Which Celebrities and Athletes Own Whisky Distilleries?

Chris Hemsworth, Conor McGregor, Bob Dylan, Drake, Metallica, Beyoncé, Sam Heughan, and the cast of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia all hold genuine ownership stakes in whisky brands, ranging from Australian single malt to Irish and American whiskey. Several other celebrities, including Chris Stapleton and David Beckham, have high-profile whisky collaborations that are licensing or blending partnerships rather than ownership stakes.

Key Takeaways

• Chris Hemsworth became co-owner of Sydney's Archie Rose Distilling Co. in August 2026, ahead of the brand's first US launch this autumn.

• Conor McGregor founded Proper No. Twelve in 2018 and sold a majority stake to Proximo Spirits in 2021 in a deal worth up to $600 million, though he retains an interest and remains the brand's public face.

• Bob Dylan, Drake, Metallica, and Beyoncé all hold real ownership or joint-venture stakes in American whiskey brands, not just licensing deals.

• Not every celebrity whisky is an ownership stake. Chris Stapleton's Traveller and Michael Bublé's Fraser & Thompson are blending collaborations with existing distilleries, and David Beckham's Haig Club, which ended in 2023, was a Diageo-owned brand partnership rather than equity ownership.

• Genuine ownership tends to matter more for long-term brand credibility and collector interest than a simple endorsement deal, since an owner has a financial stake in the whisky's actual quality over time.

Tip: before treating a "celebrity whisky" as a serious collector prospect, check whether the celebrity actually owns equity in the company or simply lent their name and face to an existing brand. The distinction is usually disclosed in press coverage of the launch, and it says a lot about how involved they really are in what ends up in the bottle.

Chris Hemsworth and Archie Rose

In August 2026, Chris Hemsworth joined Sydney-based Archie Rose Distilling Co. as co-owner alongside founder Will Edwards. Archie Rose was founded in 2014 and has built its reputation on whisky and gin made exclusively from Australian-grown grain, including custom rye and barley grown specifically for the brand. The distillery mills, mashes, ferments, distils, and matures each malt type individually, an approach that has earned it more than 450 awards, including World's Best Rye Whisky twice and World's Best Gin.

Why the timing matters

Hemsworth's investment comes as Archie Rose prepares to enter the United States for the first time this autumn, working with Reyes Beverage Group as national distribution partner along with regional partners New York Wine & Spirits and Fedway Associates. Later in 2026, Archie Rose will release three whiskies co-created with Hemsworth across Asia and New Zealand, with the EU and UK to follow in 2027. Hemsworth has said he has been a fan of Archie Rose for years, calling their approach "a brilliant example of what Australia does best."

Conor McGregor and Proper No. Twelve

Conor McGregor founded Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey in 2018, naming it after his home district of Crumlin in Dublin. The brand grew into one of the most commercially successful celebrity spirits launches of the past decade. In 2021, McGregor and his partners sold a majority stake to Proximo Spirits, which had already held a 49% stake, in a deal reported to be worth up to $600 million including Proximo's earlier investment.

His role today

McGregor retains an interest in Proper No. Twelve and continues to serve as its public face, appearing in the brand's advertising and promotional campaigns. The sale illustrates a common pattern in celebrity spirits ventures: an early, hands-on ownership stake followed by a later majority sale to a larger drinks company once the brand has proven itself commercially.

American Whiskey's Celebrity Owners

American whiskey has attracted several genuine celebrity ownership stakes beyond McGregor.

Bob Dylan, Heaven's Door

Bob Dylan co-founded Heaven's Door Spirits in 2018, and the brand operates an actual distillery established in 2017 in Pleasureville, Kentucky, rather than simply licensing his name to an existing producer.

Drake, Virginia Black

Drake co-founded Virginia Black Whiskey in 2016 alongside entrepreneur Brent Hocking, taking an ownership position in the brand from its earliest development.

Metallica, Blackened

Metallica did not simply license their name to a whiskey brand. In 2018, the band formed Sweet Amber Distilling Company as a genuine joint venture with the late master distiller Dave Pickerell to create Blackened American Whiskey, a blend of bourbon, rye, and whiskey finished using the band's own sonic-aging process. Drummer Lars Ulrich has said the band wanted to be involved from the beginning rather than "just putting a Metallica label on an existing product."

