Here’s a hot take: Celebrity endorsements sell products. Turns out those marketing agencies and professionals are on to something…
The global beverage alcohol market is expected to reach a value of nearly $1.7 billion by 2025.
That number, released by Allied Market Research, growth of around $250 million compared to 2017, when the market was valued at $1.439 billion.
Much of that actualized and projected growth is due to two factors, according to Allied Market Research: demand for premium and super-premium beverage alcohol, and demand for celebrity-endorsed and owned beverage alcohol brands.
Marry the two—premium brand with celebrity endorsement—and you’ve got a recipe for success. Simply put, stocking bottles of tequila brands with celebrity backing is a smart play, as is shouting them out on your menu and back bar.
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Here are eight tequila brands owned or endorsed by celebrities that you need to know.
Santo Fino Blanco Tequila
Sammy Hagar and Guy Fieri
Sammy Hagar is no newbie when it comes to entering the celebrity-owned spirit market. He owns Cabo Wabo Tequila, Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum, and Santo Puro Mezquila (with Adam Levine), along with bar and restaurant chains Cabo Wabo Cantina and Sammy’s Beach Bar & Grill. For his latest foray into the spirits world he has partnered celebrity chef Guy Fieri, who owns and operates dozens of restaurants. Juan Eduardo Nuñez, the master distiller behind Cabo Wabo Tequila and Mezuila, was once again called on by Hagar to craft Santo Fino.
Nightclub & Bar Show 2020 attendees will have the opportunity to taste Santo Fino, Beach Bar Rum, and Mezquila when they visit booth 26 on the Expo Floor.
Dos Hombres Mezcal
Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston
[Insert clever Breaking Bad reference about Jesse and Walter making mezcal instead of their signature Blue Sky.] Before anyone gives me a hard time about the second product on this list being a mezcal, let’s remember that all tequila is mezcal. And this celebrity-owned mezcal has made quite the impression on consumers. People across the globe can’t get enough of actors Paul and Cranston, and it seems they can’t get enough of their mezcal, either.
Villa One Tequila
Nick Jonas and John Varvatos
Rock stars love rocking decadent, luxe label John Varvatos, so it’s not a surprise that Nick Jonas has collaborated with the chic designer to bring their own tequila label to market. Like the clothing Varvatos designs, Villa One is an ultra-premium brand. The business partners made sure of that by enlisting master distiller Arturo Fuentes—the master craftsman behind Tequila Cenote—to distill the liquid that produces their Silver, Reposado and Añejo expressions.
Teremana Tequila
Dwyane “The Rock” Johnson
The Rock has declared his move into the spirits business “the tequila of the people.” Makes sense, coming from the wielder of the People’s Elbow. While the tequilas will be ultra-premium and small batch, the blanco and reposado will reportedly MSRP for just $29.99 and $32.99, respectively. Teremana is supposed to launch next month—follow the brand’s Twitter account for updates.
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Cincoro Tequila
Michael Jordan, Jeanie Buss, Wes Edens, Wyc Grousbeck and Emilia Fazzalari
The name Cincoro translates to “five gold” in Spanish, a reference to the five owners of the brand and their mission to craft the “gold standard” of tequila. Each founding partner is also an NBA team owner: Jordan owns the Charlotte Hornets, Buss co-owns the LA Lakers, Edens co-owns the Milwaukee Bucks, and Grousbeck and Fazzalari co-own the Boston Celtics. Cincoro is crafted from Blue Weber agave grown in both the Highland and Lowland appellations in Jalisco, Mexico, and the range consists of four expressions: Blanco, Reposado, Añejo and Extra Añejo.
Próspero Tequila
Rita Ora
Stella Anguiano has been crafting tequila for more than three decades. She’s one of very few female master tequila distillers, which is part of what inspired artist Rita Ora to help launch this super-premium spirit. Ora is a shareholder, the brand’s chief creative partner, and a highly visible global brand ambassador. Próspero’s lineup includes a Blanco, Reposado and Añejo.
E. Cuarenta
E-40
Like Sammy Hagar, legendary rapper E-40, who brought us the banger “Tell Me When to Go” among many others, is no stranger to the beverage alcohol industry. He has produced wines under Earl Stevens, his given name, and also RTD bottled cocktail Sluricane (which appeared at a past Nightclub & Bar Show). Now, he’s bringing us E. Cuarenta—“E-40” in Spanish—with Blanco, Reposado, Añejo and limited editions of Extra Añejo. Time to get hyphy!
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INSÓLITO Tequila
Midland
Mark Wystrach, Jess Carson, and Cameron Duddy formed country band Midland in 2016. In short order they’ve earned Grammy nominations and formed a partnership with Spirits Innovation Partners and Premium de Jalisco, the revered distillery operated by brothers Alberto and Octavio Herrera. For now, INSÓLITO Blanco, Reposado and Añejo—all in striking bottles—are available in Texas on- and off-premise, and at stops along Midland’s Road to the Rodeo tour.
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