(Photo: Cincoro Tequila)
In an interview on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert," 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams shared insight into her recent investment in Cincoro Tequila, the all-star spirits imprint brought to market by Michael Jordan in 2019.
Between anecdotes of a childhood skateboarding accident and her cryptic social media posts, Williams grinned ear-to-ear when Colbert brought out a glass decanter of Cincoro Añejo from behind his desk. Just months before, the tennis pro had signed on to the brand's co-ownership group alongside a list of legends including Yankees alum Derek Jeter and professional golfers Dustin Johnson and Keegan Bradley.
From the sounds of it, Jordan had a big role to play in bringing together the sports industry veterans.
"So, Michael Jordan, he reached out," Williams explained. "I actually love the product and tasted it first. I love tequila in general, but I always thought tequila was for throwing it back, you know? I didn't know you could sip on it."
The investment represents the latest in a series of business moves from the champion. During last year's Super Bowl, Williams starred in not one but two alcohol-centric ad spots, going to bat for Michelob Ultra and Remy Martin Cognac. In April, she partnered with Good Glamm Group to launch Wyn Beauty, a makeup brand designed "with active lifestyles in mind." Alongside her real estate portfolio and venture capital firm, Williams has an estimated net worth of around $400 million — more than enough to go in on a fast-growing tequila brand.
When asked if Jordan has given her any "GOAT" advice, Williams elaborated:
"He has been very supportive. To be part of such an iconic person — I still want to be like Mike. I think everyone out there kind of wants to be like Mike, and that was me. To be one of the investors and on this team with what we're doing, and we're growing something very authentic and slow. We want to build a really great tequila that people genuinely love and can genuinely drink and learn that you can sip tequila, and not shoot 'em back. Well, I do still like to shoot, but I like to sip this one. But it’s just been so fun just to actually work with him on a team."
Though Jordan may be the public-facing leader of the brand, Cincoro counts a number of unexpected partners behind the scenes. The tequila was initially conceived by a group of NBA owners: Wes Edens of the Milwaukee Bucks, Jeanie Buss of the Los Angeles Lakers and Wyc Grousbeck and Emilia Fazzalari of the Boston Celtics. At the time, Jordan was an owner of the Charlotte Hornets but has since sold his majority stake investment in the team.
When Williams was brought on to Cincoro in May, she came alongside DraftKings founders Jason Robins, Matt Kalish and Paul Liberman, co-founder of Fenway Sports Group Sir Paul Marshall, and Gerry Cardinale of RedBird Capital Partners.
If you're interested in checking out the tequila for yourself, you can purchase bottles online ranging from $70 for Cincoro Blanco to nearly $1,600 for Cincoro Extra Añejo.
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