These days, it seems that every celebrity with a Netflix deal has a spirit or wine brand. Some of the best new products were created in and around Beverly Hills by enterprising locals and yes, famous faces too, who are mixing up the cocktail game.
It is undeniable that agave spirits have risen in popularity and are neck and neck with vodka sales (the most popular), according to many industry professionals.
Actor and Beverly Park resident Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has built a lifestyle platform around his Teremana tequila brand, rooted in his Polynesian background. “Mana has always been a part of my life and my culture,” says Johnson. “It’s the spirit and energy we bring into every room and every interaction.”
This new initiative was created to prove that positivity and optimism, or “mana,” is contagious, so the actor has launched a series of culinary gatherings with over 100 people for a community experience at one long table, where food and drinks are shared, called “Share The Mana, Share The Table.” “It’s about creating a real platform for people to learn about the power of coming together, connecting, and feeling that contagious positive energy,” he said. “The chance to share that with more communities everywhere means the world to me.”
Photos courtesy of teremana
Johnson is not simply putting his name on a brand but personally tasted 113 distillations when developing his tequila (in 2020), which has three expressions: Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo, all under a $40 price range, and can be found at Saks Fifth Avenue, Spago, The Hideaway, Mastro’s, and Craig’s, among others. teremana.com
Academy Award-winning actor Benicio del Toro is the co-owner of high-end brand Perro Verde Mezcal, handcrafted by a fifth-generation family of Oaxacan mezcaleros for over 120 years, but he has taken this endeavor a stylish step further. Co-founded by Juan Santiago Rodriguez and Mariana Carvajal, the Colombian-born, L.A.-based couple reshaping luxury in the spirits world, and mezcal producer Don Porfirio Chagoya, they are offering three expressions: Espadin, Blend, and Tobasiche, bottled in fashionable green-hued glass vessels with wooden stoppers, that would look perfect on any home bar cart.
“I connected with Perro Verde because it embodies the spirit of imagination, craft, and heritage. And it tastes pretty good too,” del Toro told the Courier.
Carvajal taps into her background in fashion and time spent in Paris to bring a minimalist elegance with the sculptural bottle design—an homage to French apothecaries. Rodriguez, who comes from the floral world, approaches mezcal like a botanist and storyteller, with a deep reverence for the land, the agave, and the generations behind its craft.
Launched earlier this year with several parties in Beverly Hills at the Horseshoe House and at the Hotel Bel-Air, fans include Formula 1 champion Jenson Button, actor Kevin Connolly, designer Marc Ange, and producer Rick Yorn, among others.
Perro Verde Mezcal was inspired by the colloquial Spanish and Latin American expression “Más raro que un perro verde,” which translates to “rarer than a green dog,” a nod to its extraordinary taste, which spans from yellow apples to lemongrass. With prices starting at $72 up to $325, it’s also available at Wally’s in Beverly Hills and Brentwood Fine Wines, or for cocktails at Honor Bar on South Beverly Drive and Eataly Century City, to name a few. perroverdemezcal.com
Photos courtesy of perro verde
From Jalisco to Rodeo Drive
For a true born-in-Beverly Hills spirits success story, Rodeo de las Aguas Tequila, produced by Doheny Road Spirits, was conceived locally by Tony Garcia and producer-director-writer Jefery Levy (his wife Pam Levy co-founded Juicy Couture clothing brand), who lives in talk show host Merv Griffin’s former estate on Doheny Road.
After meeting in a wine tasting group about 25 years ago, Tony and Jef decided after many discussions on the history of the area—the brand name pays homage to Maria Rita Valdez and her El Rancho Rodeo de las Aguas (The Ranch of the Gathering of Waters), a 4,500-acre expanse of fertile hills and natural springs dating back to 1838 in Beverly Hills—and the abundant water source, to launch a tequila company. After researching and tasting tequila brands during the COVID-19 pandemic, they started working hand-in-hand with master tequilero Álvaro Ramírez and CEO Enrique Balderas.
“I just took everything I learned from wine,” recalls Garcia, who has traveled extensively in Burgundy, France and Piedmont, Italy. “The French term ‘terroir’ [in this case rooted in the red soil from mineral-rich highlands of Southern Los Altos de Jalisco] can also be applied to the agave fields, along with the highlands and the lowlands. There’s a difference in water and where it’s produced. Tequila from the highlands is more premium,” he added.
