George Clooney accused of ‘strip-mining Americana for cash’ with beer launch after move to France: expert

George Clooney’s latest business venture is drawing scrutiny as the Hollywood star leans heavily into classic American imagery while building a new life overseas.

The 64-year-old actor, along with his fellow Casamigos Tequila co-founders Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman, is launching a new non-alcoholic beer brand called Crazy Mountain, which "celebrates adventure, freedom, and grit — without the hangover," according to a press release.

Crazy Mountain's branding features images of cowboys on horseback throwing lassos as they gallop across open plains, evoking classic imagery of the American West, while its tagline is "Live wide open." The beer cans and ads prominently state that the product is "Made in America," and the press release notes that it will be rolled out across select U.S. markets this year. 

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"We've always built brands around friendship and lifestyle," Meldman said. "Crazy Mountain belongs at the barbecue, on the boat, during a round of golf, or a run on a trail — it fits every occasion."

The launch comes just a few months after Clooney, his wife Amal Clooney and their 8-year-old twins, Ella and Alexander, were granted French citizenship, formalizing their move from the United States to France. According to PR expert Eric Schiffer, Clooney’s new business endeavor could spark criticism that the actor is capitalizing on Americana while distancing himself from American life.

"It opens him up to the charge that he’s strip-mining Americana for cash," the Reputation Management Consultants CEO told Fox News Digital. 

"He risks getting hit with the argument that he’s monetizing a country he now experiences like a visiting dignitary," Schiffer added.  

In 2021, Clooney and Amal purchased the 425-acre Domaine du Canadel wine estate in southern France's Provence region near the town of Brignoles. In December 2025, the couple, who made the estate their primary residence after buying the property, officially became French citizens alongside their children. 

While speaking with Esquire in October 2025, Clooney opened up about his life in France and explained why he chose to move his family from Los Angeles to the French countryside. 

"You know, we live on a farm in France. A good portion of my life growing up was on a farm, and as a kid I hated the whole idea of it. But now, for them, it’s like – they’re not on their iPads, you know? They have dinner with grown-ups and have to take their dishes in. They have a much better life."

"I was worried about raising our kids in L.A., in the culture of Hollywood. I felt like they were never going to get a fair shake at life," he continued. 

"France – they kind of don’t give a s--- about fame," he said. "I don’t want them to be walking around worried about paparazzi. I don’t want them being compared to somebody else’s famous kids."

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In addition to his family home in France, Clooney reportedly owns an estate in England, a villa on Lake Como in Italy and another property near his family in Kentucky, according to People.

Schiffer told Fox News Digital that Clooney's launch of the beer brand rooted in traditional American themes as he embraces life abroad could fuel questions about authenticity.

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"When your brand says pickup truck, but your life says Provence, the hypocrisy can machine-gun trust," he said. "If you sell Americana from an overseas estate, your authenticity starts bleeding out in gushes."

Though Clooney, who is a longtime supporter of the Democratic Party and campaigned for former President Joe Biden, has never indicated that his move was politically motivated, some critics have interpreted his relocation to France and obtainment of French citizenship as a symbolic statement about the direction of the country. 

Some of Clooney's detractors have also drawn comparisons between the "Ocean's Eleven" star and other high-profile celebrities who have publicly criticized U.S. politics and suggested leaving or distancing themselves from the country in response to political developments, including the re-election of President Donald Trump. 

In a Dec. 31 post on Truth Social, Trump celebrated Clooney and Amal's decision to become French citizens.

"Good News! George and Amal Clooney, two of the worst political prognosticators of all time, have officially become citizens of France which is, sadly, in the midst of a major crime problem because of their absolutely horrendous handling of immigration, much like we had under Sleepy Joe Biden," Trump wrote. "Clooney got more publicity for politics than he did for his very few, and totally mediocre, movies."

"He wasn’t a movie star at all, he was just an average guy who complained, constantly, about common sense in politics," the president added before concluding with his slogan, "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

Clooney responded to Trump's post in a Jan. 1 statement to the Hollywood Reporter. 

