I tried celeb booze brands from Kylie Minogue’s £11 rose to Beckham’s whisky- here’s who you should be investing in
DESPITE having lucrative careers in the spotlight, it seems every celeb is dabbling in the alcohol industry.
From football hero David Beckham, to funny man Graham Norton and even Take That‘s Gary Barlow, they all seem eager to top their wallets up with the help of booze.
But developing a good quality spirit or wine isn’t just about slapping a celebrity name on the bottle, yes your mum might like Take That, but that doesn’t mean Gary Barlow’s organic wine is going to win her over.
And it’s not just UK celebs who are entering the pool of drink making, George Clooney, Kendall Jenner and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson all dabble in the tequila industry alone.
While rapper Snoop Dogg and actress Angelina Jolie have made big bucks making their own wines, with the latter’s vineyard now worth £127 million.
As someone who worked in the hospitality sector for years and a renowned wine and cocktail drinker, I decided to put these UK celebrity drinks to the test and see if they really are worth the hype.
Gary Barlow’s Organic Wine
- £8
- 12% ABV
The Take That star revealed he has always had a love for wines so it only made sense for him to launch his own range in 2021.
Gary Barlow’s collection has five different wines all produced using organic methods to grow the grape, and are all a reasonable £8 a bottle and can be bought in Asda.
I tried the organic white wine – a blend of grapes from Spain which had a lemon aroma on the nose.
For me there wasn’t many more flavours I was getting from the wine, it was sweeter than what I usually go for so it wasn’t my favourite.
- Taste: 4/10
- Value: 6/10
- Overall score: 10/20
Kylie Minogue’s Sparkling Rose
- £11
- 11% ABV
Kylie has dominated the celebrity booze world for years, releasing her first back in 2020 and becoming a cult-favourite.
While the Australian singer isn’t technically British, she’s basically been adopted by us for decades so we’re including her.
The 56-year-old has also added some bubbles to the mix with her prosecco rose which I was dying to try and can be bought from Sainsbury’s.
How to save money buying alcohol
Alcohol can be pricey if you’re planning a party or hosting an event but there are ways to cut costs.
It’s always important to drink responsibly, here, Sun Savers Editor Lana Clements share some tips on getting booze for the best price.
Stocking up can mean big savings on drinks, especially if you want to buy wine or fizz.
The big supermarkets regularly offer discounts of 25% when you buy six or more bottles of wine. The promotions typically run in the lead up to occasions such as Bank Holidays, Christmas and Easter.
If you know you are going to need booze later in the year, it can be worth acting when you see offers.
Before buying your preferred drink make sure you shop around to find the best price – you can use a comparison site such as pricerunner.com or trolley.co.uk.
Don’t forget that loyalty cards can unlock better savings so make sure you factor that in too.
If you like your plonk, wine clubs can also be a good way to save money and try new varieties. You’ll usually have to pay a membership fee in return for cheaper price so work out if you will be buying enough to make the one off cost worthwhile.
You immediately got a hit of strawberry and I was concerned it’d be too sweet for me but I was pleasantly surprised.
The Prosecco Rosé has become the UK’s favourite and it’s so easy to see why.
The flavour is really strong and reminded me of strawberries and cream but was balanced enough so it wasn’t sickly.
The bubbles of the prosecco were particularly small giving it a great fizz as well.
- Taste: 9/10
- Value: 7/10
- Overall score: 16/20
Graham Norton’s Sauvignon Blanc
- £8.75
- 11% ABV
The chat show superstar has a way of putting guests at ease for a light-hearted conversation, and his Sauvignon Blanc perfectly encapsulates that.
I can find this particular wine to be too aromatic but this went down smoothly and had hints of citrus and with a crisp apple finish.
This is the type of wine you want to drink on a summer evening having a catch up with a group of friends.
- Taste: 7/10
- Value: 6/10
- Overall score: 13/20
David Beckham’s Whiskey
- £29
- 40% ABV
David Beckham has made it clear he loves to keep busy since his record-breaking football career ended and began collaborating with Haig Club whisky back in 2014.
This single grain scotch whisky is super light on the palette and in colour compared to other whiskys I’ve tried.
While I’m not sure about drinking it straight – the sweet vanilla and orange flavours would make the perfect Whisky Sour for an after dinner drink.
- Taste: 7/10
- Value: 6/10
- Overall score: 13/20
Kylie Minogue’s Provence Rose
- £16
- 12.5% ABV
As we have already established, Kylie is well known for her rose brand and I was excited to see her new fancier Côtes de Provence Rosé.
The region located in the South of France is well known for it’s pale golden wines and Kylie’s didn’t disapooint.
It had lots of citrus flavour along with crisp raspberries making it a delight to drink.
As much as I enjoyed it, I think you can get very similar ones like Aldi’s Chassaux Et Fils Atlantique which is more than half the price at £6.99.
- Taste: 6/10
- Value: 6/10
- Overall score: 12/20
