For others, it may be a way to connect with their fans on a deeper level or to promote a lifestyle that they endorse. With none of the aforementioned celebrity brands listed as 501(c) charitable organizations, we can conclude that dollars and cents at least play a role in the decision. Available in blanco, aejo and reposado, the tequila serves up an unparalleled flavor with a smooth, elegant, and perfectly balanced finish.. 34-35 Dronningens Gade Hibiscus Alley, Charlotte Amalie, US Virgin Islands. Erickson said he isnt sure whether celebrity tequila is a good thing or not. Every plant is a business, said Ruben Ravelero, who was helping oversee the workers that day. We got our celebrity.. Itll bring out the citrus. Look, I made more money in tequila than being in the bigget band in the world. Heck, they may not even have ever visited the distillery. When you sit down with them, you realize the majority of them want to start a spirit because they think its a great way to make quick money, she said. Whatever the reason, its clear that celebrities enjoy tequila and are willing to spend money on it. Find out which ones are worth sipping and which to avoid. The flood of. You gotta be excited about what youre doing. The award-wining tequila lineup includes reposado, aejo and tequila blanco. and the first release was a mezcal-tequila blend called Mezquila. The lineup features ultra-premium spirits . Guy Fieri's celebrity chef status isn't just based on his Donkey Sauce, goatee, . While it is among the fastest-growing spirits categories in the U.S., theres still plenty of room for growth. Dos Hombres - by Breaking Bad costars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul - is a mezcal brand launched in 2019. I've not tried it. But the two are linked: Without success, launching a tequila would essentially be an expensive labor of love. 818 Tequila first appeared in the United States in May of this year, and it has since been sold throughout various states (sorry UK!). The same crowd might tell you that celebrity tequilas tend to be much, much more sugary than your average tequila, in keeping with the bubblegum image of many of our favorite superstars. It doesnt take an accountant or a market analyst to conclude that tequila is a hot investment proposal right now. I was like, can I get that? Today, the factory produces nearly 150 brands more than any other distillery in Mexico. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. In 2021, the United States will have $5.16 billion in revenue from its tequila suppliers, which is up from $ 1.068 billion in 2004. This then saw the birth of his 901 tequila, which is now known as Sauza 901. Some celebrities have launched their own alcohol brands. The parties, the glamour, the money its no wonder so many celebrities have their own line of spirits. U.K.-based singer Rita Ora, shareholder and chief creative partner at Prspero Tequila, says shes always been a tequila girl at heart. Menswear designer John Varvatos, who launched Villa One Tequila with Nick Jonas in 2019, says, Were both tequila drinkers, me for most of my adult life.. Part 1: The Tasting Taste 1 Dane Rivera Tasting Notes: On the nose, I'm getting floral notes with the slightest tinge of vanilla. But yeah, the second shot was tough. The couples collection of several hundred tequilas includes many celebrity brands, most of which are not even sold in Mexico. aggregating the scores The third season of 'The Morning Show' premieres with its first two episodes on Sept. 13 Stephanie Wenger is a TV Writer/Reporter at PEOPLE. Since 2020, we have seen an influx of new tequila brands, such as those from Kevin Hart, The Rock, Eva Longoria, and others. He said no! Tickets include patio access to view the parade, Tex-Mex brunch buffet and 2-hour beverage package. Some celebrities may also start alcohol brands as a way to invest in a industry that they are passionate about. Entourages seventh season followed the lives of a fictional actor and his Hollywood friends, and the brand Avion was at the center of the show. Fagnan was previously president of Tequila Avion, which sold to the French beverage company Pernod Ricard in 2018 for around $100 million. Well, fortunately, I guess. Produced from 100% Blue Weber Agave, this . He has a great palate for tequila, he said. We get phone calls and emails constantly from people saying, Were making our own brand, he said. Bottles up, hold em high, the rappers belted before name-checking Avion as well as DeLeon a tequila brand that happens to be owned in part by Diddy. Blanco features fresh citrus notes. So we went from 5,000 cases to 100,000 cases, and it became a legitimate passion. But Nick Jonas and John Varvatos also have their own reasons. For the celebrity spirit market, Dwayne Johnsons Teremana tequila is one of the most sought-after drinks. Or, they could be using it to promote a product theyre involved with. At VinePair, we wondered, why is that so? But one thing we can safely assume is that when he teamed up with quasi-celebrity Rande Gerber and real estate tycoon Mike Meldman, the trio could not have foreseen how lucrative their brand would become. Much like true Champagnes can only be made in the Champagne . And for me, the more expensive they were, the worse the taste! Every single sip tastes like Christmas! The celebrity tequila boom appears to be the result of a variety of factors. Reposado features notes of vanilla and oak. Why Are So Many Celebrities Making Their Own Tequilas? 