One thousand bottles of tequila a year, bike rides and even WIVES! George Clooney’s best friend reveals how they shared everything before Amal came along

One thousand bottles of tequila a year, bike rides and even WIVES! George Clooney’s best friend reveals how they shared everything before Amal came along



Cindy Crawford's businessman husband has spilled the beans on what life it's like having George Clooney as a best friend.

Rande Gerber met the actor 20 years ago and they have since built neighbouring houses, created their own tequila blend - making their way through 1,000 bottles a year along the way - and even wife swapped (by accident).

Gerber also told The Times that the reason for the seemingly eternal bachelor finally settling down wasn't due to timing, it was 'meeting the right person' in Amal.

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Rande Gerber, husband of supermodel Cindy Crawford, has spilled the beans on what life is like having George Clooney as a best friend


Rande also told how during George's bachelor days they nearly built a big family home on land they had bought together in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico - for Gerber, Crawford, their teenage children - and George.

It was only when Cindy put her foot down that they decided to build adjacent houses so they can still eat breakfast, lunch and dinner together, taking turns to host, said Gerber.

Fortunately, human rights lawyer Amal is 'a great addition to the family', Rande told The Times, adding that their attraction was down to their compatibility.





He said: 'It wasn't timing; it was meeting the right person.'

No doubt the human rights lawyer has laughed at stories of the best friends' antics, which include a heavy night which ended up with George going home to the wrong house by accident.

Rande told the paper how Cindy, his wife of 17 years, woke in the early hours of the morning in their Malibu home to discover that he was yet to come to bed. 
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Gerber's wife Cindy Crawford was involved in an accidental 'wife swap' when she mistook George for her husband when he was passed out in the spare bedroom of their Malibu home
She found a male figure fast sleep in the guest room, lying face down, fully clothed and with this boots on, Rande relates.

Only after she got into bed with him, rubbed his back and told him to get undressed that she finally discovered that it was George and not her husband at all. 

The trio all laughed about it the next day and Clooney joked to Gerber later: 'That's the tequila commercial: drink Casamigos and wake up with Cindy Crawford,' according to Gerber.

You'd have thought Clooney would have built up to an intolerance to tequila by now, as Gerber confessed he and his A-list pal would have 'no problem' getting through a bottle between them in one sitting.

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Gerber and Clooney have launched their own make of tequila called Casamigo. Amal and George Clooney, Gerber and Crawford are pictured at its launch in Ibiza, Spain, last month

Already big fans of the tipple, they decided to 'make the best-tasting, smoothest tequila whose taste didn’t have to be covered up with salt or lime,' according to the Casamigos website.

For two years they worked with a master distiller in Mexico to find the perfect formula, carrying out blind tastings until they could say 'don't change a thing'.

Although they never planned a commercial venture, the nightlife entrepreneur revealed that he and George were making their way through so much of the distillery's product that they had to get a licence or halt production.



'They said "we've sent you 1,000 bottles a year, so either you're selling them or you're drinking too much," Gerber confessed, adding, 'We don't count, we just drink.'





The brand is now available in the UK so George can still enjoy it from his £10million home in the Berkshire countryside, which he shares with his wife Amal. 

And it seems that with the acquisition of the nine-bedroom bolthole on the Thames, George may be finally ready to retire his role as Hollywood's most glamorous third wheel.

The couple are in the process of revamping the house as part of a multi-million pound renovation that will see the property have a home cinema, 360-degree security, a 60ft swimming pool and a tennis court.

But a few of the neighbours don't seem to be fan of the number of trucks and mess caused by the starry couple's building plans, with one anonymous resident protesting: ‘I have lived here for 20 years and never seen anything like this – there is a total lack of respect and disregard for us other residents and there is a really bad negative impact on our village.’





And while Amal is travelling the world working on high profile cases in the Maldives and in Greece where she is advising the Greek government on the Elgin marbles, George is still free to enjoy his annual bike trips with his best mate.

Rande told Outside Go that for 15 years the pair have taken off on annual motorcycle trip, carrying just a few sets of clothes.

He said: 'It was George’s idea to do a two-week ride every year with no real plan, and we've been doing it every year for the past 15 years. 

'The idea was to get on the bikes and just go and explore with no distractions of work, phones, email or the world. Just the freedom to ride with friends.'

Rande also revealed that the pair celebrate each day of travelling with a tot or two of their bespoke tipple. 

'Riding bikes, sharing stories and creating memories over a bottle of Casamigos with friends is the perfect end to a day on the road,' he said.


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Nothing much new in there.

We his fans know it all.