Music and alcohol’s relationship might be as old as music itself. Of course, Beethoven and Mozart weren’t inserting brand names into the titles of their symphonies, but we’d bet that they probably enjoyed a nip of booze while listening to them. By the time pop music rolled around, singers were frequently crooning about the joys or woes of consumption, whether in the form of liquor, beer, or wine. But it wasn’t until the mid-to-late 20th century that musicians really started getting specific about their favorite drink brands.
Over the years, these shout-outs found a predominant home in two main genres: country and hip hop. Country musicians sure aren’t shy about professing their love for humble macro lagers, and rappers have always been keen on name-dropping luxury Champagnes, Cognacs, vodkas, and tequilas. And at the end of the day, the phenomenon is a win-win-win for the artists, brands, and drinkers. Plus, there’s just something fun about hearing an artist shout out the liquid that’s in your own glass.
There are countless drink brands mentioned in music, but here, we cataloged the ones that we felt are the most iconic. These are the earworms that put certain brands on the general public’s radar, championed beverages old and new, and ultimately stood the test of time.
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Seagram’s and Tanqueray: ‘Gin and Juice’ (Snoop Dogg)
“Now that I got me some Seagram’s gin
Everybody got they cups, but they ain’t chipped in”
“He came through with a gang of Tanqueray
And a fat ass J of some bubonic chronic”
In a genre with no shortage of Cognac and Champagne shout-outs, there’s seldom love for gin. But leave it to Snoop Dogg to pay homage to the juniper spirit in his 1994 smash hit “Gin and Juice,” name-dropping both Seagram’s and Tanqueray in back-to-back verses.
Patrón: ‘Bartender’ (T Pain ft. Akon)
“Got a brand new girl, so I’m feelin’ all good inside
Feel like I put some brand new 24’s on a brand new ride
Triple shot of Patrón on the rocks with little bit of lime
I’m just keepin’ it real”
In this verse, not only does T Pain equate the tender feeling of newfound love to that of putting 24-inch rims on a car, but he also lets us know that Patrón tequila is his beverage of choice. A triple shot may be an extreme way to start one’s evening, but hey, at least he’s diluting it.
Cîroc and Patrón: ‘Shots’ (LMFAO ft. Lil Jon)
“We like Cîroc
We love Patrón
We came to party rock
Everybody it’s on”
If you were in college in the early 2010s, you’re probably well acquainted with this nightclub-ready banger. It may not be the most profound track out there, but it definitely gets the people going.
Lone Star Beer: ‘Lone Star Beer and Bob Wills Music’ (Red Steagall)
“Lone Star Beer and Bob Wills music
When I hear faded love, I feel at home
Lone Star Beer and Bob Wills music
Have kept my heart alive since you’ve been gone”
Country stars aren’t coy about shouting out their favorite macro lagers whenever they get the chance. The first beer to receive heavy praise in the country music scene was undoubtedly Lone Star, “the National Beer of Texas.” Willie Nelson has been a longtime fan, and the same goes for Red Steagall. In this 1976 track off the album of the same name, Steagall sings about how Lone Star Beer and the tunes of the late Texas-born musician Bob Wills are always there to help him through heartache. It doesn’t get much more country than that.
Jack Daniel’s: ‘Jack Daniel’s (Old No. 7)’ (Jerry Lee Lewis)
“Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Sour-Mash Whiskey
Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Sour-Mash Whiskey
He used to be so frisky”
Long before pop star Kesha was brushing her teeth with a bottle of Jack, Jerry Lee Lewis took a less celebratory stance on the whiskey. In his 1973 track “Jack Daniel’s (Old No. 7),” he sings the woes of a woman whose husband drinks too much and spends his days wandering around town, collecting empty bottles for deposit money. As sad a tune it may be, we give Lewis credit for cramming in the entire name of Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Sour-Mash Whiskey in the chorus. Now, that’s dedication.
Belvedere Vodka: ‘Work It’ (Missy Elliott)
“Don’t I look like a Halle Berry poster?
See the Belvedere playin’ tricks on ya”
In the early aughts, Missy Elliott and producer Timbaland were a duo to be reckoned with, cranking out consistent hits. Arguably the most famous of the bunch is 2002’s “Work It.” It’s a straight-up classic, jam-packed with impeccable word play. And yes, a timeless Belvedere Vodka reference made it into the mix.
