10 Celebrities With Their Own Liquor Companies

Everyone likes to unwind with a drink now and then. After a long day on set, it only makes sense that celebrities would want to take their love of liquor and turn it into an investment. Here are 10 celebrity entrepreneurs with their own liquor companies.

Salma Hayek Tequila Herederos

Mexican bombshell Salma Hayek is ready to take over the tequila industry. Her new brand, Herederos, dropped a scorching trailer featuring Hayek strolling through a mansion and lighting liquor barrels on fire. Heredos is produced in the town of Tequila, Jalisco with the tagline “the taste of betrayal.” “Accurate,” says everyone who has ever had tequila, ever.

Edit: The joke’s on us. Turns out this trailer was just clever marketing for her upcoming Netflix series Monarca. Now we feel betrayed!

P. Diddy Ciroc Vodka

Ciroc was created in 2003 by Jean-Sebastien Robicquet through British liquor company Diageo. In 2007, P. Diddy struck a marketing deal with Diageo to become the brand ambassador for Ciroc. Since then, P. Diddy has launched a variety of new flavors in collaboration with other hip-hop artists like French Montana. With 50% share of the profits, it’s reported that P. Diddy’s involvement with Ciroc produces a significant increase in Diageo’s sales each year.

Stephen Amell Nocking Point Wines

Arrow Star Stephen Amell founded Nocking Point shortly after the successful first season of his hit CW show. Along with co-founder Andrew Harding, they developed a light-hearted, yet premium new winery based out of Walla Walla. Most wine names are inspired by Amell’s time as Green Arrow, such as Wicked Aim, and entertainment industry terms like Hiatus, Turnaround, and Unscripted. Nocking Point also brings on other celebrities as consulting winemakers like Aisha Tyler and Smallville alumni Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum.

Drake Virginia Black Whiskey

After shaking up the music industry, Canadian rapper Drake set his sights on creating something different. In 2016, Drake partnered with Brent Hocking to release Virginia Black whiskey. Hocking is a well-respected spirit maker who is also the founder and CEO of DeLeón Tequila. After winning multiple Spirit of the Year awards, the duo is now trying their luck with champagne.

Ryan Reynolds Aviation American Gin

If he wasn’t ubiquitous enough, Ryan Reynolds now has his own brand of gin. In 2017, Reynolds tried Aviation while filming in Vancouver and claims “it’s the best gin on the planet.” After meeting with founders Ryan Magarian and Christian Krogstad in Portland, he became part owner in February 2018. Aviation’s popularity is taking off thanks to Reynolds’ involvement and own personal brand of humor. By producing self-aware videos like the one above, it proves the days of melodramatic marketing may be over.

Drew Barrymore Barrymore Wines

Drew Barrymore has been an American sweetheart ever since audiences fell in love with her breakout role in E.T. Having been in the entertainment industry for over 30 years, she has branched out with her own production company and directed her first feature film in 2009. Not stopping there, in 2012 she partnered with Carmel Road wine connoisseur Kris Kato to create her own wine label. Although Carmel Road’s tasting room closed down last year, Barrymore Wines can still be found online.

George Clooney Casamigos Tequila

Casamigos Tequila started off as an idea between George Clooney and his friend Rande Gerber. While they were in Mexico, Clooney and Gerber longed to find a great tasting tequila that wouldn’t cause a hangover. In 2013, they created Casamigos, which became one of the fastest selling tequila brands in the world. According to Business Insider, they sold the company for $1B to Diageo in 2017, but are still heavily involved in the tasting process.

Kate del Castillo Honor del Castillo

Most well known for her role in La Reina del Sur, Mexican actress Kate del Castillo launched her own Tequila brand in 2015. Honor del Castillo is produced in Arandas, Jalisco and began operation in Delaware before moving its headquarters to Miami. Notoriously, Del Castillo and her brand were investigated for possible ties to El Chapo in 2016. However, she nor her company were ever faced with any charges.

Jay-Z Armand de Brignac Champagne

Armand de Brignac has been met with praise ever since it introduced its champagne selection in 2006. Coming in a metallic gold bottle, it’s no wonder the champagne brand caught the attention of Jay-Z, who first featured it in his music video “Show Me What You Got.” In 2014, Jay-Z bought 100% of the company’s stakes, a deal which according to Forbes makes him the world’s first billionaire rapper.

Justin Timberlake Sauza 901 Tequila

Yet another celebrity-owned tequila brand, Sauza 901 was launched in 2014 by Justin Timberlake. While the Sauza label itself has been around for over 100 years, the company decided to partner with Timberlake to make a tequila so smooth that no limes are needed. Named after his hometown area code, Timberlake and his co-founder Kevin Ruder won a gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition for their innovative creation.

Which celebrity-owned liquor company is your favorite? Let us know down in the comments.

This article originally published on GREY Journal.