The Australian sport stars who are making it big investing in alcohol
Some of Australia’s biggest sporting names are making it big by investing in alcohol. We name those who have started their own business empires and are cashing in on booze.
Nothing says Aussie summer quite like cracking open an ice cold beer while watching the cricket.
Same goes for footy in the winter.
These days though, the drinks aren’t just limited to those watching from the hill or the couch at home.
In a trend that arguably began with the incredible success of Mick Fanning’s Balter beer, we’re seeing more and more Aussie athletes establishing their own drinks brands, or investing in others.
From beer and wine, to Seltzers, tequila and whiskey, there’s few drinks left that an Australian athlete hasn’t put their name or money to.
Everyone from Steve Roach, Gorden Tallis and Nathan Cleary to Steph Gilmore and Adam Gilchrist is getting involved.
For some it’s a side hustle passion project, for others it’s a legitimate post-retirement career option.
It extends beyond the traditional lagers and Pinots too, with Gravity Drinks Co introducing the country’s first “better for you” range of alcoholic beverages.
Featuring sugar and gluten free, low calorie and vegan options, Gravity is spearheaded by AFL icon Travis Boak, while Ironman athlete Matt Poole, Motocross rider Harry Bink and surfer Cooper Chapman are all co-owners.
“Gravity was the perfect opportunity for people who have busy, healthy and active lifestyles and are involved in sport and fitness, but who also want to treat themselves to a drink,” Poole tells Code Sports.
“That’s how Gravity started.
“We’re all aligned in what we want the product and branding to be and where we want it to go.”
Authenticity, says Poole, is the key.
“If you’re trying to promote something that isn’t part of your lifestyle and your day-to-day, people can see through the BS,” he says.
“If you’re promoting something that’s not real, it will run out of steam pretty quick.”
“It’s important for athletes to buy into brands that they align with authentically, and that will be more successful.”
That’s exactly what Blue Mountains-based brewery Mountain Culture has discovered since linking up with Aussie Test captain Pat Cummins last year.
Cummins, who is from the same part of Sydney, had been a fan of the beer for a while before officially joining the team as an investor.
He isn’t in it just for a few free slabs after a long day in the field either.
“He really wants to put in the hard work,” Harriet McCready, who co-founded Mountain Culture with husband DJ in 2019, told Beer and Brewing last year.
“He wants to get his hands dirty and is really involved in the business.
“He doesn’t want to be just a pretty face – even though he is one.”
For rugby league legend Steve ‘Blocker’ Roach, a big part of his and Gorden Tallis’ Block and Grapple Beers was giving back to the grassroots.
“We give 10 percent back to the junior leagues to buy all their jerseys,” Blocker told Code Sports.
“Ten percent of sales go back to the kids.
“When we were growing up, we didn’t have much and we always struggled to buy jerseys and boots.
“I always wanted to bring a beer out, and that was the perfect way to be able to give back.
“I needed someone up in Queensland, and the perfect bloke for that, a legend and a good mate of mine is Gordy Tallis.
“He’s the grapple part of it. He grappled a few blokes in his time.”
Block and Grapple cans are designed with a football jersey style chevron on the label, while their Keeper Summer Ale has a pair of wicket keeping gloves and a Test cricketer’s white vest.
Again, it’s all about authenticity.
“We didn’t want anything fancy, just something people could enjoy and drink while watching the footy or cricket,” Blocker says. “Most people in Queensland drink mid-strength, so that’s Gordy’s beer.
“We had a taste test – and we tasted a fair few of them – and came up with the mixture.”
Here’s a list of just a few of the many Aussie athletes who have branched out into the drinks business.
Mick Fanning – Balter Beer
A year after fighting off a shark at J-Bay, Fanning linked up with fellow surfers Joel Parkinson, Bede Durbridge and Josh Kerr and established Balter.
It was an instant smash hit and they sold the company to Carlton & United Breweries in 2019 for a reported $200m.
Pat Cummins – Mountain Culture Beer
The Aussie Test captain was a fan of Mountain Culture long before hopping on board as an investor last year.
Cummins is currently racing the clock to be fit for the second Ashes Test in early December, but we can picture him kicking back with a can of Status Quo after skittling the English this summer.
Cummins is also part of a stable of Aussies, including Patty Mills, Ash Barty, Andy Lee and Hamish Blake to invest in the recently opened Old Mates Pub in New York.
Adam Gilchrist – El Arquero Tequila
Like so many over-excited youngsters, Adam Gilchrist couldn’t stomach tequila for a number of years after a “bad experience.”
But with age comes wisdom and the wicket keeper turned commentator has seen the light.
So much so that Gilly founded and funded his own tequila El Arquero – which loosely translates to goalkeeper – with four mates.
He hasn’t just put his name to it either, with the 53-year-old travelling to Mexico to scour distilleries and source ingredients.
Steph Gilmore – Cinca Tequila
Steph Gilmore and four fellow Aussie female surfers launched Cinca tequila earlier this year.
Like Gilly, Gilmore wanted to produce a clean, authentic tequila (which must be made in a certain area of Mexico) with fewer additives.
The eight time world champion is in partnership with Laura Enever, Nikki van Dijk, Macy Callaghan and Dimity Stoyle and was founded “on living a life less ordinary”.
