Celebrities have been endorsing commercial products since the late 1800s. You name it, they’ve promoted it. Soap, motor oil, video games, and even some really weird stuff like roach traps. Does anyone remember when Ozzy Osbourne made that ‘I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter’ commercial? Move over, Fabio; the Prince of Darkness wants to talk about your cholesterol.
So, it should be no surprise to see celebrities dipping their toes into the image driven world of spirits. If you’ve paid any attention to social media in the last five years, you’ve seen a sudden influx of celebrity-endorsed alcoholic beverages. The catalyst for this seems to solely be responsible due to two separate brands selling for incredibly large sums of money. The most notable is when George Clooney and his business partner sold Casamigos tequila in 2018 for a whopping $1 billion. Two years later, in 2020, Ryan Reynolds sold his gin brand, Aviation, to the largest beverage company in the world, Diageo. That price tag was a cool $610 million.
As of 2024, there are over 350 different brands of alcohol endorsed by a celebrity and growing. That’s up 900% from 2018. Yes, that much! But with all this recent publicity revolving around these brands, some might have forgotten that cognac has been drawing the eyes of the rich and famous for much longer than you might be aware.
COGNAC AND MAIN STREAM MEDIA
Cognac has had a bit of an image crisis over the years. It used to be seen as a stuffy old person’s drink. The classic picture is a man sitting by a fireplace with his dog. In one hand, a cigar; in the other, a snifter of cognac. But suddenly, something magical happened in the early-mid 1990s. The hip hop and Black communities started promoting the French spirit with a furious vigor. And the biggest culprit in assisting that was MTV. We started seeing artists drinking cognac, singing about cognac, and even having the bottles in their music videos. Suddenly, cognac was cool out of nowhere. It was a symbol that you’ve “made it,” and it began to go global.
Hennessy, Courvoisier, and Rémy Martin dominated the landscape. Their names were being dropped into tracks left and right. The first mention of a cognac brand on a hip hop album was in 1994 by Nas. He mentions Hennessy on his debut album, Illmatic, on the first track, ‘The Genesis.’ Even before any music starts, he tells his friend to “take this Hennessy.” This is the beginning of what turned out to be a cultural shift in the world of cognac.
Two years later, in 1996, Jay-Z mentions Rémy Martin in his song ‘Can’t Knock the Hustle.’ In 2001, Busta Rhymes, wrote ‘Pass the Courvoisier,’ which was an iconic nod to the French spirit. And then in 2004, the unreleased song by 2Pac after his passing, simply titled ‘Hennessy’ from the “Loyal to the Game” album, made a big impact on the airwaves. Cognac was certainly, by this point, deeply associated with hip hop culture and the celebrities involved with it.
Below is a list of cognac brands that celebrities have either endorsed or had a hand in creating. Through their collaborations with the Cellar Masters, distillers, and blenders, they have played a role in shaping its global culture today.
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Conjure
- Celebrity Association: Ludacris (a.k.a. Chris Bridges)
- Year of Endorsement: 2009
- Cognac House: Birkedal Hartmann
- Master Distiller, Cellar Master, or Blender: Philippe B. Tiffon
- Expressions: VS
The first, and therefore oldest, celebrity cognac is Conjure by Ludacris in 2009. It’s important to note that the majority of the time you see a celebrity endorse a brand, that’s basically all they’re doing. They put their name on it and collect a check. But in the case of Conjure, Ludacris actually did several tastings with Master Blender Philippe B. Tiffon and had a hand in the final creation of the blend’s aromatic/flavor profile. In addition, Ludacris had a hand in the label design and marketing. His involvement is impressive compared to other celebrity releases.
This VS cognac is predominately on the younger side; however, there is a small percentage of fairly old eau-de-vie in the blend, being around 45 years old. Conjure is comprised of a blend from all the crus and uses only Ugni Blanc. The final expression is rested in 50+ year old Limousin oak before being bottled.
The bottle itself is very contemporary. In 2009, it was probably quite a shock to the industry to see something so different. The name is placed vertically on glass that has filigree etched on it. Ludacris says his favorite way to drink Conjure is on the rocks with a splash of cola.
Landy
- Celebrity Association: Snoop Dogg (a.k.a. Calvin Broadus Jr.)
- Year of Endorsement: 2010
- Cognac House: Maison Ferrand
- Master Distiller, Cellar Master, or Blender: Alexandre Gabriel
- Expressions: VS, VSOP, XO Excellence, Desir, Decanter Extra
Over the years, Snoop Dogg has had his hands in so many things. It’s not surprising that cognac was one of them. He officially endorsed Landy in 2010, even though he was already rapping about the brand in years past. Prior to his official endorsement, Snoop produced a Christmas album called ‘Christmas In tha Dogg House,’ which featured a song entitled “Landy In My Eggnog.” There was also an unreleased track, “I Need My XO Landy.” Once he inked the official deal with Landy, he released the track “For the Good Times.” The lyrics talk about how he doesn’t need Henny or Rémy when he’s chillin’ in the club, Landy XO is the only bottle poppin’.