2014 - 2023 VinePair Inc. Made In NYC. The British singer and Conecuh Brands teamed with female distiller, Stella Anguiano, to launch Prspero tequila in 2020. Like all the tequila made at Casa Maestri, it is distilled from juice extracted from agaves that are cooked partly in an oven and partly in an autoclave, a high-pressure steamer that producers like for its efficiency but that many tequila connoisseurs disdain because they believe it compromises flavor. We have our flaws, but theyre not coming out in the tequila.. We must remain conscious of the ethical implications of what we purchase, but it is also critical to remember that we should respect the cultures that produce the products we buy. Shorts, goatee, same shades. Its the most exciting business. But not everybody is happy with the industrys rapid growth, which carries both an environmental price as farmers bulldoze forests to plant more agave and a cultural one with foreigners playing an ever-growing role in one of Mexicos proudest cultural traditions. Gringos have been making tequila forever, she said, noting that former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar founded his Cabo Wabo tequila in 1996 before selling it for $80 million in 2007. In June 2021, Constellation Brands, Inc acquired a minority stake in the artisanal and . At least the blanco. Nearly all of the worlds top tequila companies Jose Cuervo is a notable exception are owned by foreign companies. Dos Primos, which means Two Cousins, was fittingly launched by the country superstar and his cousinJeff Worn to create a tequila that blended Mexican tradition with southern sensibility., My wife and I love to enjoytequila together,and Im excited for people to share a bottle with friends, sip it around abonfire or enjoy it on a fishingtrip or at tailgate or concert, Rhett said in a press statement. Continuing the family tradition of entrepreneurship, model Kendall Jenner branched out into the world of spirits and launched 818 Tequila in the spring of 2021. Almost overnight, it seemed that every A-list celebrity was debuting a tequila label from Arnold Schwarzenegger to LeBron James, Nick Jonas and Dwayne The Rock Johnson. Story would have it that Clooney and Gerber first created the drink according to their personal tastes, meant to be enjoyed amongst themselves and not for market (thus, Casamigos, or house of friends). So theres a more personal connection to the land and experience of consuming tequila where its produced., The celebrities themselves also lean into the idea of having a certain connection with tequila. This is mezquila. In June 2017, George Clooney and Rande Gerber (a.k.a., the spouse of Cindy Crawford) sold their tequila company, Casamigos, for $1 billion. They are deserving of peoples business because they are hard-working and good at what they do. The celebrity tequila boom is likely due to a number of factors. Sammy Hagar: I feel good, Captain Kirk (laughs). Produced from 100% Blue Weber Agave, this additive-free tequila is produced by third-generation distiller Juan Eduardo Nuez and Karina Rojo at the Jalisco-based El Viejito Distillery and spends approximately 24 months aging in used American whiskey casks. Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria named her brand after the magic of golden hour, and designed her logo in the image of Mayahuel, the Aztec goddess of agave. The image of tequila conjures up the spirit of youthful abandon and exuberance. It was food, dancing girls, live music and drinks. So I asked our master distiller, I said, if you could make that at any cost, what would you do? Hagar, 73, is best known for the decade he spent as frontman for Van Halen, and also as the man behind I Cant Drive 55 (Id also argue for one particular soundtrack song). It says: Not for sale.. The companys first batch, in 2002, was 100 cases. Another singer to dip their toes into the world of tequila is Rita Ora, who has joined forces with master distiller Stella Anguiano to create Prspero. In the surrounding hills, blue agave, tequilas main ingredient, is selling for record prices. Clooney co-founded Casamigos tequila in 2013. This then saw the birth of his 901 tequila, which is now known as Sauza 901. They can do what they want! The key, of course, is Jordan, who appears in promotional material for the tequila alongside his co-investors four NBA team owners and sips it throughout his Netflix documentary The Last Dance.. This is a BETA experience. The small-batch aejo joins Santos already impressive lineup of certified additive-free tequilas, which