The Problem With Celebrity Tequila Brands…

Why Are There So Many Celebrity Tequila Brands?

From The Rock to George Clooney, LeBron James to Kendall Jenner, and even Guy Fieri, it seems like everyone wants a piece of the tequila pie. Tequila sales worldwide have grown 6% every single year since 2002, reaching an over $4 billion industry in 2020. George Clooney sold his brand, Casamigos, for over $1 billion a couple of years ago. Showing the massive earning potential in this industry and kickstarting this craze. Celebrity tequila is trying to capitalize on that insane growth.

However, I must say that the quality of the product in these celebrity tequila bottles is not as good as other tequilas out there. With a lot of them being guilty of using additives in their products. While some might accuse me of being a hater for trashing almost every single one of these tequilas on my TikTok and YouTube, the problem runs much deeper than just personal dislike for certain celebrities.

Problems With Celebrity Tequila

One major issue with celebrity tequila is cultural appropriation. Take Kendall Jenner, for example, who received backlash for promoting her 818 tequila with a tone-deaf commercial featuring her wearing traditional Mexican clothes. Many argue that she was appropriating Mexican culture to sell her product, despite not having any real connection or ties to the country beyond wanting to make a quick buck from the agave plant.

Connection to Mexico

Additionally, most celebrity-backed brands have almost no connection or ties to Mexico beyond rolling up to one of the few distilleries that make almost all of the celebrity tequila, picking a barrel that slightly tastes different than the other barrel, slapping their name and logo on it, and then selling it at a high premium price to make money off of it.

Environmental Concerns

This not only takes money out of the Mexican economy but also directly contributes to a whole host of other issues in the agave industry, including deforestation and wildlife disturbance. The demand for celebrity tequila has put intense pressure on the industry. It has prompted tequila producers to produce more tequila faster and to make more tequila. To make more tequila they need more farmland, which leads to more deforestation.

Rising Cost of Agave

Furthermore, the pressure to create more tequila has caused a skyrocket in the price of agave. It takes about eight or nine years for agave plants to fully mature before they can be cultivated and turned into tequila. This lengthy and labor-intensive process has been put under immense pressure due to the influx of celebrity brands into the market.

In conclusion, while celebrity tequila might be more accessible and popular than ever before, it comes at a cost to both the Mexican heritage and culture, as well as the environment. While it’s understandable that celebrities want to make money, it’s important to ensure that their product is not only of high quality but also produced in a sustainable and ethical way.

818 Tequila REVIEW | Is Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila Worth it?

What is 818 Tequila?

818 Tequila is a “premium” Tequila owned by Kendall Jenner, one of the Kardashians. It is a tequila trying to capitalize on the hype train surrounding tequila at the moment as well as Kendall Jenner’s massive popularity to sell a tequila brand.

818 Tequila is a Tequila brand that retails for anywhere between $50 to almost $70 depending on where you buy it. They have an 818 Blanco, the also have a 818 Reposado and a 818 Anejo expressions and soon to come, an ultra premium extra anejo as well. While these prices are pretty high, they are in line with other tequila on the market. There are certainly more expensive and cheaper options out there. So they seemed to have gone for pricing in the middle.

818 Tequila has been making waves on social media and traditional media despite all of the other celebrity tequila’s coming out over the last few years. It’s hard to keep up with all of them to be honest, but 818 has been able to carve out a space for itself in the market. Especially utilizing the Kardashians giant combined platform, they have been able to break into a highly competitive market in a big way.

Though, it hasn’t always been roses for the brand. They have come under heavy fire for claims of cultural appropriation and copyright violations. It is a highly controversial brand to say the least. They have also been accused of contributing to the worsening of the problems surround the tequila industry.

If you want to learn more about the problems with Celebrity tequila, you can check out my video here.

While it is an incredibly popular tequila, No 818 Tequila Review would be complete without talking about what it tastes like and telling you exactly how I feel.

I tasted both the Blanco expression and the reposado expression, give you my thoughts on who this tequila was made for, and my final verdict on whether or not I can recommend this tequila.

Aviation Gin Review | Is Ryan Reynold’s Gin Worth It?

What is Aviation Gin?

Aviation Gin is a gin owned by Ryan Reynolds. It is an American Dry Gin that looks like it came straight out of the 1920’s. Ryan Reynolds Aviation Gin has been around for quite some time and has become an incredibly popular gin. Ryan Reynolds is a hugely popular person so no wonder his Gin has become so hugely popular.

Ryan Reynolds Aviation Gin commercials have been a huge hit online and incredibly funny which has really catapulted this gin into the public consciousness but what makes it special outside of having a celebrity owner?

It is a classic style gin, the bottle looks like it came straight of the pre-prohibition era, and it has actually been around for a lot longer than Ryan Reynolds involvement with the brand. They have been making this gin for a long time.

In terms of flavor it is a milder gin than many you will find in the market today. This might actually make it more appealing to folks who aren’t the biggest fans of traditional gins. I found it to be a bit too mild in flavor as I prefer them a bit stronger to be able to stand up well in a cocktail as well.

Speaking of which, while it worked reasonably well in a Gin & Tonic, in the cocktail I made I found that the honey and lemon easily over powered the taste of the gin and it did not feel well balanced.

In this Review I try to go in depth by giving you the break down on what Aviation Gin is, I also try it in various applications to find out how to drink this gin. I try it straight, in a gin and tonic, and also in a cocktail. Finally, I give you my final thoughts on whether or not its worth your time and money.

If you would like to see my review on more celebrity spirits, why not check out my review of Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila