7 Celebrity Booze Partnerships
Photo via Wild Turkey
When we reported that Bob Dylan had partnered with the creator of Angel’s Envy to create his own line of whiskey, it would be easy to think that the celebrity endorsement had finally jumped the shark. Except Dylan isn’t just lending his name (or singing in a commercial flanked by a bunch of negligee-clad models). He’s a full-on creative partner. And he’s not the first one to take an active roll in developing a new line of booze. Here’s a handful of Hollywood celebrities that have planted their flags in the spirit space.
Matthew McConaughey and Wild Turkey
In a glorious celebration of paradoxical promotion campaigns, when McConaughey isn’t starring in slightly surreal car commercials for Lincoln, he’s partnering up with Wild Turkey. Working with Master Distiller Eddie Russell, they took eight-year-old bourbon and mixed it with Texas mesquite wood and oak charcoals. It should retail for around $40, and inspire more than a few Dazed and Confused quote-a-thons. Alright, alright, alright…
George Clooney and Casamigos
Crafted to be a tequila that you can drink all damn day without getting a hangover, Clooney founded Casamigos with two friends while traveling in Mexico in 2013. Last summer, the brand sold to Diageo for upwards of $1 billion after doubling its volume of sales in 2016, with distribution in 20 countries. Still, props for Clooney for shepherding the brand into existence.
Steven Soderbergh and Singani 63
The prolific director first encountered Signani—the signature spirit of Bolivia—in 2007 while working on Che when his Bolivian casting director gave him a taste while they were in Madrid. But it took him more than six years to get his version imported to the States. Produced with one of Bolivia’s major distillers, the spirit taps into a history that dates back hundreds of years, derived from vines brought to South America by Spanish Jesuits, where the Muscat of Alexandria grapes used in the distillation process thrive in the high-elevation Andes.