That approach has clearly paid off as the brand’s five expressions, which start with a Blanco at a $44 price point, Reposado, Añejo, Cristalino, and 5-year extra Añejo, at $225, have collectively garnered 52 medals, and counting, including Platinum, Double Gold, Silver, Bronze, Best of Show, Best in Class, Innovation Award and Design awards.
Can’t decide? The brand has launched a mini bottle set of all the expressions that would make a perfect stocking stuffer or hostess gift for $39.99 and is available at Wally’s or Total Wine. rodeodelasaguas.com
Not Your Granddad’s Rye
The most surprising brand launch of recent note has been the Beverly Spirits Beverly High Rye, which is catching on with a younger demographic. It was founded by 30-something local Andrew Borenzweig—who “fell in love” with rye while working at Drake’s whiskey company, Virginia Black, when he was just 20 years old. The young entrepreneur set out to create a rye that was not “too rough” but still harnessing that spicy flavor and infusing some of the richness while balancing it with a little bit of sweetness that you find in a bourbon.
The blend has struck a chord. In just a few short years, his rye has quickly been featured in specialty cocktails in some of the hottest restaurants and bars in Beverly Hills. These range from Funke to Cipriani (Beverly High Rye is used in the house Manhattan), The Grill on the Alley’s “Beverly Manhattan,” The Beverly Hills Hotel Polo Lounge, the Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel, and Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, along with Erewhon for holiday gifting ($64.99 for the original expression).
The brand has also created a special blend for The Beverly Hilton Hotel’s 70th anniversary. “The Beverly Hilton has such a special history,” Borenzweig told the Courier. “We wanted to honor that legacy of all of the celebrations that have happened at this hotel over the years.” The team took one of their signature blends, The Beverly Reserve, which is 60% straight bourbon, 40% straight rye, and bottled it at 100 proof, just for The Beverly Hilton. The result is a rich blend that is perfect for sipping neat. It can be purchased at the bar or delivered to a room as an amenity for $270 per bottle.
Photos courtesy of the beverly Hilton Reserve
For a limited time, The Beverly Hilton Reserve will also be featured on the Decades drinks menu at CIRCA 55 Restaurant + Lounge, with signature cocktails crafted by award-winning bartender and author Jeffrey Morgenthaler, including the “Golden Hour,” made with The Beverly Hilton Reserve, bianco vermouth, crème de pêche, thyme liqueur, and black lemon bitters.
Photo courtesy of Sirdavis
Pop star Beyoncé has also stepped into the arena with SirDavis American Whisky, which was the official spirit of her Cowboy Carter Tour. Founded by Knowles-Carter herself, the spirit, encased in a tall, beveled glass bottle with a raised gold horse emblem, has rich and buttery toffee notes, and can be found at several local Beverly Hills and L.A. restaurants and bars, including The Maybourne Beverly Hills, L’Ermitage Beverly Hills and West Hollywood Edition. The “Honey Bee” cocktail, recipe in the sidebar, is perfect for chillier holiday weather.
Honey Bee Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
• 2 oz. SirDavis American Whisky
• .75 oz. Lemon Juice
• .5 oz. Honey Syrup*
• Honeycomb garnish
INSTRUCTIONS:
Add liquid ingredients to a shaker tin with ice going in last. Shake for dilution and pour into a coupe glass. Garnish with honeycomb.
*To make honey syrup, add 2 parts honey and 1 part water into a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the honey is dissolved. Allow to cool and transfer to an airtight container.
Other celebrities that have “side hustles” in the spirits industry include rock star fashion designer John Varvatos in West Hollywood, who launched Villa One company with Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers right before the pandemic. “We come from two different ends of the world, but somehow we connected,” said Varvatos. “We ended up collaborating on fashion and a fragrance and we really hit it off. Every time we were together in L.A., we would celebrate over tequila.” Villa One is made at the brand’s own craft distillery, Fabrica de Tequilas Finos in Jalisco, using traditional techniques and natural ingredients for three expressions (Silver, Reposado and Añejo). villaonetequila.com
Walton Goggins of “White Lotus” fame quietly started his Mulholland Distilling brand with Matthew Alpert as a cinematic ode and celebration of their love for Los Angeles. They produce gin, whisky, and vodka which are meant to be enjoyed with friends—and even strangers. mulhollanddistilling.com
Academy Award-winning director Steven Soderbergh has a spirit called Singani 63 that he discovered while filming in Bolivia and is responsible for developing the brand and bringing it to the U.S. market. The unique brandy is distilled from white Muscat of Alexandria grapes and can be found at wine.com.
