Introducing the celebrity-owned spirits brands that have attracted the most attention online: the top seven and their follower numbers
It is increasingly common to see stars moving into the spirits industry. For some time now, high-profile names have been attached to gin, tequila and vodka brands, and their ventures have built followings—some larger than others.
These are the 7 best-performing celebrity spirits brands on social media, ranked by their combined follower numbers across Facebook and Instagram.
The research was carried out by alcohol retailer Drink Finder:
The best celebrity spirits brands #7: David Beckham: Haig Club
Follower count: 357.9k
Diageo signed former England footballer and OBE David Beckham in 2014 to launch the Scotch whisky brand Haig Club, together with music mogul Simon Fuller.
The brand ranks seventh among other celebrity-owned spirits bottlings, having gained a total of 357,900 followers worldwide since its launch. In April this year, the new Haig Club Mediterranean Orange was launched in the United Kingdom. In 2020, the brand also unveiled its ready-to-drink cans.
The best celebrity spirits brands #6: Ryan Reynolds Aviation Gin: Ryan-Reynolds-Aviation-Gin
Follower count: 376k
Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds has a hand in several ventures, one of them being Wrexham AFC—the football club he co-owns with It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Rob McElhenney—which occasionally collaborates with Aviation Gin.
Reynolds invested in the brand in 2018, and in 2020 it was acquired by Diageo in a deal worth up to US$610 million. Reynolds’ fan base for the brand reaches 376,000 followers across Instagram and Facebook.
The best celebrity spirits brands #5: Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston: Dos Hombres Mezcal
Follower count: 385k
The stars of the television series Breaking Bad announced the launch of their mezcal brand on social media in July 2019, and since then they have built a community of 385,000 followers.
Recently, Constellation Brands acquired a minority stake in Dos Hombres for an undisclosed sum.
The liquid is made in the village of San Luis del Río, Oaxaca, by third-generation mezcal maker Gregorio Velasco.
The best celebrity spirits brands #4: Kendall Jenner: 818 TequilaKendall Jenner 818 Tequila
Follower count: 722k
Keeping Up with the Kardashians reality star Kendall Jenner launched her 818 Tequila brand earlier this year, and it is no surprise that it is making waves on social media.
The tequila brand has built up 722,000 followers and, in October, partnered with the non-profit organisation Sacred Agave to launch the 818 Bricks programme. The initiative turns agave fibres into bricks that can be used to build homes, schools and other spaces.
Jenner is rapidly expanding the brand and recently created a merchandise range, with sales said to “help support sustainability efforts”.
The best celebrity spirits brands #3: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson: Teremana Tequila.
Number of followers: 856k
The Rock has conquered a wide range of businesses, from wrestling to music and film. Now, he has scored another success with the launch of his tequila brand, alongside partners Dany García, Ken Austin and Jenna Fagnan.
Almost a year after its launch in 2020, Tequila Teremana announced that it was expanding production capacity with the aim of selling one million cases by February of this year.
This was followed by the unveiling of a branded tour bus — called the Mana Mobile — and increased marketing investment: the brand aired an advert during the Super Bowl, pledged US$1 million to the hospitality sector through its “Guac on the Rock” campaign, and created the “Bring the Mana” merchandise line, featuring T-shirts, hoodies, caps and zip-up sweaters decorated with the Tequila Teremana logo.
The brand’s latest move is an expansion of its tequila range with a bottle of Teremana Añejo. Two years in business have taken Teremana Tequila to 856,000 followers on social media.
The best celebrity spirits brands #2. Sean 'Diddy' Combs: Cîroc Vodka
Number of followers: 1.09m
Rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs was ahead of the game in the spirits world, after establishing a strategic partnership with Diageo in October 2007.
As a result, Combs became the brand ambassador for Cîroc ultra-premium vodka through Combs Enterprises.
By 2014, the brand was selling more than two million cases a year. Recent activity includes the launch of a limited-edition white grape flavour, a US$1 million donation linked to a nine-hour online dance marathon hosted by Combs, and the release of Cîroc Pomegranate earlier this year.
The best celebrity spirits brands #1. Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley: Brother's Bond Bourbon
Number of followers: 1.76m
The Vampire Diaries stars Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley discovered their shared love of Bourbon and launched Brother's Bond together this year. The brand had the “most successful presale launch” in Reserve Bar history and, as a result, expanded its availability across the United States.
The brand name is a nod to the actors’ former roles in the supernatural drama The Vampire Diaries, where they played brothers, as well as to their shared love of Bourbon and the “brotherhood they have formed over the years”.
Last month, the pair donated US$50,000 to the non-profit organisation Kiss the Ground, which seeks to reverse climate change through regenerative agriculture.
Somerhalder and Wesley take the prize for the most-followed celebrity alcohol brand, with their Bourbon brand counting 1.76 million followers.