"Bourbon is like songwriting, it's a blend of things coming together to make something incredible."
‘Tis the season to share a toast with family and friends — and apparently ’twas the year that a lot of celebrities wanted to help make that happen! Over the course of 2021, numerous celebs decided to get in the spirit and launch their own lines of alcoholic beverages.
This year, stars like Kendall Jenner and Eva Longoria joined the ever expanding list of famous folks who’ve found an interest in the art of distilling. And if you’re looking for a celeb-inspired adult beverage to sip this holiday season, there’s no shortage in variety. From gin to tequila to cream liqueurs, these celebs have got you covered.
These are the stars who launched their own alcohol brand this year…
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1. Ciara
Ciara recently became the co-owner of Ten To One Rum after making a hefty investment into the company. She explained that she wanted to get involved in the spirits industry because she believes she can help “reinvigorate the rum category.”
“Not only is the product exceptional, but Marc has helped the brand establish a clear and authentic point of view. I knew immediately that I had to get involved! I couldn’t be more excited to help the brand build on its amazing foundation, and invite new audiences to rediscover their love for rum through Ten To One,” Ciara said in a press release.
2. Adam Levine & Behati Prinsloo
Adam Levine teamed up with his wife Behati Prinsloo to create Calirosa, their own brand of tequila. The pink-tinted drink stands apart from other spirits as it’s made in Mexico but aged in California red wine barrels instead of the typical whiskey or bourbon containers. The unique process gives their blanco and Añejo tequila fruity flavors and its signature blush color.
“Adam and I love Mexico and first tried a pink tequila when we were there three or four years ago. We were blown away. I had never heard of tequila being aged in red wine barrels…We never wanted to come out of the gates with this and say, ‘Oh this is me and Adam’s tequila’ and we just slap our names onto it. Our plan from the beginning was for it to have the longevity and ability to grow,” Behati told People.
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3. Kendall Jenner
Kendall Jenner is another one of the recent celebs to launch their own alcohol brand. Earlier this year, the model announced 818 Tequila, a brand named after her hometown area code. The spirit line includes three different tequilas — blanco, reposado and an Añejo — which anonymously won several tasting competitions before its launch.
4. Eva Longoria
Eva Longoria started her own tequila brand after she discovered her love of spirits during the pandemic. She gathered an all-star team of tequila experts to create Casa Del Sol, an “ultra-premium spirits brand…made from the finest hand-selected 100-percent Blue Weber agave” from Jalisco, Mexico. The brand includes three tequilas—blanco, reposado and an Añejo.
“I’m a big wino. I love wine and then in lockdown I was like ‘I can’t have it this much, let me try some spirits.’ Through my cocktail journey, I landed on tequila because I was like, ‘Oh my gosh! It has no calories!'” Eva said on “The Late Late Show.”
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5. Thomas Rhett
In early 2021, Thomas Rhett teamed up with his cousin Jeff Worn to launch Dos Primos Tequila, a premium spirits company which literally translates to “two cousins.” The brand, inspired by family, music and the great outdoors, took over three years to come to fruition while the cousins took their time perfecting the spirit.
“In many ways, I think music and tequila making are similar. It takes agave anywhere from five to nine years to grow, then it’s up to the jimador to decide if the agave is ready to be made into tequila or not. It’s the same with music: many songs I write that end up making records take two or three years to be perfected, [and] then you hope people like them,” Thomas told Rolling Stone.
6. Snoop Dogg
Over two decades after Snoop Dogg topped the charts with “Gin & Juice,” he finally made his move into the spirits business. Earlier this year, he launched INDOGGO Gin, a “laid-back California style” spirit that’s five-times distilled with seven botanicals. The drink features notes of strawberry, which he says pairs well with his bubblegum weed.
“I have done deals before with other companies and I was grateful to work with those companies, but I needed to create something that represented me. [INDOGGO is] something that I like to drink and that I felt like everyone would like. I knew that we had created a great tasting, smooth gin, but to get the stamp of approval from my friend Martha Stewart – I knew we had a winner,” Snoop told Rolling Stone.
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7. Mariah Carey
Over the summer, Mariah Carey launched her new line of cream liqueurs, Black Irish. The singer explained that the name pays tribute to her Black and Irish lineage and is even crafted and produced in Ireland. The liqueur is currently available in three varieties — Original Irish Cream, Salted Caramel, and White Chocolate.
“I have been putting my heart into this project for almost two years and I am so excited to finally share this news with you all. I wanted to create something that embodies the holidays and gives everyone a reason to celebrate year-round, and I really think we have done that with Black Irish,” Mariah said in a release.
8. Paul Wesley & Ian Somerhalder
Former “Vampire Diaries” co-stars and self-proclaimed “pseudo bourbon snob connoisseurs,” Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder teamed up to launch their own line of spirits called Brother’s Bond Bourbon. The duo have been developing the brand for the past decade, working on every aspect of the product, leading up to its launch in 2021.
“A lot of people will put their names on something, and then their heart’s not in it. For us, everything in this bottle is ours. This label, we created, the name, we created, the design, we created, the taste, the mash — everything is our creation. This is about people drinking it together in celebration of something or taking a moment to talk to one another,” Paul told People.
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9. Jamie Foxx
This year, Jamie Foxx added creative director to his resume when purchased BSB, a spirits company founded in 2012. He knew he had to be a part of the brand when he brought the company’s Brown Sugar Bourbon to an event and all his friends ended up demanding more.
“Owning a brand that can bring life to a party has always been a goal of mine. When I was first introduced to Brown Sugar Bourbon, I said, ‘This is the right flavor.’ I took a couple of cases and I floated a bottle into the crowd at a party, and the bottle came back empty. Friends kept asking me, ‘What is this?’ And I was like ‘BSB!’ Someone said, “You ran out of that sweet stuff, this is BS!’ and I said no, ‘This is BSB!'” Jamie told InsideHook.
10. Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley recently announced his own line of bourbon, which has a special twist. Each bottle of American Highway Reserve comes from a barrel that was aged while following Brad’s 2019 U.S. tour for 7,314 miles across 25 states in a 53-foot semi-trailer. The changing climates and swishing of the barrels in the trailer is said to have impacted the bourbon’s flavor, which has a sweet and spicy taste with notes of apricot and cinnamon.
“Bourbon is like songwriting, it’s a blend of things coming together to make something incredible,” Brad said.
11. Nick Offerman
In 2021, Nick Offerman teamed up with Lagavulin once again to create a limited edition spirit. The actor originally collaborated with the brand in 2019 on a single malt scotch but this time, he created a Guinness cask aged whisky. Nick says working with Lagavulin is like “winning the lottery year after year,” especially because he doesn’t consider himself a connoisseur.
“I’m not a terrific palate or connoisseur. I usually make fun of myself when we get into those conversations. ‘I can taste just a hint of regret in there, but as for currant, I’m not so sure,'” Nick joked to USA Today.
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