‘I’m Not Here to Get Drunk. I’m Here to Get Money’: Why Snoop Dogg — And Some of Your Favorite Celebs — Don’t Drink Their Own Alcohol Brands

Rapper Snoop Dogg is on stage during a concert at Lanxess Arena. (Photo: Henning Kaiser/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

During an interview with Tiffany Hadish, Snoop Dogg admitted that he doesn’t drink any of the alcohol brands he’s professionally associated with.

Over the years, the rapper-turned-business mogul has hopped on the alcohol craze with releases like Indoggo Gin and 19 Crimes Wine alongside endorsements for Happy Dad Hard Seltzer and St. Ides Beer. Though his recent comments might ring disingenuous, the sentiment reflects a larger, often unsaid critique of the celebrity alcohol industry.

“What’s so cold is — they know it, and I can say it publicly — I don’t drink none of that shit,” said Snoop. “And they know what it is […] You don’t pay me to drink it, you pay me to promote it. So, I’m not here to get drunk. I’m here to get money.”

Anyone familiar with Snoop Dogg’s career trajectory probably won’t be surprised by his blase attitude toward investments; over the years, the self-fashioned renaissance man has poured money into Reddit stock, NFTs, videogames, cannabis-infused tortilla chips, cereal and his very own pet wear line (Snoop Doggie Doggs).

It would likely take Snoop Dogg over a decade to personally use every product he’s stamped his name onto. For many industry insiders, however, it might feel like Snoop said the quiet part loud.

The debate over “authentic” celebrity brands is impossible to resolve — after all, how could we ever know if Kendall Jenner actually enjoys 818 Tequila or if Ryan Reynolds even drinks gin?

Amidst the avalanche of branded endorsements, some brands catch flack more than others. Jennifer Lopez and Blake Lively — each of whom publicly maintains sobriety — recently drew ire from the Internet after the launch of their respective pre-mixed cocktail brands, House of Delola and Betty Booze.

Former Real Housewife Bethenny Frankel, who herself ventured into the industry with the release of Skinnygirl Margarita in 2009, had some choice words about the highs and lows of believability.

“Some succeeded because of the authenticity of the connection to the brand. George Clooney and Rande Gerber — you believe that they were really on those motorcycles in Mexico and that they would really drink that tequila,” said Frankel in a widely circulated TikTok.

“There’s a lack of believability with J-Lo and Blake Lively in that they’re really naturally connected to these brands. It feels to people like it’s something they did just to grab the bag — because there is a bag to be had in the cocktail space.”

“A bag” indeed. Brands like Casamigos, Aviation Gin and Ciroc Vodka have raked in billions for their celebrity sponsors, inspiring a seemingly endless cycle of star-studded alcohol ventures bustling for our attention on liquor store shelves.

At some point, we must ask: does it even matter if Snoop Dogg likes it?

Read More:

‘Big Alcohol’-Funded Lobbying Group Pushes for Illegal Cannabis Crackdown

6 Spice-Forward Tequilas for Cozy Fall Sipping in 2023

Breaking Backfield: Bryan Cranston’s Dos Hombres Mezcal Announces Partnership with LA Rams 

Here at Tequila Raiders, we do more than write about current events in tequila. We are the only media property reviewing tequilas and aggregating the scores and reviews of other significant voices in the tequila world in one place. If you’re interested in getting a shot of tequila in your morning email, sign up for our Deal of the Day newsletter