Aviation Gin and Ryan Reynolds

In mid 2020 in the height of the Covid 19 Pandemic, Diageo forked out USD 610 million for a company called Davos Brands, that includes USD 335 mn upfront and the rest to be paid out over 10 years. The primary claim to fame of Davos is a brand of Gin called Aviation. Aviation has a celebrity investor and ambassador, Hollywood star and heartthrob, Ryan Reynolds.

Ryan became an investor in Davos Brands in 2018 thereby lending considerable star power to its sales helping grow volumes by over 100% in 2019.

Aviation is a “New World Gin’ that is not as juniper forward as a typical London Dry Gin, owed in part to its rye spirits base. At Tulleeho, we love the taste as also the retro packaging and branding.

Skinnygirl Cocktails and Bethenny

Bethenny Frankel is an author, Chef, TV Star and entrepreneur, who came up with the Skinnygirl Margarita. Probably not as much a household name as Clooney or Ryan Reynolds, but a significant wealth creator by herself in the alcobev sector with Skinnygirl cocktails that helped create the first low calorie cocktail category. In 2011, Skinnygirl Cocktails was acquired by Beam Suntory for USD 120 mn. Beam then grew the portfolio to include wines, flavored vodkas, and a wider range of ready-to-drink cocktails. The vodka is called Bare Naked, there’s a wine selection and a range of RTD cocktails, including the aforementioned Margarita that comes in 5 varieties and a Cosmo.

Star of a reality show called the Reel Housewives of New York City, she ordered a cocktail she’d come up with called the skinny girl’s Margarita. Bethenny is under contract to promote the Skinnygirls range for Beam and is also free to use the brand to diversify into a range of other products.

George Clooney and the Billion Dollar Tequila

In 2017, George Clooney along with Rande Gerber (husband of Cindy Crawford) and Mike Meldman sold Casamigos the Tequila they founded in 2013 to Diageo for USD 700 million (+ USD 300 million based on the brands performance over 10 years). Rande’s a former bar and nightclub owner and George and him used to hang out at his bar in New York. They became friends and both bought houses in Mexico on a property that was called Casamigos, a word that literally means House of Friends.

They drank a lot of tequila in Mexico and one day as the story goes, George turned to Rande, and said “why don’t we create one that’s perfect for us”, 2 years and 700 samples later, they had one that was just perfect. Casamigos is a small batch tequila that comes in 3 styles, Blanco, Reposado and Anejo and they also have a Mezcal.

The sale made George Clooney 2018’s highest paid actor, without acting in a movie! How’s that for show business?