Margot Robbie may be riding high on the success of Wuthering Heights, but her gin business suffered a setback this week.
Top bars and pubs in London shunned the actress’s £40 Papa Salt Coastal Gin over fears of a ‘fatal’ reaction to shellfish because it uses oyster shells as a botanical.
Plus, some said, it simply wasn’t very classy to have to ask customers if they ‘are allergic to molluscs’ when they ordered a G&T, as one restaurant manager said: ‘We are dealing with enough at the moment.’
A spokesperson for the Australian actress has since confirmed the gin was being reformulated, with an oyster-free version expected to reach the market by the end of 2026.
But it remains to be seen whether the artisanal gin – intended to transport drinkers to the sandy dunes where Margot grew up – can recover; a hospitality operations specialist says most celebrity brands end up feeling like ‘gimmicks’.
Jonathan Kleeman, who has worked at The Ritz, told the Daily Mail: ‘For the most part, a lot of celebrity brands tend to be gimmicks, you’re just selling to your fans.
‘With a newer celebrity gin, you’re throwing the dice. If you’re running a high-end cocktail bar or a luxury hotel bar, the sales pitch of “Oh, this is X celebrity’s gin’ doesn’t really work.
‘We’re meant to be showcasing the expertise and the quality of the product. It’s like in Michelin-star restaurants: we don’t sell a famous person’s cow; we sell beef from famous farms based on its quality. That is the big difference between the two.’
So, what makes a celebrity gin palatable? We asked a PR expert to give his verdict on whether these A-list brands are classy or tacky…and how they compare to
Aviation American (Ryan Reynolds)
Liquor giant Diageo acquired Ryan Reynolds’s Aviation gin – and its parent company Davos Brands – for $610million in 2020
Ryan bought a stake in this American-style gin in 2018 and has previously compared its flavour to a sunrise.
Liquor giant Diageo acquired Aviation American gin and its parent company Davos Brands for an eyewatering $610million (£460million) two years later – but what’s the verdict? It retails for £29.50.
Since then, there’s been a real surge in celebrity-backed gin, but the difference between the ones that last and the ones that don’t usually comes down to one thing – and that’s whether the brand exists beyond the celebrity, according to brand and PR expert Chad Texeira.
Chad: American Aviation plays into Ryan’s humour, but crucially never makes the product feel like a joke. The packaging is clean and credible, so you’re buying a good gin first, with Ryan’s personality as a bonus rather than the whole story.
Verdict: Classy
Beefeater
The gin was created by James Burrough in 1876
It doesn’t get more quintessentially British than Beefeater – a London dry gin named after the warders that guard the Tower of London. The gin (which retails for £16.50) was created by James Burrough in 1876 and is now owned by Pernod Ricard – but has its appeal stood the test of time?
Jonathan said: ‘Celebrity brands tend to be expensive just to pay for that celebrity attachment, yet a majority of them are actually still made in the exact same places alongside the big names.’
Chad: Beefeater feels unapologetically classic, which works in its favour. The London heritage is doing a lot of the heavy lifting, but the branding still lands as sharp and confident rather than dusty or overly traditional.
Verdict: Classy
Renais Gin (Emma Watson)
Emma Watson and her brother Alexander launched Renais in 2023 and it’s made from unwanted grape skins
Emma Watson joined forces with her younger brother Alex to launch premium gin brand Renais in the UK in 2023. The gin is made from unwanted grape skins at the family’s vineyard in the French wine region of Chablis, and has since expanded to Europe, US, and Australia. At £45 a bottle, the golden-hued gin is expensive – but is it worth the price tag?
Chad: This feels very true to her. The heritage and the stripped-back design lean into something thoughtful and quietly premium rather than trying too hard to shout about itself.
Verdict: Classy
Tanqueray
Tanqueray became known for its timeless recipe that uses four botanicals – juniper, coriander, angelica root, and licorice – to create an instantly recognisable drink
Tanqueray’s green bottle has been synonymous with the spirit for decades.
It was founded by Charles and Edward Tanqueray in 1830 and became known for its timeless recipe that uses four botanicals – juniper, coriander, angelica root, and licorice – to create an instantly recognisable drink. It retails for £23.
