Celebrity-Owned Booze Brands CAN Be Good, Example 1: Wolves Whiskey

This bottle has a UV laser-engraved sheepskin label. You should drink it anyway. (Photo by Leah Moriyama)

Ever since George Clooney sold Casamigos Tequila, which he launched with his buddy Rande Gerber, for something approaching a billion dollars back in 2017, it seems like every two-bit celebrity has felt the compelling need to make a brand of their own. And I get it — a billion dollars is a lot of money. But so many of them are accompanied by press releases that go something like, “We were vacationing in Cancun, and we realized that what the world really needs is a tequila that’s, like, smooth.” I would have so much more respect for someone who says, “Look, I’ll be thrilled if I get a tenth of what Clooney got. And doesn’t this bottle look fantastic?”

At first blush, Wolves Whiskey seems as douche-tastic as, say, Cincoro, the tequila made by a quintet of very rich people including Michael Jordan that tastes more like sugar water than an agave spirit. Founded by two hipster fashion designers (James Bond — not that James Bond — and Jon Buscemi), an inordinate amount of money and effort is spent on the packaging. Two strikes right there. But the whiskey… well, the whiskey! I’d tell you about it here but instead I’ll send you over to Forbes, where the latest Wolves bottling is my Whisk(e)y Of The Week. Link is right over -> HERE <-.