Raising a Glass: A Restaurant Guide to Black-Owned Wines & Spirits

There is a rich and growing world of Black-owned and Black-led wines and spirits waiting to be discovered. From Kentucky bourbon and California wine to Caribbean rum, French vodka, African agave, tequila, cognac, and Champagne, these brands represent far more than what is in the bottle—they reflect creativity, entrepreneurship, heritage, and ownership.

For restaurants and their guests, exploring these brands offers an opportunity to discover new favorites while learning about the people behind them. Some were created by household names from music, film, television, and professional sports, while others were built by entrepreneurs whose names may be less familiar but whose contributions to the beverage industry are just as significant.

Here is a closer look at the founders, owners, and creators behind a selection of Black-owned and Black-led wine and spirits brands.

Raising a glass to black owned wine & spirits

Celebrity Led Brands

Black Irish — Mariah Carey

Black Irish is an Irish cream liqueur brand founded by singer Mariah Carey. The brand offers its original expression along with flavored varieties such as salted caramel. It represents Carey's entry into the premium spirits category while combining her personal brand with a classic liqueur style.

BSB Brown Sugar Bourbon was created by actor, musician, and entertainer Jamie Foxx. Inspired by Foxx's philosophy of bringing people together and celebrating life's moments, the bourbon has a distinctly approachable personality. At 35% ABV, it combines American-made whiskey with brown sugar and cinnamon for a sweeter, distinctive profile.

Brandy by Brandy was created by R&B singer Brandy Norwood in partnership with Stella Rosa Wines. The collaboration launched Stella Rosa Premium Imported Brandy in 2022, marking the company's first imported brandy. It is a natural extension of Norwood's identity as an acclaimed artist into a spirit category that shares her name.

Cali by Snoop is Snoop Dogg's wine collaboration with the Australian-rooted 19 Crimes brand. The collection focuses on accessible, fruit-forward California wines and gives consumers an opportunity to experience a wine line connected to one of hip-hop's most recognizable personalities. The brand extends Snoop's entertainment identity into wine while maintaining a casual and approachable feel.

Courage + Stone was created by actress, comedian, director, and cocktail enthusiast Aisha Tyler in partnership with beverage entrepreneur David Kanbar. The brand reflects Tyler's interest in cocktails and her transition into beverage entrepreneurship. Kanbar's experience in the spirits industry adds another layer of expertise to the partnership.

D'USSÉ Cognac is jointly owned by Bacardi and rapper and entrepreneur Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter. According to the source material, Bacardi holds the majority stake while Jay-Z maintains a significant minority ownership position. The brand is a notable example of the intersection between celebrity entrepreneurship and the luxury cognac market.

Earl Stevens Selections is the wine brand associated with rapper and entrepreneur E-40. The portfolio includes table wines, moscatos, and other selections. It represents another example of an artist extending his entrepreneurial reach from music into the beverage industry.

Gran Coramino was co-created by actor and comedian Kevin Hart alongside master tequilero Juan Domingo Beckmann. The lineup includes Reposado, Añejo, and Cristalino expressions. Hart brings his entertainment platform to the category, while the partnership adds established tequila-making expertise.

Housley Napa Valley is the wine brand associated with actress and television personality Tamera Mowry-Housley. It is described as a boutique family winery located in California. The brand combines Mowry-Housley's celebrity profile with a family-oriented Napa Valley wine identity.

Indoggo Gin was founded by hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg in partnership with spirits veteran Keenan Towns. The gin was inspired by Snoop's 1994 hit “Gin and Juice.” The result is a spirits brand that connects the artist's cultural legacy directly to one of the most recognizable cocktails in popular culture.

Intercept is the wine portfolio associated with NFL Hall of Famer Charles Woodson. The collection is centered in Paso Robles and represents Woodson's move from professional football into wine entrepreneurship. It gives the former athlete a presence in California's established wine industry.

Kazaisu Rosé was created by singer Deborah Cox during the pandemic. Cox developed the brand around themes of community, connection, celebration, and memories tied to people and places she values. The wine is positioned as organic and designed to evoke a sense of shared experience.

Le Chemin du Roi is a Champagne brand associated with rapper, producer, and entrepreneur 50 Cent. The collection includes chardonnay, brut, rosé, and blanc de blancs offerings. The brand demonstrates his expansion beyond music and entertainment into the luxury wine and Champagne market.

LVE Collection is the wine brand associated with singer John Legend. The portfolio includes classic wines such as cabernet sauvignon along with a signature French rosé. The collection combines Legend's global entertainment profile with a more traditional premium-wine presentation.

Margalicious Margarita was created by actress Rosario Dawson with fellow actresses and friends Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Benson. The ready-to-drink cocktail launched in 2022 and features bright agave and crisp, citrus-forward notes. Its playful branding and portable format are designed around casual celebration and connection.

