(Photo: Not A Celebrity Tequila)
The celebrity-owned tequila craze as we know it today was catapulted in 2017 when George Clooney and Rande Gerber sold Casamigos Tequila for a headline-grabbing $1 billion. From Kendall Jenner to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, dozens of high-profile stars took it as an opportunity to capture that lucrative lightning in a bottle one more time. Thanks to celebrities, tequila is now well on its way to becoming America's fastest-growing spirit. Critics, however, have argued the market is being flooded with low-quality filler.
Andrew Bushby and Patty Baer, founders of Not A Celebrity Tequila, seem to agree.
Hitting the market on Cinco de Mayo, the brand promises a back-to-basics approach toward agave spirits. According to the brand, distillation forgoes the much-maligned diffuser in favor of an autoclave and roller mill. Its additive-free recipe of agave and water ("not fame and fortune") is said to contain delicate flavors of citrus and pepper.
"Not A Celebrity Tequila is poised to attract and inform the burgeoning market of tequila neophytes, converting them from the allure of overpriced, underthought celebrity-endorsed spirits to a higher-quality tequila," the brand said in a news release.
"Consumers can seek a more meaningful connection with their beverage, as Not A Celebrity Tequila offers a refreshing alternative – one that celebrates tradition, craftsmanship, and the true spirit of tequila worthy of the red carpet."
The brand is certainly not afraid to bat directly against well-known tequila rivals. Its website boldly highlights a quote from Robb Report writer Jonah Flicker that reads: “It is in fact much better than some well-known celebrity tequila brands like Casamigos, Gran Coramino, Cincoro, and 818...”
Time will tell how Not A Celebrity Tequila actually stacks up against the competition. While most celebrity-backed brands are held in low regard, certain exceptions — like Guy Fieri's Santo Tequila and George Strait's Codigo 1530 — have proven unexpected hits with critics and consumers alike. Not A Celebrity Tequila may easily surpass the worst of the category, but can it rub shoulders with the best?
Ahead of a national release on Cinco de Mayo, bottles are available for pre-order on the brand's website at $40 a pop.
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