Celebrity drinks are nothing new — they’ve been around for the past couple of centuries. But today’s star-backed bottles are more strategic than ever, blending personal branding with product placement. In this episode we look at where the phenomenon started, the different ways celebrities attach themselves to drinks, and the very real influence they can have on whole categories — for better or worse. We pull apart the success stories of Casamigos, Aviation Gin, and Miraval, and contrast them with high-profile disasters like Trump Vodka and the Bud Light backlash.

Along the way we unpick why some famous faces fit perfectly with their chosen tipple while others misfire badly, and how audience perception, authenticity, and timing determine whether a brand becomes a category leader or a cautionary tale. Expect historic gossip, marketing missteps, and the occasional marketing masterstroke as we ask the question: when you buy a celebrity drink, are you buying a great product or just the story on the label?

08:38 Roman vineyards and medieval popes as early examples of celebrity-linked wine.

10:43 The halo effect and why famous names can boost perceived quality.

12:49 Lily Langtry’s 19th-century California wine parties as a precursor to modern celebrity branding.

14:49 Defining celebrity in the modern age and how fame can be manufactured.

20:24 The three main types of celebrity drinks involvement — founder, co-creator, and endorser.

26:58 How Casamigos tequila and Aviation Gin boosted their categories before selling for huge sums.

28:28 Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s Miraval and its role in premiumising rosé.

31:00 The Trump Vodka catastrophe.

34:37 The Bud Light disaster, a horror show in slow motion. 

Got a question for us? Email us at [email protected] and it might just become our next episode.

Meet Your Hosts:

Lulie Halstead founded and led international consumer research and strategy consultancy Wine Intelligence, and led it to a successful PE exit. Today she is a renowned global beverage alcohol and wine sector specialist, focused on consumer behaviour, strategy, retail and hospitality. An accomplished keynote speaker, she has spoken at more than 70 international events over the past 20 years.

Felicity Carter is an award-winning wine and drinks journalist, editor, speaker trainer and content strategist. She led Meininger’s Wine Business International to become the world’s most must-read wine trade magazine, and was founding Executive Editor of The Drop/Pix, which the Wall Street Journal named one of the most trusted sources of wine information. A regular keynote speaker, she was named a 2024 Industry Leader by WineBusiness Monthly.