MianU Wines is the wine label associated with actress and filmmaker Regina King. The collection is described as a tribute label featuring signature orange wine blends. It represents King's entry into the wine industry through a distinctive style rather than a conventional mainstream wine portfolio.

Sable is a bourbon brand created by members of the cast and creative team behind The Best Man, including Morris Chestnut, Malcolm D. Lee, Taye Diggs, and Harold Perrineau. The brand draws on their shared connection and cultural legacy. Its bourbon is described as deep golden-brown, with aromas of burnt sugar, pear compote, allspice, and nutty marzipan.

SirDavis Whisky was founded by global music superstar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. The American whisky is finished, blended, and bottled in Texas. The brand represents Beyoncé's expansion into spirits and adds a luxury whisky offering to her broader entrepreneurial portfolio.

St. Royale Vodka was founded by actress Meagan Good. The brand is positioned as a premium vodka with a smooth-tasting profile. Its identity combines an upscale spirits presentation with Good's presence as an entertainment and lifestyle entrepreneur.

Sun Goddess Wines is an Italian-sourced wine collaboration associated with singer Mary J. Blige. The collection includes pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc. The brand brings Blige's distinctive artistic identity into the wine category through a partnership centered on Italian wines.

Ten-To-One Rum is co-owned and led by singer Ciara and offers Caribbean-heritage white and dark rums. The brand focuses on premium expressions connected to Caribbean rum traditions. Ciara's involvement brings a powerful cultural and entertainment platform to a category deeply rooted in Caribbean heritage.

VII(N) The Seventh Estate is a luxury wine label associated with Carmelo Anthony and Asani Swann. The brand focuses on fine French wines and sits at the premium end of the category. Their partnership combines Anthony's sports and entrepreneurial profile with a luxury-oriented wine concept.

Viarae Prosecco is the sparkling wine brand associated with actress, writer, producer, and entrepreneur Issa Rae. The prosecco is positioned as a crisp, celebratory Italian offering. The brand extends Rae's creative and entrepreneurial work into a beverage designed for celebrations and social occasions.

Wade Cellars is the wine brand associated with NBA legend Dwyane Wade. The portfolio features wines from Napa Valley along with Chenin Blanc. The brand represents Wade's transition from professional basketball into wine ownership and entrepreneurship.

Whoopi Prosecco was developed by award-winning actress and comedian Whoopi Goldberg over a three-year period. The brand launched initially in late 2022 before expanding nationally. It was created to bring a personal, premium sparkling wine to consumers while drawing on Goldberg's longstanding entertainment career.

The Entrepreneurs Behind the Bottle

Celebrity names may attract attention, but some of the most compelling stories in Black-owned wine and spirits come from entrepreneurs who built their brands from the ground up. These founders include distillers, former investment professionals, mixologists, veterans, wine executives, and longtime friends who saw an opportunity to create something of their own.

Anteel Tequila was co-founded in 2017 by husband-and-wife entrepreneurs Nayana Ferguson and Don Ferguson. Nayana Ferguson is identified as the first Black woman to co-own and lead a commercial tequila brand. The tequila has earned more than 100 awards and is positioned around premium quality and complex flavor.

Black Girl Magic Wines was founded by half-sisters Robin McBride and Andréa McBride John. The brand is part of the McBride Sisters Collection, described as the largest Black-owned and woman-founded wine company in the United States. Their work has helped create a significant platform for Black women in the wine industry.

Blackleaf Organic Vodka was co-founded by Kevin Larkai and Monté Burrow and is described as a pioneering Black-owned French organic spirits brand. Larkai developed the concept after meeting a master distiller while vacationing in Cognac, France. Burrow later joined as co-founder, bringing extensive experience from the global spirits industry.

Black Momma Vodka was founded by Vanessa Braxton, identified in the source material as one of the few Black women holding a Master Distiller title in the United States. The brand operates from a New Jersey distillery and is positioned as a serious craft-vodka competitor. Braxton's story highlights the growing role of Black women in distilling and spirits production.

Brough Brothers Bourbon was founded by brothers Victor Yarbrough and Bryson Yarbrough. The brothers made history by opening the first Black-owned distillery licensed to produce bourbon in Kentucky. Their brand combines a landmark place in Kentucky bourbon history with a product designed to carry that legacy forward.

Daphane Limoncello was co-founded by best friends Daphane Carter and Taia Rashid under their parent company, Kashid Beverages. The brand is described as the first Black women-owned citrus-based liqueur brand in the United States. Its identity is built around citrus, friendship, and the founders' entrepreneurial partnership.

Den of Thieves was founded by Jason Armstrong, a former bartender and wine importer who launched the brand in Brooklyn in 2020. Armstrong is the grandson of a Georgia bootlegger, and that family history helped inspire the brand. Jazz and Prohibition-era moonshiner culture also contribute to its identity.

