‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Star Matthew Lillard Teases Horror-Themed Tequila — Here’s What We Know So Far

Matthew Lillard

(Photo: Find Familiar Spirits)

Forbes reported on Thursday that Matthew Lillard, famous for his acting roles in “Five Nights at Freddy’s”, “Scream” and “Scooby-Doo,” is setting to work on a horror-themed tequila imprint dubbed Macabre Spirits.

It’s the latest from an actor who’s made a business of fusing genre and liquor. Last year, Lillard joined forces with screenwriter Justin Ware for the launch of Quest’s End, a Dungeons and Dragons-inspired whiskey brand. The theming was elaborately on-point; visitors to the brand’s website are asked not only for age verification but also for their fantasy species (we opted for half-elf). Its blended bourbons strike a similar vein, paying homage to D&D classes like the Paladin, Warlock and Rogue.

Macabre — the latest venture under Lillard’s Find Familiar Spirits umbrella — once again aims to distill geekdom into sippable form.

Lillard teased this tequila launch in an April interview with Bottle Raiders.

Matthew Lillard

Matthew Lillard is seen at the Comic-Con Fan Expo at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Rosemont, Ill. (Photo: Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP)

Though details are scarce on the tequila itself, the brand will reportedly launch with a limited-edition reposado in early 2025. According to Tequila Matchmaker, Macabre is distilled at Destiladora Los Magos in Jalisco, Mexico. Other spirits produced under the same roof include 916 Tequila, Cava Antigua and El Bastón del Rey.

The package comes complete with a literary surprise. Acclaimed horror director Mike Flanagan, known for his work on “The Haunting of Hill House” and “Midnight Mass,” has been tapped to write a 70-page novella that’ll accompany the release. Details on the plot, titled “Rare, Fine and Limited,” remain a mystery.

Lillard says that other horror writers will be recruited for future editions of Macabre.

“Well, who do we start with?’ A modern master like Mike Flanagan was top of our list,” Lillard told Forbes. “I asked him as a friend and gave him a million ways to say no, and to our absolute delight, he jumped in with us. He loved the idea. Rae, Fine and Limited is his first novella. Mike has never published a short story before. We expected 5,000 to 10,000 words, and it came in much longer than that because he got in there, and the story just exploded.”

Preorders for the release will open on October 24th, with the first 5,000 bottles numbered for collectability. For more information, find the Macabre website here.

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Pedro Wolfe is an editor and content creator at The Daily Pour with a specialty in agave spirits. With several years of experience writing for the New York Daily News and the Foothills Business Daily under his belt, Pedro aims to combine quality reviews and recipes with incisive articles on the cutting edge of the spirits world. Pedro has traveled to the heartland of the spirits industry in Tequila, Mexico, and has conducted interviews with agave spirits veterans throughout Mexico, South Africa and California. Through this diverse approach, The Daily Pour aims to celebrate not only tequila but the rich tapestry of agave spirits that spans mezcal, raicilla, bacanora, pulque and so much more.