All expressions of Landy were made from a blend of Grande/Petite Champagne and Fins Bois coming from the mind of Master Blender Alexandre Gabriel of Ferrand. The most unique bottle design in the lineup was definitely Desir. The decanter was shaped like a woman’s body and came with a red dress and hat. Landy also fit well with Snoop Dogg as their crest was that of a greyhound dog. Snoop was said to really resonate with that. Unfortunately, in the early 2020s Landy was discontinued.
If you happen upon a bottle, please consider drinking it how Snoop’s lyrics in “For the Good Times” tells us to: “Get your glass and hold it up tight. Now get you some ice and you’re doing alright.”
D’Ussé
- Celebrity Association: Jay-Z (a.k.a. Shawn Carter)
- Year of Endorsement: 2012
- Cognac House: Château de Cognac
- Master Distiller, Cellar Master, or Blender: Michel Cassavecchia
- Expressions: VSOP, XO, 1969 Anniversaire
Our next celebrity-endorsed cognac is also, arguably, the most successful of them all. In 2012, rapper and entertainment mogul Jay-Z, in partnership with Bacardi, created the brand D’Ussé. Coming from a cognac house that has some of the richest history within the region, Château de Cognac, D’Ussé took off. To date, their best sales year was 2021, with a whopping 640,000 9-liter cases sold in the United States. The success is in no doubt due to the massive appeal of Jay-Z himself.
The bottles have an iconic two-barred cross on both the VSOP and XO, the latter being completely black. This was a great design choice that embraces a new contemporary look with the old traditions of cognac. For Jay-Z’s 50th birthday, the 1969 Anniversaire was released, also in a stunning bottle. The 12-sided crystal diamond-shaped decanter with 24-karat gold foil wrapped around the neck comes from a single barrel distilled in 1969. Only 284 bottles exist. And yes, it’s just as expensive as it sounds.
Even though Jay-Z has made more money than we could imagine from D’Ussé, there have been recent bumps in the road. A well-publicized legal battle between him and Bacardi took center stage. The claim was that Bacardi wasn’t giving an accurate assessment of the value of D’Ussé, and Jay-Z believed certain individuals were trying to “run it into the ground.” There were also claims of racism being the cause of it.
In February 2023, a deal was struck, and Bacardi took majority ownership of the brand (75.01%) after Jay-Z sold them his controlling stock for a cool $750 million. He also resigned a contract with Bacardi to continue working with D’Ussé. Whatever disagreements they had, obviously they came to an agreement and buried the hatchet in some fashion.
Branson
- Celebrity Association: 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson)
- Year of Endorsement: 2018
- Cognac House: Raymond Ragnaud
- Master Distiller, Cellar Master, or Blender: Francoise Ragnuad-Brick
- Expressions: Phantom VS, VSOP, Royal, XO
When 50 Cent came on the scene with his debut album “Get Rich or Die Tryin’,” it should have been clear what his mindset was. He took the music scene by storm, branched out into acting and producing, and of course partnered with brands for endorsements. In 2018, he made the move into cognac with his own personally created brand called Branson. This wasn’t his first venture with spirits, however. His company, Sire Spirits LLC, already had Effen Vodka associated with it.
50 Cent took the same mindset that Ludacris had with Conjure almost 10 years earlier. Not only did he have a say in the flavor profile of the blend, but he also designed the bottles and had a hand in the marketing. Everything in the lineup is 100% Grande Champagne coming from Raymond Ragnaud, who avid cognac drinkers might be familiar with. Before the end of 2023, he was planning on releasing an Hors d’Âge expression with a crystal decanter. As of this writing, it has not been released yet.
Branson received some pretty big heat in 2021 from Big 4 producer Rémy Martin. The claim was that Branson copied their XO bottle design, the round shape with multi-facets inlaid around the edges. So, Rémy sued them over it. While there is definitely a similarity, I would personally side with 50 Cent on this one. Many other brands have rounded decanter-looking bottles for their XO’s, but all of them are different enough to not confuse consumers, in my opinion.
The lawsuit was settled in June 2023. The result? Unclear. The court was asked to keep the settlement under seal. According to TMZ, reps for Martin said they were “pleased to resolve the trademark and patent dispute, and the brand respects 50 Cent’s entry into the cognac market.” 50 Cent and his team have made no comments, though the XO bottle still remains unchanged.
Naud
- Celebrity Association: Jeezy (a.k.a. Jay Jenkins)
- Year of Endorsement: 2021
- Cognac House: Naud
- Master Distiller, Cellar Master, or Blender: Jean-Michelle Naud
- Expressions: VS, VSOP, XO, Extra
Another celebrity who isn’t new to the spirits world is Jeezy. When he helped launch tequila brand Avion many years ago, the brand drastically increased its presence in the US market. Banking on that experience, he partnered with Naud in 2021. While they are no strangers to cognac aficionados, it’s a name that the vast majority of consumers probably hadn’t heard of yet. Jeezy is on record saying that he thought this relationship would be a good fit since Naud is a very forward-thinking brand. In addition to cognac, they also distill vodka and gin and have released a few rums in partnership with a Panamanian distillery.
