CELEBRITY AGAVE CELEBRITY MEZCAL BRANDS—BUT WHICHWILL ONES BRANDS—BUT MEZCAL PERSONALITIES LAUNCH TEQUILA AND TEQUILA LAUNCH PERSONALITIES AS AGROWING OF FAMOUSAS NUMBER THERE’S A GOLD RUSH IN MEXICO AGOLD RUSHTHERE’S MEXICO IN OBSESSION HAVE STAYING POWER? BY JACK ROBERTIELLO BY THE

TEREMANA PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL PERSICO / COURTESY OF DOS HOMBRES / COURTESY OF PROSPERO / LOS LOBOS PHOTOGRAPH BY JUSTIN BETTMAN / PHOTOGRAPH BY JIMMY SEARGEANT/REVEL SPIRITS hen Keeping up with the Kardashians star and fashion mogul alone can’t justify the super-premium Kendall Jenner announced in February that she was the force price tags of many of these brands, so stars are eager to prove their commitment behind 818 Tequila, social media exploded with accusations of to quality to their large audiences. W cultural appropriation and then counterclaims of sexism. Last year, LeBron James launched Lo- bos 1707 ($54.99 for the mezcal, $44.99 for joven tequila, $149.99 for extra añejo) which Few spirit brands command anything George Clooney uses Pedro Ximenez sherry-seasoned bar- like that sort of social media attention, and Rande Gerber's rels for aged expressions. Also leveraging and when the dust settles, what the public Casamigos sold to basketball fame, Michael Jordan released will likely remember is that Jenner is now Cincoro in 2019 ($70 for blanco, $90 for re- in the tequila business—like so many ce- Diageo for $1 billion posado, $130 for añejo, and $1,600 for extra lebrities these days. in 2017. añejo) which boasts an ultra-smooth and The list of famous names in film, TV, complex flavor profile from a combination music, sports, and technology getting into of highland and lowland-grown agaves. the agave game continues to grow, all, to The list goes on: Pit Bull has backed some degree, attempting to harness their emerging brand Espanita, singer Nick Jo- social influence to drive sales. Ricard: It’s fun, exciting, and especially nas and designer John Varvatos teamed While celebrity-owned brands are attractive to the West Coast-based en- up for Villa One, Sex and the City’s Chris hardly new (there’s even an online tertainment industry so close to Mexico. Noth took a share of Ambhar, Sean Combs marketplace, GrapeStars, offering direct- “There’s a gold rush going on with tequila partnered in a joint venture with Diageo to-consumer sales of celebrity wines and in the celebrity world, and I think others for Deleón. Mexican celebrities are partic- spirits) the recent surge in star-powered will get into this space,” says Austin. ipating, too: Ojo Tigre Mezcal has teamed tequila and mezcal brands is remarkable. Yet just how many of these brands will up with actor Luis Gerardo Méndez, and Why agave and why now? The catego- be around in a few years? “With any gold the brand just launched mezcal seltzer ry’s surging success is one draw: Tequila rush, there’s always a shakeout,” adds Aus- cocktails as well. Country star Jon Wolfe and mezcal have been exploding through tin, “and in the end, the gold rush will slow debuted Juan Lobo in 2019 which is pro- the pandemic, posting the highest growth and the people who got into it to make a duced using Champagne yeasts and sup- of all spirits categories in volume (8.5 per- quick buck will vanish.” posedly benefits from the classical music cent) and revenue (17.4 percent) last year, that is played in the warehouse at the Feli- and agave distillates now comprise the The Quest to Prove Authenticity ciano Vivanco distillery in Arandas. fourth-largest spirit category after vodka, None have been as savvy about the This Is Us actor Justin Hartley and singer American whiskey, and rum, according to twinned power of celebrity and social Babyface, in partnership with founders and the Distilled Spirits Council. media as Johnson, who for several years ex-music executives Micah McFarlane and The appeal of agave is obvious, says kept his Instagram followers informed Ken Austin, who helped Dwayne “The of the development of Teremana. Break- Rock” Johnson create his Teremana Te- ing Bad’s Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul quila brand and guided Tequila Avión to a also shared stories of scouring the fields multi-million dollar payout from Pernod of Oaxaca to create Dos Hombres mezcal. Some celebrity-backed tequilas can sell for high prices based on name recog-

OPPOSITE CLOCKWISE: Dwayne Johnson with jimadors in nition alone. Elon Musk’s limited release, an agave field // Dos Hombres cofounders, Aaron Paul $250 Tesla Tequila, for instance, was first and Bryan Cranston // Prospero Blanco benefits from teased as “Teslaquila” via social media Rita Ora's star power // Dia Simms and LeBron James of years before selling out on Tesla's website Lobos 1707 // Revel, an agave spirit in the avila category, has partnered with Justin Hartley // RIGHT: Dos Hombres days after launch last November. Mezcal is produced by Gregorio Velasco Luis, who formerly But largely, there seems to be an un-

TEREMANA PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL BETTMAN BY JUSTIN PERSICO BY TEREMANA / COURTESY PHOTOGRAPH PHOTOGRAPH HOMBRES OF DOS JIMMY BY LOBOS / COURTESY SEARGEANT/REVEL / PHOTOGRAPH / LOS OF PROSPERO SPIRITS produced the critically acclaimed Pierde Almas derstanding that the celebrity association CELEBRITY AGAVE

