Holiday Happy Hour: Try These Black-Owned Celebrity Wine and Spirits Brands
The holidays are the perfect time of year to celebrate life and make long-lasting memories with family and friends, and what better way to make merry than with some of our favorite celebrity-owned spirits?
Stars like Issa Rae, Meagan Good, and Stephen Curry are not only continuing to shine and inspire, but they are also making a splash in the wine and spirits space with their very own brands of alcohol. So act like you know and get a bottle or two of these celebrity-owned wines, rums, and vodkas. They’re perfect for gifting or try pouring a glass for you and that special someone to get into the holiday spirit.
Stephen Curry’s Gentleman’s Cut Bourbon
It’s not hard to tell that family and friends mean the world to four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry, who believes that “life is best enjoyed in the close company of others.” Curry’s carefully crafted bourbon is as pure and potent as they come, being that it’s aged for 5-7 years and is only bottled once it reaches 90 proof.
With notes of honey, vanilla bean, caramel, and cocoa, Gentleman’s Cut Bourbon is a dynamic Kentucky bourbon. If you’re aiming to make the holidays unforgettable, then give the “grown men” in your life a reason to gather over deep conversations about life’s greatest mysteries, which likely won’t be solved, but they’ll have a hell of a time trying to figure things out on their way there.
Add the accompanying tumbler glassware set and hoodie, along with a bottle of Gentleman’s Cut Bourbon for the ultimate holiday gift package.
PRICE: Gentleman’s Cut Bourbon retails for $79.99.
Ciara’s Ten To One Rum
You know that Ciara reps hard for her besties LaLa Anthony, Vanessa Bryant and Kelly Rowland to name a few, and the holidays are a perfect time of year for the ladies to bond with their best girlfriends. If you find yourself tied down with kids and family this holiday season, you can still get in some quality time with your gal pals before the new year arrives.
Make a date to meet at whomever’s house isn’t “tore up from the floor up” from all of the holiday prep and shenanigans, and give thanks for your forever friends with a “make it last forever” toast. Ciara and her business partner, Marc Farrell, launched Ten To One in 2019 with the intention of elevating the rum-drinking experience. Touted as “rum reimagined,” Ten To One is both smooth and spicy, just like your sista-friends, making it a superb cocktail sipper.
PRICE: The Caribbean Dark Rum retails for $32.99 and makes a great Mai Tai, and the Caribbean White Rum retails for $22.99 for a tasty Daiquiri.
Meagan Good’s St. Royale Vodka
If you were raised right, you know that you can’t just show up for the first time at people’s homes empty-handed. That is, unless you don’t mind being greeted with a smile and gossiped about later! Everyone loves a good-tasting vodka, and that includes actress and director Meagan Good, who is now a brand and distillery equity partner of Royale Vodka. She collaborated with Ted Fason, the founder of GreenLine Spirits, to inspire this gluten-free, honey-infused premium vodka that’s distilled six times to achieve its delightful taste.
Sometimes family and friends are the hardest to please, but Royale Vodka comes in several flavors, including a premium vodka and Green Tea, Green Tea Peach, and Green Tea Lychee flavors. With so many options, you could easily serve all of these varieties at your Christmas gathering.
PRICE: Royale Vodka retails for $23.
Issa Rae’s Viarae Prosecco
Issa Rae loves a good toast! In fact, the actress and producer knows that every occasion can be made a little extra special with a great bottle of wine followed by a beautiful, heartwarming toast.
Rae has her own line of Prosecco, ViaRae, which is an ideal choice for your New Year’s Eve turnup with your crew, thanks to its flavor profile: “bright, crisp, lively, and refreshing.” This prosecco will help you flow effortlessly from party mode to the post-party brunch with fresh-squeezed orange juice for a classic mimosa.
PRICE: Viarae retails for $19.99 and is available at your local Target store.
Deborah Cox’s Kazaisu Rosé Wine
Acclaimed singer and entertainer Deborah Cox was inspired to create her signature rosé wine during the pandemic and says it highlights her love of different foods and cultures.
This award-winning wine originally made its debut in France and features four different types of organic grapes that work harmoniously to present a light taste with notes of rose, lychee, and lemon. It comes in a pretty bottle that features a dragonfly, which Cox says represents “lightness and joy.
The citrus and peach aromas of this bright rosé make it a great pairing for your intimate holiday celebration. If you're flying solo during the holidays, consider this your comfort in a glass.
PRICE: Kazaisu Rosé sells for $25.
Tony Parker’s Château La Mascaronne Rosé
Belgium-born NBA player Tony Parker made his name as a point guard for the San Antonio Spurs and the Charlotte Hornets, but now he’s championing a different arena—the world of fine wines.
Parker has returned to Paris, France, where he grew up, to spearhead a partnership with longtime friend Michael Reybier and Château La Mascaronne wines. The self-professed wine lover is hoping to introduce the world to the joy, connection, and celebration that wine can inspire. Made from a blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Vermentino grapes grown in exceptionally rich terrier (that’s the fancy French word for dirt), the rosé pairs nicely with any seafood or meats you’re planning to serve for your Christmas dinner.
If champagne is more to your style, Parker has also partnered with Reybier for Champagne Jeeper to help you and yours toast in the happiest of new years.
PRICE: Château La Mascaronne wine is available for around $25 and the Château La Mascaronne is available starting at $65.
Editor's Note: You must be 21 and over. Please drink responsibly.