"I totally agree with the current president," he said. "We have to make America great again."

"We’ll start in November," Clooney, who has not renounced his American citizenship, said, appearing to refer to the upcoming mid-term elections. 

While Clooney has long been vocal about politics, PR expert Doug Eldridge told Fox News Digital that the Kentucky native's move may be less ideological than it appears.

"Clooney is as American as any of us; he doesn’t have anything to prove in that regard," the Achilles PR founder said. "It’s unclear whether the move was based on lifestyle (he’d always spent significant parts of the year in Italy) or whether it was more of a ‘performative protest’ like [Tom] Hanks, [Jimmy Kimmel] and [Rosie] O’Donnell."

Eldridge noted that from a branding standpoint, the bigger question may not be where Clooney lives but how Crazy Mountain's message lands with consumers.

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"At the end of the day, a good beer sells itself, but bad marketing can sink that ship before it pulls out of port," he said. "See: Bud Light."

In 2023, Bud Light partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney for a promotional campaign, a move that triggered intense backlash against the company and calls for a boycott from conservative commentators. The controversy led to a sharp drop in sales and market share, prompting the brand to scale back the campaign and launch an extensive marketing effort to rebuild its image.

While speaking with Fox News Digital, Schiffer and Eldridge weighed in on the power of patriotic branding in today’s marketplace. Schiffer shared his view that the strategy's success is highly dependent on the perception of its authenticity. 

"Patriotic branding remains a bazooka in this market because Americans are starving for brands that salute and show respect instead of spitting on them," Schiffer said. 

"Americana can turn a cold can into a missile if it feels real, but if it feels rented, it blows up in your hands like the Hindenburg," he continued. "The flag is rocket fuel and a lie detector.  The red, white and blue can supercharge a brand, but if the messenger feels fake it becomes rat poison."

Eldridge noted that there had been a recent resurgence of Americana-themed marketing, citing high-profile ad campaigns from earlier this year. 

"We started to see a return to patriotic branding during the 2025 Super Bowl," he said. "Brands like Chevy and Budweiser pivoted back to their marketing roots and found a wonderful way to reconnect with fans. Turns out, they didn’t have to reinvent the wheel after all."

Schiffer voiced his opinion that Clooney was aspiring to recreate the massive success of Casamigos with Crazy Mountain. In 2017, Clooney, Gerber and Meldman sold the tequila brand to British beverage giant Diageo for $1 billion. 

"He’s trying to dig up that billion-dollar ghost and jam it into a beer can," Schiffer said. "Nobody sells a new celebrity drink after a billion-dollar exit because they’re bored. They do it because they think the machine prints."

However, Eldridge told Fox News Digital that catching lightning in a bottle for a second time could prove challenging for Clooney and his business partners due to generational shifts.

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"It’s a tricky time for the beer, wine and spirits industry," he said. "Alcohol consumption rates are down nearly 20% among Millennials and Gen Z, compared to Gen X and the Boomers before them. There is an underlying social component that is driving this — younger generations are going out less and also dating less; alcohol has long been the ‘social lubricant’ in those scenarios."

He continued, "That said, if Clooney is going to be the face of the brand, you already know they’re not targeting the younger generations, which is why it makes sense to lean into the Americana angle, which resonates with the 40+ consumer index."

Eldridge said that the success of Clooney's new endeavor may come down to one simple marketing principle.  

"Lifestyle is the driver here, but it begins with likability," he said. "If you’re selling a discretionary item like beer — compared to an essential item like batteries, toilet paper, etc.— then likability is critical and that hinges on relatability."

"Put differently, if consumers see something of themselves in the celebrity, then they tend to like them; if they like them, they’re a convertible consumer," he continued. "If none of those variables are in the marketing equation, the pitch man is ineffective and the product doesn’t move." 

"Whatever you think of his politics, Clooney has largely been a very likable name in Hollywood."