July 2, 2024: Ryan Tubridy, Russell Crowe, Laura Bonner, and Ronan Keating at the opening of the Brand Home for The Muff Liquor Company in Muff, Co Donegal.RollingNews.ie

Muff Liquor founder Laura Bonner has spoken of Russell Crowe’s remarkable commitment to her drinks brand – from helping rescue it from bankruptcy and roping in other A-list investors to putting her up in his Sydney home for 18 months. 

Oscar winner Crowe was joined by fellow investors Ronan Keating and Ryan Tubridy this week in Muff, Co. Donegal – where Ms Bonner hails from – to launch a new visitor centre for the flourishing spirits company.

Pop superstar Ed Sheeran and comedian Jimmy Carr are also among the group of ‘really good mates’ who have put money into the business but were unable to make the event this week.

Ms Bonner said the "Shape of You" singer and "Gladiator" actor were both part of her original plans when launching the company in 2017.

"I wrote on a vision board at the time that I was going to have Ed Sheeran as a shareholder, and I would have Russell Crowe do the first tweet when I launched into Australia," she told the Irish Mail on Sunday. "And then I got both of them as shareholders five years later."

July 2, 2024: Laura Bonner with Ryan Tubridy, Russell Crowe, and Ronan Keating at the opening of the Brand Home for The Muff Liquor Company in the village of Muff in Co Donegal. (RollingNews.ie)

She had pitched the cheekily named business as an investment opportunity to Crowe’s people in 2018, though was told it "wasn’t the right time, but the door is ajar."

Then, while the New Zealand-born actor was shooting in Ireland in 2022, she managed to send a box of Muff gin, vodka and whiskey through her "best friend’s sister’s fiancé," who plays in Crowe’s musical side project, Indoor Garden Party.

"Then he contacted Ed and Ronan because they were already his friends, and they were trying to invest in a drinks brand for the last three years. So Russell rang them and said: 'I have found what we’re looking for.'"

Ms Bonner was contacted the following Monday morning by Crowe’s team, who suggested a breakfast meeting with the actor in Dublin.

"That led to lunch," she recalls.

"We sat talking for four hours and I just explained the whole history of the business" – the company was inspired by her grandfather’s home poitín making. 

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And she was frank about the ‘dire’ financial state of the company, battered by the pandemic and "haemorrhaging money." 

"I was on the brink of bankruptcy to be honest. I’d started mentioning the B word to my family and friends just to kind of set myself up, and then he came in and he was like, 'I love an underdog.'

"He’s a really savvy businessman – there’s no doubt about it."

While Crowe can’t take all the credit for reviving the business financially – its founder and CEO stressed it has nearly 500 shareholders – he appears to have made it his mission to see it succeed.

Ms Bonner later found out he texted his ‘good mate’ Sheeran as soon as he received the complimentary box of liquors in 2022. 

"He sent a picture going 'Look what I’ve got,' and then Ed said: 'Go meet her. Let’s see what she’s about.'"

She has met the world’s sixth-most streamed artist on Spotify "loads" and called him "so funny."

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"I actually said pre-event [this week], 'Do we have any celebrities coming?' And they were like, 'As opposed to your investors?'

"I said, 'Yeah, I know, but anybody else?' I just see them as so normal now because they’re part of the business." Crowe got former Boyzone singer Keating and Limerick-born funnyman Carr on board, and later another friend Tubridy, who also happened to be present the night the samples were sent, though he came on board more recently.

"When he said to me, 'I’m going to bring in a few friends to this investment, do you trust me?' I said: 'Work away.'"

"Then he sent me all those names and I was like, 'Where did you get that selection from?'

"He said: 'We’re all really good mates.'"

July 2, 2024: Russell Crowe, Ryan Tubridy, and Laura Bonner at the opening of the Brand Home for The Muff Liquor Company in the village of Muff in Co. Donegal. (RollingNews.ie)

The triple Oscar-nominated actor even allowed Ms Bonner to live in his house in Sydney for 18 months while breaking into the Australian market.

"I only moved back in April," she said. "He is a really, really good guy. He is extremely generous. He’s very humble. He’s really hard working and he’s a great family man. He’s exactly like us. He’s 52% Irish, so I always tell him he’s half good."

Crowe was "there, floating around" when not abroad making movies, and let his business associate stay rent-free. "I’m gonna make him money," Ms Bonner laughed. 

The businesswoman has signed a partnership distribution deal with the Lucas Bols Company, the oldest spirit company in the world, and will launch into America later this year with a first order of 30,000 cases. The company is also working on two new products Ms Bonner hopes to launch next year.

"We’re just going to ride this out as much as we possibly can," she said. "I’m absolutely loving it. There isn’t a day that I don’t love it. So until that day happens, I’ll keep fighting for it."

*This article was originally published on Extra.ie.