Chad: This is one of those brands that feels permanently self-assured. The bottle is iconic, the visual world is consistent, and it gives off that polished, grown-up energy without ever needing to over-explain itself.
Verdict: Classy
The Gardener Gin (Brad Pitt)
In partnership with a former Tanqueray distiller, Brad Pitt launched this gin in 2023. The Gardener is described as ‘French Riviera in a bottle’, and all its ingredients are grown in Antibes. It’s a super premium gin that sells for £55.
Chad: It’s doing what a lot of celebrity brands try to do but rarely pull off, which is making the lifestyle the hero, not the name. It feels like the South of France first, Brad Pitt second, and that’s exactly why it works.
Verdict: Classy
Papa Salt Coastal Gin (Margot Robbie)
It took Margot Robbie and her husband Tom Ackerley, together with friends at a distillery in Byron Bay, six years and 59 recipes to get the formula right
It took Margot Robbie and her husband Tom Ackerley, together with friends at a distillery in Byron Bay, six years and 59 recipes to get the formula right.
In a nod to the Australian actress’s heritage, it contains native plants like wax flower and wattleseed as well as oyster shells.
The £42.50 gin is best served with soda, not tonic.
Chad: There’s an ease to this one. It taps into her Australian roots in a way that feels natural, not manufactured, and the branding lands as cool and considered without trying too hard.
Verdict: Classy
Gordon’s Gin
Gordon’s gin has been a part of British liquor giant Diageo since 1922. It was founded in 1769 by Alexander Gordon, who established his distillery in Southwark, London. It comes in variants such as Lemon Meringue and has been endorsed by a slew of celebrities, including Love Island presenter Maya Jama, most recently – but does that up its cool quotient?
Chad: It has scale and familiarity, but the branding feels much more mass market than aspirational. It’s recognisable, yes, though it doesn’t really carry the same sense of taste, desirability or cultural cachet as the more premium names in the category.
Verdict: Tacky
Diddly Squat Farm Gin (Jeremy Clarkson)
The since-discontinued ‘Hint of Hot’ gin from Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm shop
Jeremy Clarkson launched Diddly Squat Farm Gin with the ‘Hint of Hot’ variant in July 2023.
Such was the excitement around the launch that the Top Gear presenter caught a shoplifter trying to steal cans of his specialty gin from his Diddly Squat farm shop the following month.
The £39.50 gin is served in a tin and is available in four flavours: Maris Otter Malt with Coriander Seed and Fuggles Hops, Orange Peel, Nutmeg, and All Spice, and Juniper, Beetroot, Apple, and Dill.
Chad: This is very personality-led. The name does most of the work, and while that’s great for attention, it does make it feel more like a novelty buy than something you’d go back to for the liquid itself.
Verdict: Tacky
Hendrick’s
Hendrick’s was created in 1999 by Master Distiller Lesley Grace
Hendrick’s Gin is owned by the independent, family-owned Scottish distiller William Grant & Sons, also behind Glenfiddich.
It was created in 1999 by Master Distiller Lesley Grace, who came up with the unique cucumber-rose infusion.
Chad: This is a masterclass in building a world around a product. It’s eccentric, but in a way that feels deliberate and ownable, and the cucumber-and-rose story gives it a distinct identity people instantly recognise.
Verdict: Classy
Cygnet Gin – Katherine Jenkins
Cygnet Gin was ‘designed to appeal to women’
Founded by Welsh mezzo soprano Katherine Jenkins in 2022, Cygnet Gin was ‘designed to appeal to women’, according to the website.
Celebrating the release of the spirit, Katherine threw a party at the Rosewood Hotel in London in March 2023, when the opera singer revealed the Cygnet 22 variant has a ‘secret ingredient’ – Manuka honey.
Chad: It leans properly into luxury. The black and gold bottle, the overall feel, it’s clearly designed to be gifted and displayed, which fits neatly with her more refined image.
Verdict: Classy
Bombay Sapphire
The traditional method of extracting botanical flavours is to boil them in the base spirit; but Bombay Sapphire uses the vapour infusion process
This world-renowned premium gin is instantly recognisable by the vibrant blue bottle.
