Celebrity alcohol brands: From Trump to the David Beckham wine you'll never drink

 

This is part two of a three part series on alcohol and celebrities.

Have you ever wondered who is behind the labels we drink? Not only are these celebrities crossing over into the alcohol production industry, some are doing it well!

• Donald Trump’s vodka, Trump, is labeled as “the world’s finest super premium vodka.” So Donald, right? It is quintuple distilled and is available in original, citron, raspberry, orange and grape.
• In 2008, Danny Devito appeared on the morning talk show “The View,” seemingly drunk on limoncello. The show received so much attention that soon after he was marketing his very own limoncello. It’s made with organic lemons from Sorrento, Italy, with no artificial colors or flavors.
• Marilyn Manson has recently released, are you ready for this, Mansinthe. He claims he was looking for an alcohol that would make him feel “child like”. Sounds funny, but surprisingly enough, Manson’s absinthe won gold at San Francisco’s 2008 World Spirits Competition.
• Willie Nelson joined his fellow celebrities when he released Old Whiskey River. Willie’s bourbon is made in Kentucky and comes packaged with a red bandanna and a signature guitar pick on the bottle.
• Vince Neil, the Motley Crue singer, launched his own brand of wine in 2003 under the name Vince Vineyards. His Tres Rios tequila is 100 percent agave and is labeled “A Vince Neil Selection.”
• Lil Jon isn’t just your everyday rapper; he actually owns his own vineyard, Little Jonathan Winery, in California. He bottles wines with labels such as Monterey Merlot, Central Coast Chardonnay and Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon. He says this isn’t your run of the mill Boone’s Farm wine. Let’s hope not.
• Dr. Dre is famous for his gin and juice and tanqueray lyrics, but recently Dr. Dre has released his own Cognac marketed as Aftermath. And he’s not stopping there. His next venture will be a “sparkling” vodka. I don’t remember vodka in any of his song lyrics, but maybe we’ll hear it on his next album.
• Dan Aykroyd’s Wines are the top selling celebrity brand in Canada. His wines have received numerous awards such as a Gold Medal in the All Canadian Wine Championship, a Bronze Medal in the Red blends, and the Wine of the Year at the Ontario Wine Awards. His latest venture, Crystal Head vodka, comes in a bottle shaped like a skull.
• Sammy Hager, former Van Halen frontman, may perhaps have one of the most lucrative alcohol ventures on this list. He sold his stake of Cabo Wabo tequila for $80 million in 2007. He still owns 20%.
• David Beckham bought his wife Victoria a Napa Valley vineyard as a birthday present in 2008. But you won’t see their brand on the shelves anytime soon.  Rumor has it that the couple isn’t planning to go into the wine business; they will only be making their vintage for family and friends. Other celebrity couples who own vineyards include Johnny Depp and Vanessa Pradis and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

Part one: Hollywood cocktails