Celebrity Agave: 20 Stars With Tequila or Mezcal Brands

Perhaps the most famous celebrity-aligned booze brand, Casamigos was co-founded by actor George Clooney, nightlife impresario Rande Gerber, and property developer Mike Meldman in 2013. The trio initially (supposedly) had no intention to sell the brand, which they founded in order to make a tequila according to their own personal tastes, to share with friends (the name loosely translates to “house of friends”). Nevertheless, they famously sold the brand to Diageo in 2017 for an astonishing $1 billion.

“Breaking Bad” stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul teamed up in 2019 to launch Dos Hombres Mezcal Artesanal; the name is a nod to the fact that they’re two friends on a quest to find the perfect mezcal. It’s made from espadín agave grown on the hillsides of a small village in Oaxaca.

DeLéon Tequila was founded as a 100% blue agave tequila by entrepreneur Brent Hocking in 2008, and hit the U.S. market on Cinco de Mayo 2009. In 2013, it was purchased by Diddy and beverage giant Diageo, who own 50% each. Four different varieties are available, from young (blanco) to extra-aged (extra añejo); the limited-edition Leóna, which is aged for 34 months in Sauternes wine barrels, retails for $825.

Van Halen’s “Red Rocker” Sammy Hagar famously launched Cabo Wabo tequila in 1999 and he sold the brand in two installments to Gruppo Campari in 2007 and 2011 for a reported $91 million. In 2017, he teamed up with the Mayor of Flavortown himself to launch Santo, a line of tequilas made with 100% blue agave and overseen by a third-generation master distiller in the highlands of Jalisco. They also produce a “Mezquila,” the world’s first tequila-mezcal blend.

Entrepreneur Diego Osorio founded Lobos 1707 in 2020; his family seal includes a wolf (“lobo” in Spanish), hence the name. His line of tequilas are made with 100% blue agave, and the mezcal is made with 100% espadín agave. LeBron James is the primary investor; Arnold Schwarzenegger and James’s fellow Laker Anthony Davis have also made an investment in the brand.

Kendall Jenner’s tequila brand, 818, is named after the San Fernando Valley area code, and since its 2021 launch it’s seen its fair share of controversy. For one, it’s been accused of ripping off the name and color scheme of another tequila brand, 512 (named after the area code of Austin, Texas). She’s also been accused of cultural appropriation for promoting the brand without mentioning the local agave farmers who produce it.

Founded by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in 2020, Teremana Tequila is made in small batches in a small town in the highlands of Jalisco. The agave is roasted in traditional brick ovens and distilled in handmade copper pot stills. The name is derived from the Latin word “terra” (earth) and the Polynesian word “mana” (spirit), meaning “spirit of the earth.” At about $36 per bottle, it’s one of the least expensive celeb tequilas.

Nick Jonas and designer John Varvatos are apparently good friends, and on a trip to Mexico in 2018 they decided to join forces and start a tequila brand. They teamed up with Stoli Group, and in 2019 Villa One Tequila was born. It’s produced at Jalisco’s Fabrica de Tequilas Finos distillery (owned by Stoli), is made from 100% blue Weber agave sourced from both the highland and lowland regions, and matured for five to seven years.

Cincoro is a super-premium tequila brand introduced in 2019 by a handful of basketball team owners: Jeanie Buss (president of the Los Angeles Lakers), Wes Edens (co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks), Emilia Fazzalari and her husband Wyc Grousbeck (co-owners of the Boston Celtics), and of course Michael Jordan, who owns the Charlotte Hornets. It’s produced by a contract distiller named Destiladora del Valle de Tequila, and is among the most expensive tequilas out there: the unaged blanco retails for $70, and the extra añejo clocks in at $1,600 per bottle.

“This is Us” star Justin Hartley teamed up with musician Babyface (remember him?) to invest in a spirit company called Revel after meeting the founder and tasting it at a party. Revel can’t technically be called tequila because it’s produced outside of the five permitted Mexican states, but it’s still made from 100% blue agave, both steamed and roasted before being distilled – a process unique to its Morelos region.

Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine and his wife, runway model Behati Prinsloo, launched their Calirosa Tequila in 2021. It’s a single-origin tequila made in Amatitán, Jalisco, by a family company that’s been making the spirit since 1942, and the bottle design is reminiscent of that often used for rosé wine bottles.

Cheech is getting a piece of the action with his Tres Papalote Mezcal. It’s available in two varieties (one from wild cupreata agave and one from espadín, both traditionally roasted in a fire pit in the ground), and the art on the bottle is a glass sculpture made by Mexican-born artists from Marin’s personal art collection.

Yep, there’s a Tesla tequila, and yep, it’s wildly expensive. Elon Musk jumped into the tequila fray in 2020. Produced by Casa Maestri (which produces more than 150 tequila brands, including Michael Jordan’s), it’s an añejo aged for 15 months and sold in lightning-bolt-shaped hand-blown glass bottles. It was produced in very limited quantities and priced initially at $250 per bottle, but it quickly sold out and now appears to be selling for upwards of $1,000.

Actor Chris Noth purchased a majority stake in the luxury tequila brand Ambhar back in 2018 and was the public face of the company as its brand ambassador. The tequila, 100% blue agave, is available in plata, reposado, and añejo varieties. The drinks firm Entertainment Arts Research was set to buy the company for $12 million in 2021, but the deal fell through after sexual assault allegations against Noth came to light. He’s no longer the brand ambassador.

Produced at the Don Roberto Distillery in Jalisco, Próspero was created in 2019 by Stella Anguiano, one of the first female tequila distillers. Mexico. Pop star Rita Ora is a major investor as well as “chief creative officer.” Like most tequila brands, it’s available as blanco, rReposado, and añejo, and ranges in price from an affordable $34.99 to $44.99.

In 2020, musician Pitbull (né Armando Christian Pérez) partnered with Espanita Tequila, which is 100% blue agave and ranges in price from $26.99 to $34.99. Reposado and añejo varietals are aged for six and 18 months, respectively, in bourbon barrels. Pitbull serves as “strategic advisor and a Global Brand Ambassador” for the brand, as well as an equity investor. 

Country star George Rhett, along with his cousin Jeff Worn, teamed up in 2021 to launch Dos Primos (“two cousins”). It’s a premium tequila made from 100% blue agave sourced from estates in Los Altos and Jalisco. It launched as a blanco tequila, but a reposado, aged for at least six months in bourbon barrels, was introduced in March 2022.

Country legend George Strait launched Código in Nashville in 2016 with five expressions: blanco, Rosa, reposado, añejo, and Origen (a six-year aged extra añejo). It’s best-known for the unusual Rosa, which is aged for a month in uncharred French white oak wine barrels that held Napa cabernet, lending it a striking pink hue.

Justin Timberlake launched 901 Tequila in 2009 after an inspirational trip to Jalisco, and relaunched the brand with Sauza, one of the largest tequila producers, in 2014 to expand its footprint. Triple-distilled 100% blue agave, it’s a silver tequila named after the area code for Timberlake’s native Memphis.

Country star Jon Wolfe launched Juan Lobo Tequila (a Spanish play on his name) in Austin in 2019. He spent five years developing the brand, which involved several trips to Guadalajara. It’s 100% blue highland agave and is distilled in copper pot stills, and is available in blanco, reposado, and añejo varieties.