Kendall Jenner, Elon Musk, Ryan Reynolds – celebrity-endorsed drinks are nothing new, but are any of them worth the hype?
- It is easy to roll our eyes as another celebrity slaps their name on a liquor bottle – think Kendall Jenner, Elon Musk, Ryan Reynolds – but are they any good?
- We explore how to pick out celebrity-backed alcohol brands that are worth a try, from how much they are invested in them to what reviewers have to say online
Ah, celebrity booze – my favourite thing to quip on.
Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila, Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation Gin, Elon Musk’s ridiculous lightning bolt-shaped also-Tequila … the list grows by the minute.
But instead of waxing poetic about how one should drink only “authentic” spirits produced by “craft” distilleries – neither of these terms being easily definable or a prerequisite for a tasty tipple – let us explore how to pick out celebrity-backed alcohol brands that are actually worth a try.
1. Consider the level of involvement that the celebrity has with the product.
Is the celebrity truly invested, or did he/she simply invest? This can be seen through their involvement in the distillation process, their influence on the marketing tone, or simply their living and breathing the brand in interviews and on social media.
A great example of such a celeb is American director Steven Soderbergh. His spirit – Singani 63 – is a type of brandy he fell in love with while shooting the 2008 Che Guevara biopic Che in Bolivia.
He not only puts great effort into educating the general public about this lesser-known spirit style, he spent eight years petitioning the United States’ Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau to recognise Singani as its own category – and he ultimately succeeded in January.
A classic example of an uninvolved celebrity? Nick Jonas. The American singer’s Villa One tequila origin story can be summed up as “I was on a beach and felt like I should get in on the tequila thing, too, so I hired a guy to do it”.
2. How transparent are they?
We are not talking about the opacity of the spirit here. It is always a good sign when a brand is open and honest about its ingredients, production process and sourcing. Sure, this applies to all spirits, but the making-of details tend to take a back seat, especially when there is a celebrity name attached to a product.
While I do not think The Rock takes a shot of tequila every day, as he claims, I do believe what he says about the respectable distillation process enough to give Teremana a try.
3. Check out reviews from other spirits enthusiasts before committing to a bottle.
Did other people enjoy the product, or were they unimpressed by the hype? Were the reviews based on genuine feedback, or were they simply influenced by the celebrity endorsement? Allow me to share snippets of my favourite reviews – the good and the bad – that have influenced my purchasing decisions.