Dom Pérignon: ‘Champagne Problems’ (Taylor Swift)
“Dom Pérignon, you brought it
No crowd of friends applauded
Your hometown skeptics called it
Champagne problems”
There have been countless Dom Pérignon shout-outs in music over the years. But here, we felt obliged to show some love to the Swifties. In the song, Swift details a failed marriage proposal involving a bottle of Dom P that presumably never got popped. The proposer may not have a wife by the end of the tune, but hey, at least they have an expensive bottle of Champagne.
Colt 45: ‘Crazy Rap’ (Afroman)
“Said Colt 45 and two Zig-Zags, baby, that’s all we need
We can go to the park, after dark, smoke that tumbleweed”
To say that Crazy Rap is explicit is an understatement, and a 40-ounce of malt liquor and two joints is apparently all Afroman needs to keep the stories coming.
Fireball Cinnamon Whisky: ‘Round Here’ (Florida Georgia Line)
“And that Fireball Whisky whispers
Temptation in my ear”
“Round Here” accomplishes what many other country songs do: reference a vague part of the South where people drive Chevy trucks, party on dirt roads, and don’t get hung up about dirtying up their jeans every now and again. Originality aside, the song’s as catchy as they come, and one of the few tracks that gives a shout out to Fireball Cinnamon Whisky.
Hennessy Cognac: ‘Party and Bullsh*t’ (The Notorious B.I.G)
“Pissy drunk, off the Henny and skunk
On some Brand Nubian shit beating down punks”
Hennessy has always been deeply intertwined with hip-hop culture, and there are countless songs that reference it. But we couldn’t give the honorable mention here to anyone but the late, great, Notorious B.I.G.
Moët & Chandon: ‘Killer Queen’ (Queen)
“She keeps her Moët et Chandon
In her pretty cabinet”
There’ve been a few theories as to what “Killer Queen” is actually about, but in a 1974 interview with British pop culture outlet NME, Freddie Mercury settled the score: “It’s about a high-class girl. … I’m trying to say that classy people can be whores as well.” And this high-class girl clearly doesn’t compromise when it comes to her Champagne choices.
Hennessy Cognac, Cristal, Rémy Martin, and Courvoisier: ‘Pass the Courvoisier’ (Busta Rhymes ft. P Diddy)
“Give me the Henny, you can give me the Cris
You can pass me the Remi, but pass the Courvoisier”
The chorus of Busta Rhymes’ 2002 track “Pass the Courvoisier” strikes a similar chord to that of Elvis Presley’s “Blue Suede Shoes.” The take-home message is “you can do anything, just so long as you pass me the Courvoisier Cognac.” According to a late 2002 New York Times article, the song’s more successful sequel “helped increase the sales of the liquor by 4.5 percent in the first quarter of [the] year and into the double digits [a few months later].” It was free advertising at its finest.
D’Ussé: ‘Drunk in Love’ (Beyoncé ft. Jay-Z)
“That D’USSÉ is the sh*t if I do say so myself”
Jay-Z once rapped, “I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man.” That he is: he’s one of two rappers whose net worth has hit the $1 billion mark, and that remarkable sum is due in part to his partial ownership of the D’Ussé Cognac brand, which launched in 2012. A year later, he jumped on the song “Drunk in Love” with his wife Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, kicking off his verse with a cheeky endorsement for D’Ussé.
Grey Goose: ‘London Bridge’ (Fergie)
“That Grey Goose got your girl feeling loose
Now I’m wishing that I didn’t wear these shoes”
A core member of the group Black Eyed Peas, Fergie eventually went on to record an album of her own in 2006, “The Dutchess.” Nearly every song on the album was a chart-topper, and the first one to hit the radio waves was “London Bridge.” In the second verse, we get this Grey Goose vodka name drop.
Bacardi: ‘In da Club’ (50 Cent)
“Go, shawty, it’s your birthday
We gon’ party like it’s your birthday
We gon’ sip Bacardí like it’s your birthday”
The sole rum shout-out on this roundup arrives in the intro of this 50 Cent classic. The song went on to become the rapper’s first No. 1 single, and anyone who wasn’t living under a rock in the early aughts knows the track’s immortal opening lines.
