Singer-songwriters Ed Sheeran and Ronan Keating, actor Russell Crowe, and comedian Jimmy Carr have invested approximately €750,000 in Vega & Wallace, the parent company of The Muff Liquor Company, based in County Donegal, Ireland.

The Muff Liquor Company, founded in 2017 by Laura Bonner, initially focused on producing potato-based gins and vodkas and expanded into whiskey production in 2023.

Investment and expansion

The celebrity investors collectively acquired about 30% of The Muff Liquor Company’s shares. The funds have been primarily allocated to marketing efforts and securing dry goods.

In March 2024, The Muff Liquor Company launched its products in Australia through a partnership with the Coles supermarket group’s First Choice Liquor brand. Following this, in April 2024, the company secured a distribution agreement with Lucas Bols, a leading global spirits company, to introduce its products to the U.S. market. This deal resulted in an initial order of 30,000 cases for the U.S. market.

New Brand Home and Distillery

In July 2024, The Muff Liquor Company opened a €1 million Brand Home in the village of Muff, County Donegal. The opening event was attended by investors Russell Crowe, Ronan Keating, and broadcaster Ryan Tubridy. Plans are also underway to develop a new distillery and visitor center in Muff, aiming to enhance production capabilities and attract tourism to the area.

Sheeran and Crowe old drinking buddies

The Hollywood celebs are set to take on a project of global proportions significant enough to threaten even Scotch Whiskey, as the new company they’ve invested in has big plans to expand from Ireland to Australia, to the United States.

Ed Sheeran, who has a history of being drinking buddies with Russell Crowe, has an Irish background, with many cousins from west Cork, and an aunt in Baltimore. New Zealander Russell Crowe grew up in Australia but has always had an appreciation for good whiskey.

The 31-year-old singer and the 58-year-old actor have an unlikely friendship, despite the difference in their ages.

“I’ve started hanging out with Russell Crowe because he loves getting drunk and I love getting drunk,” Sheeran said in 2017.

“We don’t get anything from each other, other than just a night out,” he said.