Jacqui Thompson, are testing the growing Other brands are finding ways to con- other brands included in this feature are interest in more esoteric agave expressions nect with performers: Espolon is con- using contract distillers to produce. with the launch of Revel Avila, a 100 percent tinuing its sponsorship of HBO’s A Tiny And then there’s the social media ad- Blue Weber agave spirit made in the Audience, episodes of which feature a vantage: As spirit companies increasingly Morelos region of Mexico (and therefore not chart-topping Latin artist in performance. scramble to devise social media market- permitted to be labeled tequila). Piñas are All, of course, operate in the shadow ing schemes to accelerate their brands, thrown into a pit filled with local volcanic of George Clooney and Rande Gerber’s celebrities provide a premade following. rock, then covered with sand and leaves and Casamigos, the tequila and mezcal brand “In today’s world, before you start mar- roasted for 48 hours, giving Revel a subtly founded in 2013, which Diageo scooped up keting in any medium, you have to con- smoky profile. for $1 billion in 2017. Interestingly, while sider social media because it’s such a big they are credited as the first celebrity part of people’s lives,” says Roy Danis, the tequila connection, stars Bing Crosby and president and CEO of premium spirits Phil Harris arranged for the distribution company Conecuh Brands. “I wanted to create of Herradura as the first 100 percent agave To create its Próspero brand, Conecuh tequila in the U.S. in the 1940s. partnered with pop star Rita Ora, well- a brand that invited known internationally if less so in the U.S. women into the space. Riding the Agave Boom Ora was brought on as a creative partner But how can you launch Besides the obvious opportunistic appeal as the brand was launched in 2019. a new product and cut of the growing category, agave spirits over “Historically, the category had a bit the years have developed a reputation for of a male skew,” says Danis. “I wanted through the clutter?” authenticity that many find compelling. to create a brand that invited women – Roy Danis, CEO, Conecuh Brands Some consumers even like to claim into the space as much as men. But how on partnering with Rita Ora and (without evidence) that the so-called can you launch a new product in a very Prospero Tequila purity of the agricultural product makes competitive environment and cut through agave spirits a “healthier” option. the clutter?” He connected with Ora to help Plus the barriers to entry for a new with the marketing efforts, and she’s now agave brand are relatively low. Many the chief creative partner, bringing along Mexican distillers custom produce a dozen over 30 million social media followers. or more bespoke or off the rack brands How involved these celebrities are with for entrepreneurs, so it’s not necessary the brands varies; in the case of Teremana, to own or operate a distillery. While says Austin, Johnson educated himself Teremana operates its own distillery, all about everything from Brix levels to agave piña roasting methods and outlined his specific requirements, including creating ABOVE LEFT: Los Lobos tequila and mezcal, RIGHT: LeBron James toasts with members of the "Wolf Pack" // BOTTOM: a separate registered production process

Singer Rita Ora meets with master distiller Stella Anguiano on the estate, opting for brick ovens and BETTMAN JUSTIN BY COURTESY / PHOTOGRAPH PACK OF PROSPER0 WOLF LOBOS HERRON / LOS BOTTLES LOBOS DAVE BY LOS CELEBRITY AGAVE

copper stills and setting a relatively low Scully. At first they had trouble finding “With any gold rush, price for a celebrity brand ($29.99). After their target market, as potential consumers there’s always a shake- trying more than 110 samples, Johnson seemed confused by the new category. But out, and in the end, the signed off on the product. after launching a blanco tequila in 2020, Perhaps the celebrity with the sales for both took off. Reposado and añejo gold rush will slow and most agave credibility is Sammy Hagar, tequilas are on the way. the people who got into who launched Cabo Wabo in 1996 and The simultaneous surge in interest it to make a quick buck sold it to Campari in 2010. Hagar more in mezcal and increase in Blue Weber will vanish.” recently teamed with chef Guy Fieri to agave prices has helped bring mezcal to launch Santo Tequila in late 2019 after the world of American celebrities. When – Ken Austin, industry veteran working introducing the tequila/mezcal mash-up Avion started, agaves sold for around .50 with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson “mezquila” in 2017—a new iteration that pesos per kilo and as of fall 2020, prices on Teremana Tequila came from sampling tequila and mezcal were around 30 pesos, says Austin. together in cocktails, according to Santo Cranston and Paul were looking for a managing partner Miles Scully. Hagar project as a result of the close relationship and Scully connected with cook Guy Fieri developed over the years of Breaking Bad, for his palate and strong TV ratings. and the two almost literally stumbled (purchased by Diageo in 2018) at his distill- Working through about 300 combina- upon the distillery where Dos Hombres is ery. “If Gregorio stops making Dos Hom- tions, the goal was “to bring the tequila made on their first trip looking for a liquid bres, we’re out of business,” says Cranston. drinker to mezcal by creating something to import. Cranston especially notes his “He’s incredibly important to us. We know that was in between, like a spicy blanco previous ignorance of the category. very little about this.” with a little smoky kick at the end,” says “So when Aaron said, ‘What about Like other celebrities new to the spirits mezcal? I said, ‘Oh, no, no, no’—this knee industry, Cranston and Paul are working jerk reaction,” recalls Cranston. “But we their way through the various culs-de-sac went to a mezcal bar and it opened my that can waylay a brand. They recognize that eyes because of the incredible variety of regardless of celebrity association, building the spirit. I really had no idea.” a successful brand requires commitment to The two partnered with Gregorio quality, plus a lot of persistence. Velasco Luis, who formerly produced the As Danis says, “We’ve all witnessed critically acclaimed Pierde Almas Mezcal celebrity brands that come and go. If the brand is all about celebrity, that is really not a sustainable long-term selling ABOVE: Espanita pairs with Pitbull for promotions// proposition. Because if the celebrity loses Teremana's two expressions// LEFT: Micah McFarlane and interest, the brand declines.” ■

Justin Hartley partnered to build the Revel Avila brand COURTESY / PHOTOGRAPH JIMMY BY OF DESTILERIA TEREMANA SEARGEANT/REVEL / PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY SPIRITS PHOTOGRAPH OF ESPANITA