Tinseltown Tequila - analysing the Casamigos Effect

TINSELTOWN TEQUILA

HOLLYWOOD MOVIE STARS AND ROCK ‘N’ ROLL LEGENDS ARE LINING UP TO CREATE A TEQUILA TO CALL THEIR OWN. BUT BEFORE EVERYONE GETS ‘THUNDERSTRUCK’ BY THE ‘CASAMIGOS EFFECT’, IS CELEBRITY TEQUILA GOOD FOR THE CATEGORY?

George Clooney and partners Randy Gerber and Michael Meldman walked away with just shy of $250 million each after selling their tequila brand to Diageo in 2017. The trio says the whole thing was an accident, and all they wanted was a tequila that suited their taste profile criteria they could share with friends. Diageo bought the celebrity-created and endorsed brand for a huge sum with no agave crops and no distillery attached; they just bought the brand.

It’s kicked off an avalanche of celebrities starting tequila brands with a Hollywood halo, and although the consumers may be star-struck, not everyone is on board.

Guillermo Sauza from Fortaleza Tequila says it might bring people to the category because they want to drink George Clooney’s contract tequila, for example, or The Rock’s contract tequila the emphasis on ‘contract’. He believes celebrities are good for the industry because they convert regular consumers of other categories, such as vodka or rosé, to tequila.

“Those people eventually upgrade into a more authentic and non-contract brand. For us, it’s good because people start with these entry-level brands and eventually move up to authentic familyowned or small brands. It’s on fire in Australia and the United States,” Sauza says.

Sauza tells the story of how the Casamigos trio initially approached him to make their tequila.

I thought they were going to buy our tequila for their bar. In the end, the Randy Gerber guy married to the pretty woman said, ‘I think there is a problem here.’ – Guillermo Sauza, Fortaleza Tequila.

“They have a bar in Malibu, and I went all the way up there to talk with them, and I thought they were going to buy our tequila for their bar. In the end, the Randy Gerber guy married to the pretty woman said, ‘I think there is a problem here; we didn’t call you up so we could buy your tequila for the bar -we called you up to see if you could make tequila for us.’

“I was stunned. I sat there in silence. It was a four-hour drive in LA traffic! I said, there is a mistake; we don’t make tequila for anyone—Gooday, gentleman.

“George Clooney did it to make money and more power to him. Everyone has approached us to buy us out but we are not for sale.”

Phil Bayley, Tequila expert and bar owner, says he sees it as an issue.

“Sure, they are making money,” he says, “But are they good for the industry? It’s just a contract brand. Don’t be fooled by the fancy packaging and marketing. There are 165 distilleries in Jalisco and 5000 odd brands; the important thing is who the distiller is.”

He believes many are not serious enough about the quality. He says, “a lot of it tastes like crap but is selling like hotcakes.”

Bayley does make an exception for local former Miss Australia, Jennifer Hawkins and her tequila brand Sesión. He says she is a tequila lover from way back.

Joseph Chisholm brand ambassador for Patron Tequila says if they are the gateway or the bridge for consumers to enjoy tequila then “who am I to judge”.

“If these styles of tequila attract a different consumer then that’s great for the tequila world. But my concern is around the education, which is 90% of my job,” he says.

So, if you want to know whether your tequila comes from a credible distillery, Bayley recommends the Tequilamatchmaker app, where you can search the brand and find out where and who made it.

So, when did it all begin? Bayley believes it started with musician Carlos Santana when he bought into 200-year-old tequila brand Casa Noble in 2011. Today there are more than a few. Check out this list for starters. Go out and grab yourself some celebrity tequila, and you be the judge: • CARLOS SANTANA

Casa Noble Tequila launched 1997 • JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

Sauza 901 Tequila launched 2009 • P. DIDDY

Deleón Tequila launched 2009 • GEORGE CLOONEY,

RANDY GERBER,

AND MICHAEL MELDMAN

Casamigos Tequila launched 2013 • JENNIFER HAWKINS

Sesión Tequila launched 2015 • AC/DC

Thunderstruck Tequila launched 2016 • ADAM LEVINE,

AND SAMMY HAGAR

Santo Mezquila launched 2017 • RITA ORA

Próspero launched 2019 • DWAYNE ‘THE ROCK’ JOHNSON

Teremana Tequila launched 2020 • NICK JONAS

Villa One Tequila launched 2020 • KENDALL JENNER 818 Tequila launched 2021