Beyoncé, SirDavis

Beyoncé's SirDavis is an American whiskey created in conjunction with Moët Hennessy's senior whisky maker, Dr. Bill Lumsden, marking one of the highest-profile entries by a woman into a category that remains dominated by male celebrity founders.

Scotch and Irish Whiskey's Star Power

Outside the American whiskey boom, several celebrities have taken ownership positions in Scotch and Irish whiskey specifically.

Sam Heughan, Sassenach

Outlander star Sam Heughan created Sassenach, a premium blended Scotch whisky, drawing on his own connection to the Highlands where the television series is set.

Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, and Charlie Day, Four Walls

The creators and stars of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia co-founded Four Walls Irish American Whiskey, a blend that combines Irish whiskey with American rye, a genuine passion project built around the trio's own venture rather than a licensing arrangement.

Liev Schreiber, Sláinte

Actor Liev Schreiber co-founded Sláinte Irish Whiskey in 2022 alongside drinks entrepreneur Richard Davies, taking an ownership role in the brand from launch.

Collaboration Is Not the Same as Ownership

Not every celebrity name attached to a whisky bottle reflects an ownership stake, and the distinction matters for anyone evaluating these brands as more than a novelty.

Chris Stapleton, Traveller

Traveller Whiskey is a genuine blending collaboration between country singer Chris Stapleton and Buffalo Trace Distillery's master distiller, Harlen Wheatley. Stapleton lent his palate and artistic direction to the blend, and the whiskey went on to become the first official whiskey of Major League Baseball in 2025. He is not, however, a co-owner of Buffalo Trace Distillery itself.

Michael Bublé, Fraser & Thompson

Fraser & Thompson follows a similar model: a collaboration between Michael Bublé and master distiller Paul Cirka rather than an equity stake in an existing distilling company.

David Beckham, Haig Club

David Beckham fronted Haig Club, a Diageo-owned Scotch single grain whisky, from its 2014 launch until ending the partnership in 2023 to pursue his own drinks ventures. Haig Club was always a Diageo brand with Beckham as its ambassador and co-creator, not a distillery he owned.

Does Celebrity Ownership Affect Collector Value?

For collectors, the ownership question is not just trivia. A brand where the celebrity holds genuine equity tends to have a longer-term incentive behind quality control, since their financial return depends on the whisky's reputation holding up over years, not just an initial marketing push. Proper No. Twelve's growth into a $600 million sale reflects sustained commercial performance, not a one-off celebrity bump. Brands built as real joint ventures, like Metallica's Sweet Amber Distilling Co., also tend to publish more detail about their actual production process, which matters to buyers who want to know what is really in the bottle.

That said, celebrity involvement alone, ownership or otherwise, is not a reliable predictor of whisky quality or long-term collector demand. The underlying liquid, cask policy, and production transparency still matter more than who is on the label.

FAQ

Does Chris Hemsworth own a whisky distillery?

Yes. Hemsworth became co-owner of Archie Rose Distilling Co. in Sydney in August 2026, alongside founder Will Edwards, ahead of the brand's first US launch.

Does Conor McGregor still own Proper No. Twelve?

He sold a majority stake to Proximo Spirits in 2021 for up to $600 million but retains an interest in the brand and continues to serve as its public face.

Is Chris Stapleton's Traveller Whiskey something he owns?

No. Traveller is a blending collaboration between Stapleton and Buffalo Trace Distillery's master distiller, Harlen Wheatley. Stapleton is not a co-owner of Buffalo Trace.

Which celebrities have genuine ownership stakes in whisky brands?

Verified owners include Chris Hemsworth (Archie Rose), Conor McGregor (Proper No. Twelve), Bob Dylan (Heaven's Door), Drake (Virginia Black), Metallica (Blackened, via Sweet Amber Distilling Co.), Beyoncé (SirDavis), Sam Heughan (Sassenach), the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia cast (Four Walls), and Liev Schreiber (Sláinte).