By Robert Giles

It used to be that liquor brands would pay celebrities for an endorsement of their products or to feature the products in their movies and music videos. Lately, however, there has been a shift. Celebrities have gone beyond simple endorsements and have begun to own the production of the spirits themselves.

This concept is a positive for the industry, because with the celebrity's reputation on the line they’re determined to make the best spirits they can. Often these products are reflections of their personal tastes, and there’s a definite rise in quality. We’re going to look at some celebrity-owned spirits that may interest you, as well as some partnerships where the celebrity has worked extensively with the manufacturer to create a special release.

Tequila is a spirit that is seeing a rise in popularity and celebrities have taken notice. Casamigos is perhaps one of the most well-known brands along with Teremana and Codigo. If you’ve kept up with the Kardashians, you may know that Kendall Jenner has her own line of tequila called 818. Kevin Hart also got into this category with his Gran Coramino tequila. One of the newer celebrity brands is Lebron James’ Lobos 1707; Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul are putting their names on Dos Hombres mezcal. Each of these products reflects the style preferred by their particular celebrity.

Image via Dos Hombres Mezcal

Scotch and Irish whiskey are represented as well with Proper Twelve by Conor McGregor and Lagavulin's Offerman edition that was blended in collaboration with Nick Offerman. Bourbon and American whiskey are starting to see more of this trend with several releases. Heaven's Door was created with Bob Dylan and Blackened was made in conjunction with the members of Metallica. Savage and Cooke whiskey, long known for their complex and refined whiskeys from Dave Phinney, partnered with Scottie Pippen to create Digits. Finally, there’s the latest collaboration to arrive in Arkansas from Buffalo Trace Distilleries and Chris Stapleton called Traveller. It’s a unique blending of several barrels from the Buffalo Trace rick house that strives for its own identity apart from the usual Buffalo Trace products.

Image via Wikimedia Commons, Author Jean-Luc

Gin even has a couple of celebrity brands in Aviation from Ryan Reynolds and McQueen and the Violet Fog from Sovereign brands and Whiz Khalifa. Vodka has its long-standing actor owned brand with Dan Aykroyd's Crystal Head vodka. Not only does Aykroyd have a regular vodka that comes in a variety of special edition packages, but also an agave-based tequila with its own black skull packaging. Another vodka that’s new in Arkansas is Jason Momoa’s Meili. A pure, clean vodka that uses 100% recycled glass in its packaging and seeks to be ethically and sustainably produced, Meili is designed to be enjoyed neat and show the purity of its ingredients.

Image via Aviation Gin

As you can see, things have come a long way from the simple celebrity endorsements of the past. Most of these spirits don’t call out their celebrity roots on the shelf so as to stand on their own merits. I think that’s a good thing, as I always think the beverages should speak for themselves. It’s a case of celebrities who have built their brands and moved beyond a simple revenue stream. Celebrity spirits are worthy additions to your home bar and can always be a great way to Celebrate More.