includes a blanco, 110-proof blanco, reposado, and mezquila (a tequila/mezcal blend). However, tequila can also be dangerous, and many celebrities have had problems with alcohol abuse. The tequila spirit category jumped more than 46% in 2020, according to Forbes. Q&A: Third Eye Blinds Stephan Jenkins on His New (Good!) For some bartenders and drinks media, perhaps tequila has ceded that crown to something more esoteric, like mezcal. Like this article? He went to Colorado and spent 15 years in construction before he was deported earlier this year. He was exactly like he is now, and we became friends. The first Claim to Fame season 2 contestant has been benched. Your weekly guide to the best spirits, wine and beer. When Cabo Wabo was launched in the mid '90s, it was after Hagar had spent years trying to develop his own tequila for his cantina. By subscribing, I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. In recent years, there has been a boom in celebrity-endorsed tequila brands. An Instagrammable-factor and an indication of an enjoyable time spent by whoever is holding the bottle adds a touch of personality to the drink. by a bench. Is this a trend thats driven purely by financial incentives, whether to cash in like Clooney and company, or to profit from Americas increasing appreciation of the spirit? It reminds me of the really old fashioned tequila I had when I first went down to Mexico in the 80s. Monsarat Delgado checks tequila bottles for impurities before being labeled at Cascahuin Tequila distillery. and reviews of other significant voices in the tequila world in one place. Apparently not. In February 2021, Kendall Jenner announced the launch of her tequila brand, 818. Find Teremana Tequila Reposado at Reserve Bar. Theyre not investing to build distilleries, or distilling these products themselves. First up, George Clooney's Casamigos ($46.99): Ross Yoder / BuzzFeed / Casamigos Tequila. He sees the short-term benefits of increased tequila production but worries that the growing monoculture, as well as the use of pesticides, could eventually ruin the industry. Its so popular in fact that we are also now seeing celebrities create their own tequila brands just as we have done with wine! The factory that makes Michael Jordans brand sits along a busy highway on the outskirts of Tequila, where the city gives way to rolling fields of silver-toned agave. The companys tequila has been a part of celebrities lives for some time. What handbag trends to keep an eye out for this fall season? But some celebrities look to create authenticity in another way, saying that they founded their companies because of a genuine love of the spirit. Diddy and spirits company Diageo purchased the tequila brand in 2014. I tasted it once and I knew I wanted to be involved, he says. Great brands evoke emotion. But like so many stars who have embraced tequila, she had the last laugh. And they gave all the women an orange slice and cinnamon. Celebrity hairstylist Ricardo Rojas lives a dream life of traveling with superstar clients but recently had his original childhood dream come true with his first acting role in the 'And Just Like . According to the Distilled Spirits Council, sales of tequila have more than doubled. Celebrity tequila has gone from the trend to the norm. A $47 bottle. 818 Eight Reserve (Kendall Jenner) Calirosa Rosa Blanco (Adam Levine) Gran Coramino Tequila Reposado Cristalino . Their business, Casa Maestri, was still in its infancy when Clooney sold. In 1999, the company was sold for $1 billion to Diageo, and $300 million of that sum was based on performance. A very long and extremely entertaining story about how Sammy Hagar got into the tequila business ends rather abruptly. Teramana, a tequila brand owned by The Rock, is on track to sell 300,000 cases in its first year. Its made tequila a lot more accessible to more people, he said. Hagar was no stranger to the tequila businesshe founded Cabo Wabo in 1996, well before the current agave spirits craze, and sold it about a decade later to Campari for $80 million. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. In fact, some of the best tequilas are made by small, family-run businesses who have been perfecting their craft for generations. Recently, Kendall Jenner launched her own tequila brand, 818 tequila. The Blanco is quite different from standard, un-aged tequila with its vibrant bouquet of dried and fresh floral aromas, which lead seamlessly through to the agave notes and and spice. The Oscar winner's Casamigos was far from the first celebrity-backed tequila to hit the market, but the rise and nearly $1 billion sale of his brand has seen a wave of actors, musicians,. Spirits are experiencing major changes in todays market: people are choosing to drink tequila over vodka. He was a child when his father taught him how to grow agave, planting it next to beans, squash and peanuts, a farming technique meant to mimic the diversity of nature. A fusion of Mexican spirit and California style. Adam Levines and