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8 Celebrities who moonlight as entrepreneurs in the liquor business

Celebrity endorsements for alcoholic beverages. It's not a new marketing ploy. After all, Woody Allen appeared in Smirnoff vodka ads in the 1960’s. But more and more celebrities are moonlighting as entrepreneurs in the booze businesss.

Here are eight celebrities who have launched their own brands:

Dan Aykroyd, Crystal Head Vodka

The idea for Crystal Head Vodka was conceived by actor and comedian Dan Aykroyd in 2007. Artist John Alexander is co-founder of the business. The vodka is made from Canadian corn and blended with glacial water from the island of St. John in Newfoundland. The liquid is then seven times-filtered, three passes through layers of semi-precious crystals. It’s now available in 25 countries in its skull-shaped bottle.

Sammy Hagar, Cabo Wabo Tequila, Sammy's Beach Bar Rum

In 1990, while lead singer for Van Halen, Sammy Hagar opened Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Hagar rolled out Cabo Wabo Tequila as the house tequila there in 1996. The brand exploded. Hagar sold Cabo Wabo Tequila to Gruppo Campari for a reported $91 million in 2010. Hagar went on to launch Sammy's Beach Bar Rum the next year.

Ludacris, Conjure Cognac

Rapper-actor Ludacris, aka Christopher Bridges, launched Conjure Cognac in 2009 with renowned cognac brand Birkedal Hartmann. The three-time Grammy winner isn’t just the face of the brand; he has a 50% stake in the company and was involved in the blending and development of the cognac.

Justin Timberlake, 901 Tequila

The pop star and actor launched his own tequila business in 2009 after visiting a distillery in Jalisco, Mexico. He named it 901 for the area code in Memphis, Tennessee where he grew up. In January 2014, Timberlake teamed up with Beam Inc.—owners of Jim Beam bourbon and Maker’s Mark whisky—in 2014, and re-launched the brand as part of its Sauza tequila line.

George Clooney, Casamigos Tequila

George Clooney and good friends Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman spent two years developing Casamigos Tequila. The pals reportedly loved tequila so much that they decided to make their own. The Casamigos tequila made its debut in 2013. Loosely translate, the company’s name means “House of Friends.”

Kenny Chesney, Blue Chair Bay Rum

Country star, Kenny Chesney is also trying his hand at the liquor business. He launched Blue Chair Bay Rum in 2013. Chesney has said he decided to go into the rum business specifically because of "love of the island lifestyle." Blue Chair Bay Rum sales have taken off and is now available in six varieties. The brand is the official sponsor of Chesney’s 2015 Big Revival Tour, a 55 show concert series.

Fergie, Ferguson Crest

Ferguson Crest is a boutique winery The Black Eyed Peas singer, Fergie, founded with her father, Pat Ferguson in 2006. It is located in Santa Ynez Valley, California. Fergie says her father "has an extraordinary green thumb" and always enjoyed growing fruits and vegetables with him in her childhood.

Sting and Trudie Styler, Il Palagio

The superstar singer and his wife own a vineyard located less than an hour outside of Florence, Italy. Some of the wines produced there are named after Sting's songs like “Message in a Bottle” and “Sister Moon.” The power couple doesn’t just produce wines though; Il Palagio also sells organic olive oil and honey.

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