The traditional method of extracting botanical flavours is to boil them in the base spirit; but Bombay Sapphire uses the vapour infusion process. Botanicals are placed in perforated copper baskets; when the spirit vapour rises, it captures the flavours, giving a lighter gin.
Chad: It’s sleek, widely recognised and still manages to feel premium at scale. The blue bottle has become such a strong asset for the brand because it instantly signals a certain kind of modern, design-led sophistication.
Verdict: Classy
Still G.I.N. By Dr Dre
The duo recently teamed up with Martha Stewart to create signature recipes
Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg joined forces to create a gin that’s actually not supposed to be had with tonic at all.
Instead, they recommend sipping it neat or on the rocks because it’s been vacuum distilled for a smoother taste. Alternatively, the super premium gin (£38) is great in cocktails; the duo recently teamed up with Martha Stewart to create signature recipes.
Chad: It feels more like a brand extension than a product with its own identity. The name’s clever, but beyond that there’s not a huge amount pulling you into the story of the gin itself.
Verdict: Tacky
James Gin by James May
James’s brand has four flavours: American Mustard, Asian Parsnip, London Drizzle, and California Dreamgin’
James May said his gin isn’t a ‘cynical branding exercise’ as he explained making ‘some gin on TV’ once led to him starting the brand. He works with Hugh Anderson, a former soldier turned Master Distiller, to create innovative flavoured gin.
Hugh, described by James as the ‘Willy Wonka of gin flavours’ after he created variants like American Mustard, Asian Parsnip, London Drizzle, and California Dreamgin’.
Chad: It is slightly gimmicky with those flavours. It feels like genuine curiosity and a bit of fun, which actually gives it more credibility, not less but the flavours aren’t selling.
Verdict: Tacky
Monkey 47
The complex recipe, which uses 47 botanicals, was inspired by RAF officer RAF officer Montgomery Collins’s childhood in India
Monkey 47 was founded in the Black Forest region of Germany by RAF officer Montgomery Collins in the 1950s.
The complex recipe, which uses 47 botanicals, was inspired by his childhood in India. The premium gin brand is now part of Pernod Ricardo’s drinks portfolio.
Chad: This feels niche in the wrong way. Everything from the Black Forest story to the visual identity and the complexity of the liquid gives it that connoisseur appeal gone wrong, it comes across as performatively premium.
Verdict: Tacky
Harmony Gin (Woody Harrelson)
The actor co-founded Holistic Spirits that sells a specialty vodka and Harmony Gin
The Now You See Me actor co-founded Holistic Spirits with entrepreneur Amy Holmwood and the brand blends ‘science, nature, and artisanal distillation’ to create spirits that ‘elevate the palate and the planet’. The sustainable drinks brand has two offerings: a specialty vodka and Harmony Gin.
It is distilled with botanicals like coriander seed, hyssop, green tea, lemon peel, lime peel, elderberry, angelica root, juniper berry, and artichoke.
Chad: The sustainability angle feels believable because it lines up with who he is. It’s not overplayed, just quietly there, which makes it land much better than if it was pushed too hard.
Verdict: Classy
The Botanist
Chad says The Botanist feels ‘thoughtful, modern and properly premium’
The Botanist – distilled on the Hebridean island of Islay – contains 22 foraged herbs and flowers, including lady’s bedstraw, bog myrtle and bitter tansy. It was founded in 2010 by former Bruichladdich Head Distiller, Jim McEwan, and distillery manager Duncan McGillivray and botanists Richard and Mavis Gulliver. It is owned by Rémy Cointreau and sells for £35.99.
Chad: It leans heavily into place and provenance, but does it beautifully. The Islay story, the foraged botanicals and the more elevated natural aesthetic make it feel thoughtful, modern and properly premium.
Verdict: Classy
Final thoughts…
According to Chad, the strongest examples of celebrity-backed gins ‘feel like a natural extension of the person behind them, with a clear point of view, considered design and a product that can stand on its own’.
Meanwhile, the weaker ones tend to ‘lean too heavily on name recognition’, which might drive initial sales, but rarely builds long-term credibility.
‘In a crowded market, consumers are getting much better at spotting the difference.’
