George Clooney Scores $15 Million Investment in Nonalcoholic Beer Brand

(Photo: Crazy Mountain)

George Clooney, Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman — the A-list trio behind Casamigos Tequila — have scored a major investment deal in their recently announced nonalcoholic beer venture, Crazy Mountain.

Last week, it was announced that CAVU Consumer Partners will lead a $15 million seed investment in the up-and-coming brew. The deal signals an eight-figure show of confidence from one of the most prolific beverage investment firms in the industry. Founded in 2015 by Rohan Oza and Brett Thomas, CAVU’s varied portfolio includes stakes in Oatly, Beyond Meat, WhistlePig Whiskey, Guayaki Yerba Mate and Health-Ade Kombucha.

The firm — or at least, one of its founders — has a knack for synergistic celebrity endorsements. Oza is widely credited with revitalizing Sprite soda in 1997 by signing Kobe Bryant as a brand ambassador. He later had a recurring guest judge stint on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” in which he made a 25% equity investment in what would eventually become Poppi soda.

“At CAVU, we look for opportunities where cultural shifts intersect with strong founding vision and category potential. Moderation is not a fad– it’s a durable change in behavior,” co-founder Brett Thomas said in a statement. “The brands that will win are those built around authentic founding vision and genuine product conviction. Crazy Mountain is just that.”

Following months of rumors within the beverage industry, Crazy Mountain was officially announced at the beginning of March. The Wild West-inspired lager is brewed with a proprietary strain of maltose-negative yeast that the brand says yields a fuller body and lower environmental impact. Available in Original and Lime flavors, each can clocks in at 65 calories and contains less than 0.5% ABV.

The announcement comes nearly a decade and a half after Clooney, Gerber and Meldman debuted Casamigos, an early icon of the now-prolific celebrity tequila category. Following a string of early successes, the brand was sold to British spirits firm Diageo for $1 billion — a figure that singlehandedly kicked off the celebrity agave spirits craze as we know it today.

“We’ve spent years understanding what makes a brand resonate at scale. We believe the category is ready for something built around real beer culture, and that’s exactly what we’ve set out to create,” Meldman added.