Duke & Dame Whiskey was founded by Amani Macaulay and Chima Burey, who conceived the idea during a 2017 dinner conversation. Macaulay previously worked as an investment banker, while Burey was an international trade advisor. The brand officially launched in 2018 and is based in the Pembroke Pines/Miami area of Florida.

Du Nord Social Spirits was founded by Chris Montana in Minneapolis. During the 2020 protests, the distillery became a mutual-aid hub, giving the company a role that extended beyond producing spirits. Its portfolio includes apple liqueur, coffee liqueur, and vodka, with the brand emphasizing both quality and community impact.

FLŌH Vodka was established by Cleveland native and entrepreneur Jacques Evans in 2012. The brand is positioned as an ultra-premium spirits company. Evans' work places the brand within the growing independent Black-owned vodka movement.

FOU-DRÉ Vodka was founded and is owned by Chanel Turner, who launched the brand in 2009 at age 25. According to the source material, Turner became the youngest individual and first African American woman to own and operate a vodka brand when she started the company. The brand carries a strong entrepreneurial and trailblazing identity within the spirits industry.

HH Bespoke Spirits was founded in 2018 by Sharene “Shay” Wood and her family. Wood serves as President and CEO, and the spirits company was created as a lifestyle extension of Harlem Haberdashery and the custom design house 5001 FLAVORS. The brand connects spirits, fashion, design, and the family's Harlem-based entrepreneurial heritage.

IBest Wines was founded by Ingrid Best, a veteran wine and spirits executive with more than 20 years of industry experience. She launched the brand in late 2023. Its portfolio features award-winning red and white blends sourced from Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Loft & Bear was founded and is owned by Paul Ryan Elliott. The Los Angeles-based artisanal spirits brand launched between 2012 and 2014 and is described as Los Angeles' first Black-owned distillery. The brand emphasizes independent production and premium-quality vodka.

Majesty Bourbon was founded by entrepreneur Jonathan Gillard through the Posh Beverage Company in Georgia. The brand is positioned as a proudly Black-owned premium bourbon. Its focus is on bringing a premium bourbon identity to an increasingly diverse American whiskey market.

Redd Rose Vodka was founded by mixologist and entrepreneur Taylor Redd. The strawberry-lemon flavored vodka was named in honor of her grandmother, Rose Redd. The brand combines a fruit-forward spirit profile with a personal family story at its core.

Revel Spirits was founded by Micah McFarlane, a Los Angeles-based entertainment executive who was born in Minnesota and raised in Mexico. His background spans multiple cultures and industries. The source material identifies him as the founder but does not provide additional details about the brand's individual spirit offerings.

Sango African Agave is described as an award-winning, additive-free, handcrafted 100% agave spirit. It is made with African agave varieties, including Agave Americana and Agave Salmiana, harvested in South Africa. The spirit is distilled in KwaZulu-Natal, in the heart of the Zulu Nation, giving the product a distinctive African point of origin.

Shadow Ridge Spirits Company was founded by husband and wife Sean Hallman and Lisa Ireland. Hallman is a Navy veteran and former surface warfare officer who serves as the company's head distiller. The company reflects the founders' partnership while bringing Hallman's military and technical background into craft spirits production.

Tequila with Friends was founded in Texas in 2018 by lifelong friends Brandon Scott, Roddrick West, Curnelius Arnick, and Devin Woodson. Scott serves as CEO. The brand is built around friendship and shared ownership, with the founders bringing their long-standing personal relationship into the tequila business.

Uncle Nearest is presented as one of the most notable Black-owned whiskey brands. Its name honors Nathan “Nearest” Green, who is described as having taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey in the mid-1800s. Fawn Weaver founded the company, while Nathan Green's great-great-granddaughter, Victoria Eady Butler, serves as master blender.

More Than a Drink

What makes these brands especially compelling is the range of stories behind them. Some began with a celebrity looking for a new entrepreneurial venture; others grew from family traditions, friendships, professional experience, or a desire to see greater representation in an industry that has not always reflected the diversity of its consumers.

From Black Momma Vodka and Brough Brothers Bourbon to Black Girl Magic Wines and Anteel Tequila, these companies are helping reshape the beverage landscape. Brands such as Du Nord Social Spirits demonstrate how a distillery can become a community institution, while Daphane Limoncello, Redd Rose Vodka, and Blackleaf Organic Vodka show how personal stories can become part of a brand's identity.

For restaurants, adding these wines and spirits to the beverage program can create another opportunity for meaningful hospitality. A server isn't simply recommending a bourbon, vodka, tequila, or wine—they can tell a story about the entrepreneur, family, artist, or community behind the bottle.

So the next time you're looking at a wine list or deciding what to pour into a cocktail, consider asking a simple question:

Who is behind the bottle?

The answer might introduce you to your next favorite drink—and to an entrepreneur whose story deserves to be celebrated.

This article is based on the supplied Black-owned wines and spirits list. Ownership, founder, and product descriptions reflect that source material.