Steven Bradbury – Last Man Standing Beer
You can commemorate Steve Bradbury’s remarkable 2002 speed skating Olympic gold medal every time you open a can of his Last Man Standing beer.
The 52-year-old launched the lager and mid-strength drops with four mates and they now have a popular Last Man Standing Brewery right next to Suncorp Stadium.
Nick Kyrgios and James Maloney – Stryda Beer
Stryda Beer says they want to disrupt the beer industry and challenge the status quo.
They couldn’t have a better co-owner than Nick Kyrgios who has done exactly that in the tennis world.
Meanwhile, former two-time NRL premiership-winning playmaker James Maloney is on board as a shareholder.
Travis Boak, Matt Poole and Harry Bink – Gravity Drinks
Gravity is Australia’s leading “better for you” drinks company and offers alcoholic seltzers and Limoncello flavoured hard soda.
The company also sells merch including hats and t-shirts.
Travis Head – Wine
A proud South Australian, Travis Head has teamed up with local winery Bleasdale to release a range of six wines.
Each bottle features a logo of Head celebrating a ton, with a Sav Blanc, a Chardonnay and a Rose all on offer.
There’s also a ‘Barrel 137’ Grenache commemorating his match-winning knock of 137 in the 2023 ODI World Cup final, as well as a ‘Barrel 454’ Shiraz signifying the moment he became Australia’s 454th Test player.
Alex Carey, Izak Rankine, Ryan Fitzgerald – Wine
A syndicate of South Australian sportsmen, headlined by keeper Alex Carey bought Barossa Valley’s Bethany Wines earlier this year.
The historic vineyard began way back in 1852, with the syndicate looking to revitalise the brand.
Shane Warne – Seven Zero Eight Gin
Warnie says he was never a big drinker, but the Spin King loved a gin. So much so, that he began his own company called Seven Zero Eight in honour of the number of Test wickets he took.
During Covid the distillery producing the gin even began making hand sanitiser to help fight the spread of the disease.
Sadly, Seven Zero Eight, which Warnie owned a third of, went under after he passed away in 2022.
Nathan Cleary, Tai Tuivasa and Tyson Pedro – Drink West Beer
Nathan Cleary linked up with fellow Penrith locals, UFC fighters Tai Tuivasa and Tyson Pedro, five years ago in cult favourite Drink West.
Celebrating all things Western Sydney, they admit there was a bit of trial and error in getting the easy drinking lager tasting right.
“The first batch was undrinkable,” Pedro told Code Sports in 2023.
Drink West now makes hard lemonade, alcoholic creaming soda, a pale ale and an IPA. They also have a popular taphouse at their brewery in Penrith.
Steve Roach and Gorden Tallis – Block & Grapple Beer
The two former front rowers went in on Block and Grapple about 18 months ago, and their footy jersey inspired cans can be found around Sydney and Brisbane and online.
All Australian made, the beer is available at plenty of Arthur Laundy’s pubs, but is huge online as well.
Mark ‘Spudd’ Carroll – Spuddweiser Beer
You could hardly think of a more fitting name for a beer backed by Spudd Carroll.
Made by Ekim Brewing in Hornsby in Sydney’s North, Spuddweiser has become an instant favourite in rugby league circles with everyone from Cliffy Lyons, James Graham and Robbie Farah to Sam Kekovich and Anthony Seibold cracking open a can.
Even the tee-totalling Wayne Pearce and Spudd’s fierce rival Paul ‘Chief’ Harragon have been spotted spruiking the signature brew.
More recently, Carroll has been taking Spuddweiser global, with the former front-rower seen with a can in Paris and Ypres on his way to watch the Kangaroos in the Ashes.
Ollie Florent, Will Hayward and Isaac Heeney – Doozy Seltzer
Doozy was such a hit in the four years after Ollie Florent and Will Hayward started the company that the Sydney Swans eventually made it their official seltzer partner.
Isaac Heeney is on board as an ambassador as well.
Hopefully it’s not too awkward at the next Doozy x Swans collab, given Florent and Hayward were both off-loaded to Carlton as part of the blockbuster Charlie Curnow trade last month.
Cam Waters – Waters Whiskey
While most of this list is dedicated to beer and wine, Supercars ace Cam Waters opted to go into the whiskey business.
The three-time Bathurst podium-finisher launched Waters Whiskey with White Label Distillery in Hobart, which uses all local Tasmanian ingredients.
Whiskey drinkers can choose from a selection of single malts, with a couple of limited edition collectors’ items on offer too.
Scott Pendlebury and Steele Sidebottom – Elite Estate Wines
Pendlebury and Sidebottom played more games together than any other pairing in AFL history.
What better way to commemorate that achievement than the release of a Shiraz named The Duo 308?
The limited edition line sold out instantly, as did the five other reds Pendlebury has put his name to over the years.
Pendlebury’s on-field achievements have been celebrated with Pinot Noirs and a Shiraz, with the bottles all featuring clean black and white labels in honour of the Magpies.
Having conquered the wine market, Pendlebury is now diving into the world of coffee as well.
Meanwhile, Tex Walker, Patrick Dangerfield, Darcy Moore and Patrick Cripps have also collaborated with Elite Estate Wines over the years.