Jeezy has his work cut out for him, as this is his biggest undertaking yet. While he is no doubt qualified to do the job, he has a lot more riding on this than just being the face of the brand and collecting a check. It seems as though, much like with Avion, he’ll have a direct hand in the marketing and potential partnerships for Naud. However, if they keep winning awards from The Cognac Masters and the International Spirits Challenge, Jeezy should have no problem at all pushing this quality cognac producer.
Nyak
- Celebrity Association: Trina, Young M.A. (a.k.a. Katrina Taylor, Katorah Marrero)
- Year of Endorsement: 2022
- Cognac House: SVE (La Societe des Vins et Eaux-de-vie)
- Master Distiller, Cellar Master, or Blender: Undisclosed
- Expressions: VS, VSOP, Red VSOP, Cinnamon Fiyah, Peach
One of the more recent celebrity endorsements of cognac comes from rapper Trina and Young M.A. in 2022, who partnered with Nyak. Trina was the first to sign on to the brand and has been making music professionally since her debut in 1998. As sales in the USA started shifting from traditional houses to more emerging brands that have a bit of a casual, fun attitude, Nyak was created to meet that demand. Trina not only is one of the faces but also invested in the company. They started with a VS but quickly took a hard turn in a different direction. In January 2023, Nyak released Cinnamon Fiyah and peach-flavored cognac. As the rules in the AOC forbid flavoring, they are labeled as flavored French brandies.
In a press release from Nyak, Trina was quoted saying, “The release of the peach and cinnamon are synonymous with my lifestyle and music–which can be both sweet and spicy–so it’s a great tie-in.” Soon after, Nyak not only announced their next release will be that of a VSOP but also are now in a partnership with Young M.A. Why not have two celebrities instead of one? The business side of it makes total sense. Two highly influential artists with big followings are both repping your brand? That seems like a win-win.
In regards to Young M.A., it seems like a very natural fit for her. She has been singing about enjoying cognac for quite some time. When Nyak reached out to her, it was a quick and easy ‘yes.’ In 2022, Nyak released Red VSOP, a special blend coming from Young M.A. herself. Check out the interview with her from The Daily Campus.
This brand is most likely an unfamiliar name to many of us, as the House of Nyak does not make anything themselves. It’s actually coming from a company called SVE (La Societe des Vins et Eaux-de-vie), which is a contract distiller that also ages products and blends. They don’t just do cognac, but also brandy in general, vodka, gin, and French whiskey. The owners of Nyak are very diverse but certainly not new to the business world. They include the CEO of Detroit Equities, Dennis McKinley; former VP for Rémy Cointreau, Patrick Charpentier; and Jerome Hyafil, a former EVP for Seagram’s.
Le Portier
- Celebrity Association: Shannon Sharpe
- Year of Endorsement: 2022
- Cognac House: Undisclosed
- Master Distiller, Cellar Master, or Blender: Undisclosed
- Expressions: Shay VSOP
Our last celebrity-endorsed cognac is Le Portier. Meaning “gatekeeper” in English, this new brand was established by Jay Bradley of The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. alongside Shannan Sharpe. Sharpe is a former NFL tight end who predominately played for the Denver Broncos and is a 3x Super Bowl Champion. Post-NFL, he commentated on numerous sports broadcasts and created a podcast called ‘Club Shay Shay’ that now has over 1 million subscribers on YouTube alone. With the help of Bradley being the spirits expert, Le Portier was “inspired by the tireless grind of elite athletes; imbued with centuries of Cognac craft.”
There is presently only one expression of Le Portier, the Shay VSOP. Shay is Shannon’s nickname, and it’s a blend of Grande/Petite Champagne and Fins Bois. However, it’s unclear what cognac house is involved and who is actually creating the blend. As with many newer brands, lots of marketing goes behind them, but the facts aren’t always as upfront. According to the Le Portier website, it was created in “a famed cognac house” by an “award-winning team.” Your guess is as good as mine about the producer and the supposed awards. We do know several brands that use a Grande/Petite Champagne and Fins Bois combo in their own expressions, so maybe we can make an educated guess based off that.
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While cognac continues to have its ups and downs between years, having top celebrity names endorsing it certainly doesn’t hurt. All of these brands mentioned have something to offer fans of cognac. Whether it’s the flavor profile, the story behind it, or the culture surrounding it, cognac is no longer just for the older generations and upper class. It’s in the hands of a new generation, entrepreneurs, hustlers, and some of the biggest names in the music and sports industries. Neat, on the rocks, or with a mixer, try out one of these celebrity-endorsed brands and share your thoughts. As Busta Rhymes said, “You can give me whatever, just pass the Courvoisier.”
