Can Rock Musicians Make Alcohol as Well as They Drink It?


Every musical artist needs a nest egg. Some rainy-day money for when the ticket sales slump. Pop singers like Gwen Stefani or Jessica Simpson can capitalize on their influence over young girls and launch a fashion label. The RZA has his limited-edition art. For rock stars known as much for their partying as their music, they might as well start earning some money for those boozy reputations. Tool‘s frontman Maynard James Keenan doubled down on his attempt to make a decent spirit. Not only is he making his own wine, but he let someone make a documentary about it.

We can’t personally attest to the quality of Keenan’s wine (though some of the reviews are ecstatic), but the movie is a bankable asset. Watch this trailer and wonder how a guy whose songs seem so unhappy can have such a good sense of humor:

Cameos by Bob Odenkirk and Patton Oswalt to the contrary, Keenan takes his wine seriously (his own collection was 6,000 bottles when he spoke to Wine Spectator in ’06).

And what about Marilyn Manson and his absinthe, Mansinthe? As one review said, “there are a few sour spots that are worthy of an eye-roll or two.” Oh wait, that was a review of his latest album. His absinthe has actually garnered almost categorically positive comments, and the won the Gold Medal at the 2008 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

There are enough other musicians who have added their names to the liquor cabinet that we should be seeing more musical/booze mash-ups. Why not mix Sammy Hagar’s well-known tequila, Cabo Wabo and Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Margarita Mix for a “Why Don’t We Get Drunk and Screw Right Now”? Or match Hagar’s liquor with Manson’s for a more classic drink, the Macho? Mix equal parts of Mansinthe and Cabo Wabo over crushed ice, with a squeeze of lemon.

There’s not much to mix Keenan’s Cadaceus wine with — and considering that some bottles go for up to $70 it seems like a bad idea all around. So instead just sneak a bottle into the theater when the film about his vineyard comes out. Because who wants to watch a movie called Blood into Wine while sipping a soft drink?