Snake-Wrangling Heartthrob Rob Rausch Talks The Traitors, Camo & Whiskey

On a breezy week in March, I had the opportunity to touch down in Georgia for the Crown Royal x Realtree Kickback Experience to celebrate a new collaboration that truthfully may have got lost in my inbox. That is, until I found out that Love Island alumna and The Traitors winner Rob Rausch was the face of it!

Yes, the snake-wrangling, denim overall-wearing, reality TV heartthrob that the internet is obsessed with is the face of the camouflage and whiskey brands' new capsule collection. “A perfect fit,” Rausch says to me. Even more kismet, Crown Royal and Realtree tapped Rausch before knowing the outcome of Season 4 of The Traitors. His laidback nature and outdoor lifestyle were simply a match for the brands, which both value heritage, connection, and kicking back.

Like Rausch (and his recent endeavors with MAC Cosmetics, DoorDash, Quinn, Celsius, Sonic, and more), clothing and gear brand Realtree is no stranger to notable collaborations, adding its iconic camouflage prints to the likes of Nike, Supreme, and even Skims (modeled by Post Malone) throughout the years.

“When we looked at what Crown Royal has built around their brand – the tradition and the heritage — it was clear this wasn’t just a run-of-the-mill brand collab,” said Tyler Jordan, VP of strategic partnerships at Realtree in a press release.

Meanwhile, this is Crown Royal’s first time creating a co-branded Crown Royal Fine Deluxe whiskey bottle pouch design (which I’ve since learned are deemed collectibles).

"We always hear stories about what people do with their Crown Royal bags. For our first nationally distributed collaboration, it was important that we made something with the right partners that would be cool and collectible," said Hadley Schafer, vice president at alcohol leader Diageo. “The result is a collection that reflects not only style, but also our shared appreciation for craftsmanship, time spent outdoors, and, of course, generosity.”

In addition to the Crown Royal bag, the capsule collection includes a Crown Royal x Realtree T-shirt, hoodie, baseball cap, and 45-quart cooler. Crown Royal will also be donating at least $20,000 to the Purple Hearts Foundation tied to this collection.

And Rausch, while extremely humble — he was shocked that the likes of Olympian Alysa Liu and actor Daniel Radcliffe have introduced themselves since his Traitors fame — seemed happy to talk about the collab and to actually kick back (and escape from his press cycle) at Realtree Farms in Georgia.

“Crown Royal is something I always tend to go to when I’m back at home, chilling with friends. Crown Royal lemonade,” Rausch told me. “Realtree being part of it is massive. And I love everything they’re about — being outdoors with wildlife is what it’s all about. What more do you need?”

On a sunny day full of cornhole, fishing, tractor rides, campfires, Traitors talk, and an impromptu game of mafia (basically Traitors, which Rausch, as the gamer he is, prompted us to play), we celebrated and tested the new camo styles and whiskey cocktails.

Rausch specifically called out Crown Royal lemonades as one of his favorite concoctions to drink. (And in case you're wondering, he prefers his drinks neat, in red solo cups.) He also shared that he was excited to hand deliver the new coolers to his friends and family, and that he's most likely to wear the new camo hat to go snake wrangling.

When describing his ideal kickback, Rausch says: “One of the ways I like to relax — I love playing poker with friends back home. Pour myself a little Crown Royal and lemonade. Have a good time with the boys. And being home on the farm at the creek by myself. That’s when I feel most like myself.”

In a press release, Rausch also added: “This partnership brings together the things I care about most, like being in nature, spending time with my people and enjoying great whisky. I’ve always been into camo, and everything in the collection fits both how I live and my personal style.”

And by the end of the kickback experience, I truly couldn't think of a more perfect or down-to-earth celebrity to represent Crown Royal and Realtree.

Rausch says he wants to spend time back home in Alabama, settle down, and seemingly doesn't want a chaotic celebrity lifestyle. He even explains that he probably wouldn't join an all-stars version of The Traitors because he already has a "perfect record" and that, regarding the fan theories that he'll join the next season of Dancing With The Stars, he doesn't think he'd do it: "But never say never, you know?"