Credit — or blame, as the case may be — generally goes to Sammy Hagar. The former Van Halen frontman kick-started the celebrity booze movement when he launched his own Cabo Wabo Tequila back in 1999. The trend went into overdrive in 2017 after George Clooney offloaded his Casamigos tequila label to Diageo for a cool $1 billion. Suddenly, every A-lister (and A-list aspirant) wanted in. And though the ubiquity of celebrity brands has reached the point of parody, their performance is entirely serious, outpacing the industry as a whole. But which of them are any good? THR has convened a panel of mixologists and booze experts to single out their favorites — and those best relegated to the bottom shelf.
Sting
If there is a message in this bottle, it’s that Italian-style aperitivi needn’t have such a high sugar content. The rock legend, who owns a sprawling villa in Tuscany, has put out a higher-alcohol version that emphasizes the bitter in bittersweet. “Sweeping all of the other aperitifs out of the way, Amante has quickly become a staple for me at home and behind the bar,” says famed Los Angeles mixologist Yael Stormborn.
Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley
Former Vampire Diaries co-stars Somerhalder and Wesley introduced their brand in 2021 as a sweet and slightly spicy take on the category. Complex yet accessible, it became an instant hit. Now it’s joined by three other expressions on shelves, including, most recently, an elegantly blended rye along with a whiskey built entirely from grains grown through regenerative agriculture.
Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul
“Dos Hombres proves that Cranston and Paul still know a thing or two about making something seriously addictive,” notes Dan Dunn, host of the top-rated beverage podcast What We’re Drinking, of the Breaking Bad actors, who worked with artisan producers in Oaxaca. Their mezcal, he says, is “smoky, smooth and just the right amount of bold, with notes of apple, mango and a whisper of earthy spice.”
Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day
Unlike every harebrained scheme the actors come up with behind the bar on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, this blend of Irish whiskey and American rye is not a complete disaster, says Dunn. “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-meaning innocence.”
Woody Harrelson
Founded last year by the vegan Cheers actor, the Holistic Spirits Co. debuted with two sustainable, plant-focused liquors: Harmony is a crisp and botanical 90 proof gin with hints of coriander and pineapple. Origen Vodka is a refreshingly herbal, somewhat creamy take on the otherwise neutral category, distilled from organic wheat. The products have earned the approval of top bartenders. “The entire approach of Holistic Spirits has literally never been done before,” says Stormborn.
LeBron James, Issa Rae, Arnold Schwarzenegger et al.
This top-shelf agave spirit came to market in late 2020 and has lured a range of celebrity investors, including James, who can frequently be seen in marketing material for new releases. But the real slam dunk here is the juice. Each traditionally made expression of the Mexican spirit spends time in sherry barrels sourced from Spain. There’s not a bad bottle in the bunch.
Jason Momoa
If anyone knows the value of good water, it ought to be Aquaman. Momoa, who launched his vodka in early 2023, claims to use one of the country’s purest springs, in the mountains of Montana. It not only makes for an award-winning, subtly sweet spirit that you can actually sip, but it also helps raise awareness (and funds) for water conservation, a cause dear to the actor’s heart. Meili has put Momoa’s money where his mouth is without sacrificing quality, notes Adam Fournier, beverage director at Spago in Beverly Hills.
Sam Heughan
The Outlander star and notable Scotsman’s flagship bottle is made for connoisseurs of the category. It’s a 92 proof sipper that noses with ginger and dried apricot and leaves the mouth with a wash of butterscotch and crème brûlée. Last year, it took home the top prize for world’s best scotch at the annual Singapore World Spirits Competition.
From left: Jason Momoa (Meili), LeBron James (Lobos 1707), Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder (Brother’s Bond), Sam Heughan (Sassenach) and Beyoncé (Sir Davis).
Courtesy of Lobos 1707 Tequila; Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images; Nick Tininenko/Getty Images; CHRIS DELMAS/AFP/Getty Images; Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Steven Soderbergh
Soderbergh got his first taste of the hyperlocal Bolivian floral brandy known as Singani while on location filming Che in 2007 and decided to go all-in, well before celeb spirits became a trend. “It has become a kind of cult darling in the Los Angeles beverage scene,” says Fournier. “This is a great example of a style of spirit that would have never been seen by the vast majority of people drinking it in the U.S. if [a celebrity] hadn’t gotten behind it.”
Peyton Manning, Andy Roddick
This craft whiskey brand was launched in 2020 by a consortium of retired Hall of Fame athletes. To ensure their cache of well-aged Tennessee and Kentucky bourbons was upgraded to all-star status, they enlisted the aid of another legend in her own respective sport: whiskey blending. “Sweetens Cove is great whiskey because they get out of the way and let a real pro, master distiller Marianne Eaves, handle the production,” says Aaron Goldfarb, author of Dusty Booze: In Search of Vintage Spirits.
Beyoncé
Beyoncé made her entrance into the booze space this fall in spectacular fashion. Forming a 50-50 partnership with LVMH, she tapped the legendary whisky maker behind Ardbeg and Glenmorangie to craft a scotch-inspired American rye, which takes its name from the singer’s great-grandfather, a Prohibition-era moonshiner. “Everything about this product makes sense: the story, the distillers behind the juice, the branding,” says Stormborn. “Well done.”
Formerly George Clooney, Rande Gerber
“This brand, notorious for the use of additives, has made Americans think Mexico’s national spirit should taste like vanilla extract,” says Goldfarb. Fournier concurs on the merits of the juice itself but adds, “One of the things that Casamigos might have done right is convince people to try tequila, and if their current sales dip is anything to go on, it seems that once people start tasting the wider category, they start making their own choices.”
George Clooney (left) and Rande Gerber, co-founders of Casamigos, promoting the tequila during the pandemic.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Snoop Dogg
“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, he’s got ‘Gin and Juice’ credentials, but Indoggo is more liquid candy than gin. It’s an artificial berry blast that leaves your taste buds dazed and disappointed. This one’s got all the finesse of a bad remix.”
Elon Musk
“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 overpriced swill.” The more objectionable aspect to this 15-month-aged añejo, he says, is that it’s a fairly muted expression yet still demands as much as $3,000 a bottle online.
Nelly
“Of all the things you could do with moonshine — traditionally the drink of outlaws, bootleggers and general badasses — you decided to filter it through peach and passion fruit Jolly Ranchers?” asks Dunn of the $30 liqueur billed as the ultimate party drink. “Whether or not Nelly actually did that is beside the point. It tastes like he did.”
Jason Aldean
“Just because you can sell out arenas doesn’t mean you should sell out and slap your name on a whiskey bottle,” says Dunn of this 80 proof whiskey from the beloved country star. “The nose gives you a faint whiff of caramel and oak, but it’s mostly drowned out by a wave of meh. Is it smooth? Sure, but so is tap water.”
This story appeared in the Nov. 20 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.