By Sohini Sengupta

Copyright inquisitr

From skyscrapers to sneakers, steaks to perfumes, and yes, even a $1,000 Bible, the Trump family brand has put its name on it. Eric Trump has now declared that he is bringing back Trump Vodka, the same extravagant liquor brand his father started in 2007, only to see it fall apart and shut down by 2011. This is the most on-brand resurrection of all, though.

Eric Trump teased at the relaunch on Instagram with the mysterious yet clearly Trumpian all-caps, “COMING SOON.” The president’s second son is eager to carry on his father’s legacy by reviving the brand formerly marketed as “Success Distilled.”

However, history suggests the path ahead may be challenging and perhaps a little drunk. In 2005, Donald Trump embarked on his first vodka venture with Drinks Americas, introducing a “super-premium” spirit in $30 bottles with golden engravings. Trump said then that the “Trump & Tonic” (also known as “T&T”) would take over Grey Goose as the most popular cocktail in America.

With a Hollywood launch party that included Kim Kardashian and other up-and-coming celebrities, the vodka debuted on American shelves in 2007. Donald Trump, who has a reputation for not drinking, described it as a “smooth (…) great-tasting vodka.”

With a shrug, he also acknowledged the irony of selling alcohol while avoiding it, relating it to tobacco executives selling cigarettes: “If I don’t sell it, someone else will.” Sales, however, told a very different story. According to Bloomberg, revenue had fallen to $805,000 by Halloween 2008, half of what it had been the year before. By 2011, all U.S. production had stopped.

Trump’s own abstinence, high-cost bottles, and branding lawsuits didn’t help either. “Success Distilled” was more like “Failure Bottled.” Still, the vodka gained a niche following in Israel, especially during Passover, due to its potato base and kosher status. At the time, the company had a tie-up with H. Pixel International, after initially suing the same company for copyright issues.

In 2025, Eric Trump is counting on a comeback. He told CBS News earlier this year that there had been “exciting” conversations about getting back into the liquor business due to interest in expanding beyond Trump Winery and Trump Cidery. Even though his recent post suggests that the bottle is finally popped, he said those discussions were still in the early stages.

The irony is that Eric Trump claims that (like his father) he doesn’t drink much either!

In August, he told the New York Post, “I really just work.” But can you market a lifestyle product you don’t even lead? Although history may not agree, the Trump empire has long made it by selling an image rather than a product.

Trump Vodka will join a growing list of branded products, including Trump Bibles, his-and-hers perfumes, and sneakers, which cost about $300. Critics have pointed out overreach; earlier this month, Donald Trump reacted angrily when an Australian reporter asked him if a sitting president should be engaged in so many businesses and commercial dealings.

“Well, I’m really not,” was his reply. ” My kids are running the business.” With Eric Trump directing this revival, Trump Vodka may serve as an example of some products better off in the liquor graveyard or as a case study for brand durability.

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