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Key Takeaways
- Celebrities are lending their influence to the liquor shelf, buying stakes in companies and leveraging their star power to attract customers.
- Actor Matthew McConaughey’s tequila brand announced Wednesday that it will be distributed nationwide after launching last year.
- Successful celebrity-affiliated liquor brands will often be sold to a larger beverage company.
Matthew McConaughey’s organic tequila brand is going national.
The news, announced Wednesday — that Pantalones Organic Tequila is expanding to liquor stores and bars nationwide — marks the latest development in the booze-and-celebrities business. The Oscar-winning actor, who co-founded the brand with his wife Camila, joins the ranks of stars lending their status to an alcohol brand.
Other luminaries have followed a similar blueprint: Use the fame to attract consumers, then look to cash in (or out) down the line.
Other Celebrities Pour Into Liquor Brands
Here are some of the other celebrities offering up stiff drinks:
- Casamigos Tequila was founded by actor George Clooney and businessman Rande Gerber in 2013. Four years later, the company was sold to beverage giant Diageo (DEO) for $1 billion. Casamigos was the fourth-best selling tequila by volume in the U.S. last year, according to trade publication The Spirits Business.
- Aviation Gin, of which actor Ryan Reynolds become a co-owner in 2018, was scooped up by Diageo in 2020 for $610 million.
- Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey was founded by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) star Conor McGregor in 2018. He would sell a majority stake to Proximo Spirits for a reported $600 million in 2021.
- Teremana Tequila was launched by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in 2020. German spirits maker Mast-Jägermeister purchased a stake in the company in 2022.
- Sisters and reality TV stars Kylie and Kendall Jenner each have their own alcohol brands. In March, Kylie launched Sprinter vodka sodas. Kendall founded the tequila brand 818 in 2021.