his wife, Behati Prinsloos, Calirosa tequila is aged in red wine barrels from one month up to five years depending on the type of tequila. Guy Fieris celebrity chef status isnt just based on his Donkey Sauce, goatee, and bleached blonde hairhes also the consummate showman, as was on display recently during the launch of his new tequila. With her launch of Prospero Tequila, British pop star Rita Ora became one of the first non-American, non-Mexican celebrities to enter the tequila industry. We Asked Pro Chefs to Weigh In. Growing American demand has been a key part of the transformation. You might as well sell milk. You should keep in mind that the tequila industry is both international and deeply embedded in culture. We havent tasted this yet but if you have, get in touch and let us know what you thought. I built Cabo Wabo, which was a cantina. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google. As the first tequila manufacturer to be licensed, it has grown to become one of the market leaders. Tantalizing Tamales: Exploring Rhymes and More! There are . For a man who has ventured into seemingly every business on earth, it seems inevitable that The Rock would create a tequila of his own. Helmed on the production side by Master Distiller Stella Anguiano, Prospero is distinguished by its colorful logo and enjoyed for its floral flavor palate. Find Dos Hombres Espadin Mezcal at Reserve Bar. There have been numerous celebrity-backed tequilas on the market since George Clooneys Casamigos was released in 1999. According to the IWSR, tequila volume sales represent just 25 percent of the size of the vodka category. Caller after caller wanted to know if the distillery could help them make their own tequila label. But is it really what Cincoro Chief Executive Emilia Fazzalari promised in a recent Forbes interview a new tequila, a better tequila?. David Pescovitz 8:58 am Fri Jun 30, 2023. Like oil and water. We cant keep up with global demand, said Augustin Velzquez Servin, an agave producer who also has a small label called Ruiseor. Mark Walhbergs tequila (he's a new investor of an recently established tequila) has gotten pretty good reviews- Flecha Azul. With Hollywood culture so driven by image and status, it makes sense that a celebrity would want to be associated with a spirit that is cool. Does tequila fit that bill? Vicki Denig (right) with Stephanie Denig (left) and Guy Fieri of Santo Spirits, On the nose, aromas of citrus, tropical fruits, and sweet spice led to a satiny, easy-drinking palate laden with fruit-tinged flavors of pepper, agave, and hints of vanilla. At least one valid email address is required. Its really DJs call, she said, referring to Johnson by his initials. And when I sold Cabo Wabo, he told me if Im ever going to do tequila again, hes in. And I was like, you gotta have tequila. Theres a long line of men that came before Kendall Jenner that nobody ever said a word about.. He began freelancing for the Orange County Register and relocated to south Florida in 2001, when he was awarded a fellowship through the Freedom Forum. Tequila is like pizza, he told a rapt audience. You gotta go out into the agave fields and then eat the food right on the property its like having bread and cheese at a Bordeaux vineyard, itll never taste as good anywhere else. And one day he came to me and said, This is not tequila, this is not mezcal. There are Blanco and Reposado styles available, the former being described as having notes of bright citrus with a fresh finish and the latter as having notes of oak and vanilla with a smooth, rich finish. In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Guac on the Rock encourages diners to support their local restaurants. It was $235 per bottle, but we made less than our $37 bottle. See the lineup below and for more drink suggestions, read our list of musician-owned liquor and non-alcoholic brands and wines. My favorite margaria is the juice of one fresh mexican lime, double that with Contrreau, add a 1/4 teaspoon agave syrup I like it sweet and then double that with Santo Blanco. People know that bench, and then . Its also possible that celebrities are buying tequila because its seen as a luxurious item, and they want to be associated with that. I also wanted to educate and inspire others to cook Mexican food at home. Santo is a reunion of sorts for Hagar, as hes working with the distiller he originally partnered with on Cabo Wabo, Juan Eduardo Nuez, along with tequilera Karina Rojo at the El Viejito Distillery (NOM 1107)in Jalisco. Founded by the pair in 2013, the company was even . He blazed the trail for stars such as Rihanna, who became a billionaire and the richest female musician in the world, not from record sales but from her cosmetics brand. And awesome. Teremana can produce small batches as well as bricks roasted in an oven. Its a smart business move, and one that is sure to pay off in the long run. It has a relatively low ranking on the crowd-sourced rating app Tequila Matchmaker, with one reviewer describing