The Four Hundred: The Celebrity Buzz
D’USSÉ Cognac
Time inside has got people clamoring for a taste of something new—a taste of the high life.
From Martha Stewart to Post Malone to P. Diddy, our favorite celebrities are endorsing an unorthodox line of high-end products that the likes of everyone could fancy.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, alcohol sales rose dramatically with a 262% increase in 2020 compared to sales in 2019.
Celebrities have taken hold of that increase and diversified their range from TVs and radios to liquor cabinets and Weedmap menus.
Ciroc vodka, invested in by Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs, has made millions since its initial promotion by Combs and continues to sell unique flavors such as red berry, coconut, and mango.
Rapper and mogul Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter founded D’USSÉ Cognac, a luxury liquor brand conceived in one of the oldest Cognac houses in France, has a net worth of $100 million.
And the popular brands continue to see endorsement through other artists’ music like rapper Megan Thee Stallion in her song “Captain Hook,” “Drinking D’USSÉ out the motherf*ckin’ bottle” or rapper Rick Ross in his song “Touch’N’You,” “Another bottle of Ciroc, baby let’s have a toast.”
Lesser known but newer alcohol brand releases are gaining traction during the pandemic, with many actors and artists claiming their own luxury spirits and fans are wanting a taste of the celebrity lifestyle.
In March 2020, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Post Malone released “Maison No. 9,” a French rosé, an unexpected choice for the hard-hitting, emo-rap star. However, like many artists striving for versatility in their music, Post Malone seems to challenge the view of rosé to be a feminine drink by promoting it against a classy, gentlemen’s aesthetic through its Instagram.
That is also similar to Bay Area-based rapper E-40 who’s series of “Earl Stevens” Moscato wines gained popularity for its inverse profile to the standard Moscato.
Though Moscato is known for its light, dessert-type profile with low alcohol content, E-40 decided to flip it on its head by creating tropical-flavored wines boasting an alcohol content of 18%.
Hip-hop recording artist Travis Scott recently took advantage of the popularity of hard seltzers and released “Cacti,” an agave-spiked seltzer with a higher alcohol content of 7% as compared to its competitors with a 5% alcohol content.
The recent release had many fans rushing to stores to grab the trending drink, with its sleek can labeled with the “Cacti” logo that plays off of his infamous record label named “Cactus Jack.” He went further to promote the drink with exclusive merchandise that sold out almost instantly.
And just like with alcohol, marijuana sales sky-rocketed once the public was told to stay put and cease regular operation last March.
According to Leafly, a cannabis information website, cannabis sales went up 71% since 2019, despite the industry believing it would go downhill at the start of the pandemic.
Instead, government officials decided to keep dispensaries open for medical patients only, then transitioned to serving recreational and medical, allowing cannabis workers to operate and receive the COVID-19 vaccine as healthcare workers.
While the legalizing of marijuana has garnered criticism, many celebrities capitalized on the nascent industry by releasing their own exclusive brands.
Well-known actor and infamous ‘pot-head Seth Rogan shared his love for his new pandemic hobby of ceramics and, specifically, creating ashtrays.
He later announced in March 2021 the debut of his new company, “Houseplant,” a combination of a pottery store and cannabis line.
The store aims to present cannabis as a relaxation tool in the home, much like an aromatic candle. Houseplant offers a vinyl record set to pair with the different strains it provides, so consumers can enjoy their flower with beats explicitly chosen to match the mood it gives.
Houseplant is exclusively a delivery service at the moment, but Rogan hopes to grow the business much like his other cannabis-connoisseur comrades whose products are already seen in dispensaries around the country.
Rappers Wiz Khalifa, Jay-Z, and Snoop Dogg all own their own cannabis lines and strains, offering various products such as cannabis concentrates, flower, vape cartridges, and pre-rolled joints.
Their brands, Khalifa Kush, Monogram, and Leafs by Snoop, all embody their own styles and tastes, showing unique designs that give each brand a personal touch to whoever consumes it.
And while marijuana might be seen to go hand-in-hand with hip-hop culture and rappers, many other celebrities have their hand in the booming industry with an eclectic crowd of consumers ready to support their favorite idols.
Businesswoman and Food Network host Martha Stewart carries her own line of CBD products, or cannabidiol, a type of marijuana strain used to treat anxiety, nausea and other ailments without giving people a head high.
Clinical research published by Neurotherapeutics suggests that CBD has a strong potential to be a treatment for anxiety without inducing or increasing any baseline anxiety levels while helping patients with social anxiety disorder.
Cannabidiol also has protective aspects to work against the negative effects that THC can cause, including cravings, memory loss and psychotic symptoms.
With CBD cannabis therapy gaining popularity amongst a larger crowd, Martha Stewart has taken the long-stigmatized industry and created a line for the more conservative crowd she usually caters to.
Her brand, “Canopy,” offers a large selection of products varying from gummies and oils to beverages and CBD for pets.
I’m very interested in what is new and what is happening,” she told the New York Times in an interview. “Like, I have an electric car. I have a Tesla. I adopted the computer before most of my friends — in 1982, I bought my first IBM. I’m an early adopter of a lot of things. That keeps you very on your toes; it keeps you extremely avant-garde, it keeps you current. I want to be current.”
And staying current is precisely what is pushing many of these celebrities to make their cannabis and liquor mainstream and trending. Hence, the next time you’re thinking about indulging in some weekend fun, know that a celebrity approves that message.