Skip to main content

Retired NFL star and TV host Nate Burleson is partnering with Valentine Distilling to launch a vodka

Nate Burleson is launching his own vodka from Detroit's Valentine Distilling

By Christopher Osburn Mar 3, 2025 4:58 PM

Pouring vodka into glasses — invizbk / iStock

You might know Nate Burleson for the many professional hats he has worn. The 43-year-old retired wide receiver spent ten seasons in the NFL with stints with the Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks and finishing his career with the Detroit Lions. In the years since his retirement, he’s become a media personality, hosting Hollywood Squares and co-hosting CBS Mornings and NFL Today. Now, he’s adding alcohol collaborator to his resume.

LionBlood Orange Vodka

Valentine Distilling Co.

Burleson is collaborating with Detroit’s Valentine Distilling Co. to launch a new vodka to pay tribute to his final seasons playing for the Lions. It’s called LionBlood Orange Vodka, and it begins as Valentine Distilling’s all-natural small-batch vodka made with zero additives, no corn syrup, and real Michigan-grown beet sugar. To give this vodka its unique flavor, it’s infused with blood orange and elderflower.

Recommended Videos

The name LionBlood comes from Burleson’s Detroit-based clothing brand. The personality is happy to add the name to this complex, flavorful vodka.

“A lion sleeps in the heart of all of us. We hunt for what we want in this world, so the time is now. Remember to savor every sip and conquer your jungle,” Burleson said.

While sometimes celebrity-driven brands seem to have no real connection to the famous person selling them, Burleson was the one who initially approached Rifino Valentine, the Founder and President of Valentine Distilling, with the idea to craft this unique vodka.

“Infused with all-natural ingredients and zero corn syrup, LionBlood Orange is an elegant, smooth, and aromatic flavored vodka that is made to be savored,” Valentine said in a press release.

“After numerous tastings and refining the recipe, the two brought their shared vision to reality—an exceptional vodka that honors both craftsmanship and flavor purity.

Where can I buy it?

Valentine Distilling Co.

The brand hasn’t set a date or price for this vodka yet. It will be released in spring of 2025 with more details to follow soon. Learn more at www.valentinedistilling.com

Christopher Osburn is a food and drinks writer located in the Finger Lakes Region of New York. He’s been writing professional Read Full Bio

Topics

Liquor, Beer, Wine & Drinks

Maryland-based Puerto Rico Distillery opens its historic home with a special rum release

Puerto Rico Distillery

Don’t be confused by its name. Puerto Rico Distillery isn’t on the island of the same name. It’s actually a family-owned craft distillery located in Maryland. Founded by father-and-daughter team Angel and Crystal Rivera, it was created to pay tribute to the distilling history of Puerto Rico. Recently, the distillery moved into a historic building in Brunswick, Maryland, and is celebrating by launching a special rum release.

Clandestino Añejo

Bib & Tucker is launching its first ever bottled-in-bond whiskey

Bib & Tucker

Bib & Tucker has gained quite a following in the last decade because of its award-winning portfolio of whiskeys. Beginning this fall, Tennessee-based distillery will launch its first-ever bottled-in-bond whiskey. Not only does the new whiskey fit the criteria for a bottled-in-bond expression, but it’s matured twice as long as it needs to be.

Bib & Tucker 8-Year-Old Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon

Tequila Corralejo Introduces Smaller Bottle For the First Time in More Than 250 Years

Alcohol, Beer, Beverage

If you’ve walked into a Mexican bar or restaurant, chances are you’ve noticed the big blue bottle of tequila. Corralejo is famous for its tall, slim bottles that come in 750 milliliters and 1.75 liters. The 750-milliliter bottle is the standard size you’ve probably become familiar with. Corralejo also has clear bottles for its Blanco, red bottles for its Añejo, and a tall, round, bright blue bottle for its Triple Distilled Tequilas, among other shapes and types.

It’s been this way for decades and decades. But for the first time, Corralejo is meeting the demand for smaller, easily digestible, and giftable bottles. Arriving ahead of Hispanic Heritage Month and Mexican Independence Day in September, Corralejo is introducing the 375ml Reposado bottle, which aims to create “a timely entry point into Tequila Corralejo’s more than 250 years of tequila-making heritage, while offering a right-sized option for intimate gatherings, gifting, and cocktail occasions.”