular brands have reached their peak, their performance is entirely serious, outshining the entire industry. But which of them are good? has convened a panel of mixologists and wine experts to pick apart their favorites — and which ones are best relegated to the bottom shelf.

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The best

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Lover 1530

If there’s a message in this bottle, it’s that Italian-style aperitivos don’t need that much sugar. The rock legend, who owns a sprawling villa in Tuscany, offers a high-alcohol version with an emphasis on adding bitters to the bitters. “Establishing all other aperitifs, Amanat has quickly become a staple for me at home and behind the bar,” says Los Angeles-based celebrity mixologist Yael Stormborn.

Brothers Bond Bourbon

Former co-stars Somerhalder and Wesley launched their brand in 2021 as a sweet and slightly spicy category. Complex yet accessible, it became an instant hit. It now has three other expressions on the shelves, most recently including a whiskey with a beautifully blended rye made entirely from grains grown through regenerative agriculture.

Two mezcal men

“Dos Hombres proves that Cranston and Paul still know a thing or two about taking something seriously addictive,” notes Dan Dunn, host of the Top Rated Drinks podcast, of the actors, who Worked with artisan producers in Oaxaca. Their mezcal, he says, is “smoky, smooth and just the right amount of bold, with hints of apple, mango and earthy spice.”

Four Walls Whiskey

Dunn says that this blend of Irish whiskey and American rye is the opposite of every evil mastermind scheme actors come up with behind the bar. “In fact, they didn’t screw it up at all. Expect rich, malty notes with a playful punch of spice, followed by a mellow, caramel finish that’s as sweet and unsuspecting as Charlie’s well-intentioned innocence.”

coordination; Origin Vodka

Founded last year by the vegan actor, the holistic spirits company debuted with two sustainable, plant-focused gins: Harmony is a crisp and botanical 90-proof gin with hints of coriander and pineapple; Origin Vodka is a refreshing herbal, somewhat creamy take on an otherwise neutral category, distilled from organic wheat. The product has won the approval of top bartenders. “The whole holistic spirit approach has literally never been done before,” says Stormborn.

Lobos 1707 Tequila

This top-shelf agave spirit hit the market in late 2020 and has attracted several celebrity investors, including James, who can often be seen in marketing materials for the new release. But here’s the real slam dunk juice. Every traditional expression of Mexican spirit spends time in sherry barrels sourced from Spain. There isn’t a bad bottle in the bunch.

Mealy Vodka

If anyone knows the value of good water, it has to be Aquaman. Momoa, which launched its vodka in early 2023, claims to use one of the country’s purest springs in the mountains of Montana. Not only does it create an award-winning, subtly sweet spirit you can actually sip, it also helps raise awareness (and funds) for water conservation, something dear to the performer’s heart. Adam Fournier, beverage director at Spago in Beverly Hills, notes that Meli has put Momoa’s money where its mouth is without sacrificing quality.

Sisnach Blended Scotch Whisky

The star and notable Scotsman’s flagship bottle is designed for connoisseurs of the category. It’s a 92-proof sipper that noses with ginger and dried apricots and washes the mouth with butterscotch and crème brûlée. Last year, it won the top prize for World’s Best Scotch at the annual Singapore World Spirits Competition.

We are friends 63

Soderbergh got his first taste of the hyper-local Bolivian floral brandy known as Singani during a location shoot in 2007 and decided to pioneer the popular spirit before it became a trend. “It’s become kind of a cult darling in the Los Angeles beverage scene,” says Fournier. “It’s a perfect example of a style of spirit that the majority of people in America would never have seen drink it if [a celebrity] It was not behind him.”

Cove sweetens the bourbon.

This craft whiskey brand was launched in 2020 by a consortium of retired Hall of Fame athletes. To make sure their aged Tennessee and Kentucky bourbons were upgraded to all-star status, they enlisted the help of another legend in their respective sport: whiskey blending. “Sweetens Cove is a great whiskey because it gets out of the way and lets a true pro, master distiller Marianne Eaves, handle the production,” says author Aaron Goldfarb.

Sir Davis Whisky

Beyonce made her entrance into the wine scene this fall in spectacular fashion. Forming a 50-50 partnership with LVMH, he tapped the iconic whiskey company behind Ardbeg and Glenmorangie to produce a Scotch-inspired American rye named after the singer’s great-grandfather, a Prohibition-era moon. Taken from Shiner. “Everything about this product makes sense: the story, the distillers behind the juice, the branding,” says Stormborn. “Very well.”

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The worst

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Casamigos

“This brand, notorious for its use of additives, has tricked Americans into thinking that Mexico’s national spirit should taste like vanilla extract,” says Goldfarb. Fournier agrees on the merits of the juice itself but adds, “One of the things Casamigos has done right is to convince people to try tequila, and if their current sales decline continues So it seems that once people get a taste of the broader category, they start to make their own choices.

Indo-Gin

“Snoop Dogg may be a hip-hop icon, but when it comes to gin, he’s definitely not ‘dropping it like it’s hot,'” says Dunn. “Sure, it has ‘gin and juice’ credentials, but indigo is more liquid candy than gin. It’s a synthetic berry blast that surprises and disappoints your taste buds. A bad remix. has all the qualities of

Tesla Tequila

“Elon Musk’s Tesla Tequila comes in a bottle that can’t even stand on its own,” observes Goldfarb. “And that’s only the second worst thing about this exorbitant price.” The more questionable aspect of this 15-month anjou, he says, is that it’s a fairly muted expression but still commands up to $3,000 a bottle online.

Moshine

“Of all the things you can do with moonshine – traditionally the drink of outlaws, bootleggers and general scoundrels – you decide to filter it through peaches and jolly ranchers?” asks Dunn about the $30 wine billed as the final drink of the party. “Whether or not Nelly actually did it is fine. It tastes like she did.”

Wolf Moon Bourbon

“Just because you can sell grounds doesn’t mean you should sell and slap your name on a bottle of whiskey,” Dunn says of this 80-proof whiskey from the beloved country star. The nose gives you hints of caramel and a hint of oak, but it’s mostly drowned out by a wave. Is it smooth? Sure, but so is tap water.”

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