the flavor of Cincoros $130 aejo as vanilla LifeSaver candy dipped in coco powder and concluding there is nothing here that is anywhere close to what a good, traditionally made tequila strives to be.. But nobody was willing to make us tequila. A worker agitates sweet agave juice that will later be fermented with yeast at Cascahuin Tequila distillery. Cincoros Fazzalari says she and her co-founders tasted thousands of tequilas over a three-year period before finally settling on the formula for their brand. Price: US$29.99 for the 750ml Blanco and $32.99 for the 750ml Reposado In his downtime between battling giant flying wolves in Rampage and his jungle-based antics in Jumanji, The Rock has somehow. Partnering with his good friend Rande Gerber and their business partner Mike Meldman in 2013 to create Casamigos, Clooneys brand has since become so popular that by the end of 2020, it hit the million case sales a year milestone! Guillermo Erickson Sauza, 64, owner, with Molly, in the tequila aging room at the Fortaleza tequila distillery. Feelings surrounding celebrity tequila are fraught to say the very least. Tequila is, finally, becoming a more and more popular drink to enjoy on a night out. Greengos Cantina' website is all about Mexican cuisine. But our company quickly outgrew that. Some artists, such as Beyonc, have chosen to use a different tequila brand every time they release a new album. Covering the issues, politics, culture and lifestyle of the Latino community in L.A., California and beyond. On to better things. The year 2019 saw the rise of the tequila trend, with celebrities releasing their own lines of tequila. His company, which sells in the U.S. under the name Fortaleza, is one of the most traditional tequila brands on the market. It is designed to be enjoyed among friends rather than marketed. This helps support TequilaRaiders at no additional cost to you. So, if you are lucky enough to live stateside then you have a choice between the Blanco, Reposado and Aejo, which have racked up a combined total of 16 tasting awards between themselves already! Anyway, he put Cabo as the well tequila in his restaurant. The heritage facility, which producesblanco, reposado and aejo small batch tequilas, is led by a group of longtime distillers who focus on quality as well as sustainability. First, the popularity of tequila has exploded in recent years, thanks in part to the rise of craft cocktails and the popularity of Mexican-themed restaurants. How was your year? Even though season 2 has wrapped production and is slated to premiere on July 14, the guys of the . A celebrity endorsement should be based on a thorough understanding of tequilas cultural significance and production methods. 2023 Billboard Media, LLC. So far, the celebrity tequila boom shows no signs of slowing down. I wouldnt do that for money. Rita Ora, a $30 million-plus billionaire, has decided to try her hand at the tequila industry. While some celebrity tequilas are good, there is a fine line between homage and appropriation. Slow roasting of the agave in traditional brick and clay ovens, combined with slow fermentation, under the precise guidance of our master distiller contribute enriched depth and complexity to the agaves natural sweetness, creating a remarkably nuanced character.. As a result, some celebrities have become more obsessed with tequila due to the trend, while others are less interested in the spirit in general. Sammy Hagar and Guy Fieri of Hollywood collaborated with Juan Eduardo Nu*ez, a third-generation distiller from Guadalajaras El Viejito distillery, to create Santo, a handcrafted, old-world style tequila with a sinfully smooth smoothness. We did all these great things to it that made people think they like tequila, which Im fine with. According to Mexican law, tequila is not tequila unless it is produced in Jalisco or in select municipalities in four other states. And it turns out a 50-50 tequila/mezcal split was nasty. Since 2017, numerous high-profile celebrities have launched or bought into tequila brands, including Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson ( Teremana Tequila ), Michael Jordan ( Cincoro ), Sean "P Diddy". Delen offers a variety oftequilas made from 100% Highland Blue Weber agave from the Los Altos region of Jalisco. So I made rum in Hawaii then moved that to Puerto Rico because it was too expensive. These six made a killing by starting tequila companies. First Celebrity Tequila. The latest expression to join the Santo family is an aejo, aged in American oak barrels for about 24 months and bottled at 80 proof. Image can be an incredibly valuable asset, even if its very hard to monetize, says Daniel. He and business partner Rande Gerber sold the brand in 2017 to Diageo for $1 billion, making. An anejo, maybe a bit of orange zest, but Im a purist. The drink is associated with a number of celebrities due to a number of factors. There are a few reasons why celebrities might buy tequila. With our reposado, Id just have it with an orange slice.