Celeb gins ranked from classy to tacky: From Margot Robbie's 'oyster' offering to Ryan Reynolds' tipple... the brands worth splurging on (and the ones that don't live up to the hype!)

Celeb gins ranked from classy to tacky: From Margot Robbie's 'oyster' offering to Ryan Reynolds' tipple... the brands worth splurging on (and the ones that don't live up to the hype!) The celebrity-led gin boom began in 2023

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: Celebrity tequila brands, like George Clooney-founded Casamigos and Kendall Jenner's 818, have more than just tequila in the bottle By MAANYA SACHDEVA,

Associate Editor

, ROYALS Published: 15:00 GMT, 20 March 2026 | Updated: 15:31 GMT, 20 March 2026 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 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 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.