From Casamigos Tequila founder George Clooney to the family behind Glenfiddich Scotch whisky, we present the richest people in the UK spirits industry according to The Sunday Times Rich List 2019.

George Clooney’s Casamigos Tequila has earned the actor a spot on our list of richest spirits barons

Last weekend, The Sunday Times revealed its 2019 Rich List, which charts the rise and fall of the country’s wealthiest individuals.

While the Grant-Gordon family remains dominant, others saw their fortunes grow including actor George Clooney who sold his Casamigos Tequila brand to drinks giant Diageo in 2017.

Click through the following pages for more information on the wealthiest families and individuals in the UK spirits industry.

10. Joe Sloan and Brenda Salters and family

Worth: £152m

Rank in The Sunday Times Rich List 2019: 787

Rank in 2018: 828

Rise/fall: +£8m

SHS founder Joe Sloan and his family are the 10th richest in the UK spirits industry. Belfast-based drinks marketing and distribution firm SHS was founded in 1975 by Sloan and his late business partner Geoff Salters, and is known for producing brands such as WKD, Shloer, Bottlegreen, and Merrydown Cider.

Salters’ widow, Brenda Salters, owns and 50% stake the business and jointly occupies the Rich List’s 787^th spot. She remains on the board of the company.

Profits at the £240m (US$310m) business fell slightly to £24.4m (US$31.6m) on £545.7m (US$706.8m) sales in 2017 when it showed £151.2m (US$196m) assets.

9. Leonard Russell and family

Worth: £152m

Rank in The Sunday Times Rich List 2019: 775

Rank in 2018: 900

Rise/fall: +£25m

Leonard Russell is the managing director of independent spirits group Ian Macleod Distillers, maker of the Glengoyne, Tamdhu and Smokehead Scotch brands. It is the world’s 10^th largest Scotch whisky company, producing and selling more than 15m bottles annually.

In 2017, the group announced plans to restart production at Lowland distillery Rosebank after purchasing the site from Scottish Canals. The following month, Ian Macleod secured an £80m (US$103m) refinancing package to support the revival of the distillery.

8. Tim Warrillow

Worth: £205m

Rank in The Sunday Times Rich List 2019: 587

Rank in 2018: 706

Rise/fall: +£38m

Tim Warrillow (pictured far left) teamed up with Charles Rolls to co-found tonic water producer Fever-Tree. The pair both disliked the artificial sweeteners that flavour many mixers so decided to launch their own premium tonic water operation.

Warrillow, Fever-Tree’s chief executive, has sold about £77m (US$99m) of stock and retains a £141m (US$182) stake.

7. Aaron and Tania Hillman and family

Worth: £177m

Rank in The Sunday Times Rich List 2019: 682

Rank in 2018: 672

Rise/fall: –

The Hillman siblings, Aaron and Tania, are behind independent Scotch whisky business Angus Dundee Distillers. The company was founded by their father, Terry Hillman.

London-based Angus Dundee owns the Tomintoul and Glencadam distilleries, operates a bottling plant in Coatbridge near Glasgow and supplies liquid for local bottling. The firm, which also produces Chelsea Royal London Dry Gin, is a £170m (US$220m) operation and exports to 70 markets.

6. Martin Dickie

Worth: £228m

Rank in The Sunday Times Rich List 2019: 520

Rank in 2019: 524

Rise/fall: –

Martin Dickie, who co-founded Scottish brewer BrewDog with James Watt, has a £213m (US$276m) holding in the company.

Earlier this year, BrewDog Distilling said it would be building its spirits portfolio with “further new additions over the rest of 2019 and beyond”. New expressions will include a spiced rum and a “disruptive” Scotch whisky. The distiller creates its products “from grain to glass”, using the wash from its beer production to create both white and brown spirits. As such, BrewDog claims to create only “pure bloodline” spirits.

5. James Watt

Worth: £262m

Rank in The Sunday Times Rich List 2019: 475

Rank in 2018: 461

Rise/fall: –

James Watt, along with Dickie, has established Aberdeenshire-based BrewDog as a global brand.

Earlier this year, the company’s spirits arm BrewDog Distilling unveiled new brands of gin and vodka, a series of limited edition whiskies created to pair with craft beer, and a redesign of its Lone Wolf Gin bottle.

In 2017, TSG Consumer Partners bought a 23% stake in the company for £213m (US$276m), valuing BrewDog at £1bn (US$1.3bn). Watt has a 25% holding worth £242m (US$313m), plus wealth elsewhere.

4. Amal and George Clooney

Worth: £270m

Rank in The Sunday Times Rich List 2019: 464

Rank in 2018: 463

Rise/fall: +£10m

Hollywood actor George Clooney and his wife Amal take the fourth spot on our list with a combined wealth of £270m (US$349.7m). While Clooney was named the world’s highest paid actor last year, he has also made a substantial amount from alcohol.

The co-founder of Tequila brand Casamigo’s, Clooney made £173m (US$224m) in 2017 when Diageo bought his Casamigos Tequila brand for an upfront fee of US$700m, with a further US$300m on the table depending on the brand’s performance over the next decade.

The actor co-founded Casamigos Tequila in 2013 with Rande Gerber (pictured right with Clooney) and Mike Meldman. The brand is now said to be the fastest-growing super-premium Tequila in the US.

In February last year, Casamigos extended its spirits offering with the launch of a mezcal made from 100% espadin agave.

Casamigos Tequila and mezcal joined the Diageo Reserve portfolio in Europe in May 2018.

3. Charles Rolls

Worth: £423m

Rank in The Sunday Times Rich List 2019: 316

Rank in 2018: 372

Rise/fall: +£83m

While managing Plymouth Gin, Charles Rolls (pictured left) founded tonic water brand Fever-Tree with Tim Warrillow. He has continued to climb the Rich List in 2019, growing his fortune to £423m (US$548m).

Fever-Tree confirmed its full-year revenue for 2018 grew 40% to £237.4m (US$313.5m), boosted by its performance in the UK. The London-based drinks company is now worth £3bn (US$3.9bn), according to The Sunday Times.

Fever-Tree took over direct ownership of sales, marketing and distribution in the US in June.

2. Vivian Imerman

Worth: £390m

Rank in The Sunday Times Rich List 2019: 339

Rank in 2018: 329

Rise/fall: –

South African-born Vivian Imerman gained £396m (US$513m) from the sale of Scotch whisky business Whyte & Mackay to India’s United Spirits in 2007. United Spirits later sold the unit to Philippines-based Emperador. Now, Imerman runs London investment firm Vasari, which owns stakes in Ethiopian brewer Dashen and South African wine and spirits producer KWV.

1. Glenn Gordon and family

Worth: £2.88bn

Rank in The Sunday Times Rich List 2019: 54

Rank in 2018: 55

Rise/fall: +£310m

Glenn Gordon is the chairman of William Grant & Sons, the Scottish spirits group that owns Glenfiddich, Grant’s, Hendrick’s gin and a number of other spirits.

In 2017, William Grant & Sons saw profit after tax increase by 12.6% to £250 million (US$326m), boosted by Glenfiddich, Hendrick’s and The Balvenie.

The Scottish firm unveiled the £13m (US$17m) Hendrick’s Gin Palace last year, which will allow the brand to double its production capacity to two million cases annually.