The Reason John Wayne Is The Face Of Duke Spirits

Actor John Wayne, aka "the Duke," is more than just a Hollywood legend; he's a famous icon of individuality and Americana (there's even a famous casserole named after John Wayne). He was also known to enjoy a good tipple — preferably a bourbon whiskey or tequila. Wayne's love of these spirits is the inspiration for his son Ethan Wayne's Duke Spirits, made in collaboration with the historic O.Z. Tyler Distillery (now known as Green River Distilling Co.) in Owensboro, Kentucky.

It all started when Ethan found a crate of unmarked bottles of booze, Wayne's personal collection, stashed away in storage for decades, along with his memoirs and other personal effects. Some of the bottles dated back to 1962, and co-founder of Duke Spirits, Chris Radomski, has described the collection as having a distinguished flavor profile, giving the pair a solid idea of what Wayne liked. According to Ethan, Wayne had wanted to create his own whiskeys and tequilas, so it was a natural next step for his son to carry on his father's legacy with Duke Spirits.

While many celebrities have their own liquor brands, the idea with Duke Spirits was to create spirits that are "timeless over trend" in honor of Wayne's legacy. Now, the brand has released a few different versions of bourbon and tequila inspired by the flavors of the bottles The Duke left behind in his collection.

John Wayne passed away in 1979, so we can't ask him directly what he thinks of Duke Spirits, but we'd guess that he would likely be a fan of the line inspired by his collection. The founders of Duke Spirits said they "consulted the greatest master distillers" about how to craft Duke Spirits in a style from the 1950s and '60s that Wayne would have recognized and appreciated.

There was drama in the bourbon community in the early 2010s over rumors that Duke Spirits' base whiskey was sourced from Wild Turkey, one of Wayne's favorites (and one of the smoothest bourbon whiskeys of all time). Back then, the label said it was distilled in Lawrenceburg (home of Wild Turkey) with Jimmy and Eddie Russell — master distillers associated with Wild Turkey. Since then, the brand has changed its label; now it says it's distilled in Owensburg (the home of Green River). Jimmy and Eddie Russell's names have also been removed.  

Many reviewers of the brand's straight bourbon whiskey have openly expressed skepticism about "celebrity" spirits, but the overall opinion is that it's better than expected. The company hasn't confirmed where it sources the whiskey, and bourbon elitists may turn their noses up at this lack of transparency. However, if it's anything like Wild Turkey, it's safe to say the Duke would enjoy it. Other spirits from the Duke line include a double barrel rye, the Grand Cru Founder's Reserve, and three different tequilas.