Why So Many Celebrities Start Their Own Tequila Brands

Whether you're looking for something to drink with a squirt of lime or something to serve as the basis of a nice margarita, you have no shortage of options for tequila. Jose Cuervo, the choice of Chili's for their famous margaritas? Mijenta? Tres Agaves? The sky's the limit when it comes to Mexico's most misunderstood spirit. But what if you want to drink tequila while also making some of the richest celebrities in the world even wealthier? Then, buddy, it's your lucky day. You can buy Casamigos from George Clooney and his business partners, Teremana from Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, or Villa One Tequila from Nick Jonas. What gives? Well, nothing would make us happier than telling you that all these celebrities, independently and uncynically, decided to embrace the joys of the blue agave plant. But in actual fact, it's a combination of tequila being easy to make and good old-fashioned capitalism.

To get the obvious out of the way: Celebrities tend to like money, and attaching your name to a line of alcohol is an easier way to make money than, say, working on the docks. Celebrities have been hawking liquor ever since Prohibition ended, with stars like Lucille Ball and Elizabeth Taylor helping to reduce the stigma around it. And in this day and age, where every celebrity is an influencer and even the richest people in the world have side hustles, not having your own line of liquor leaves money on the table.

But why tequila, specifically? What's wrong with wine, or whiskey, or gin? Well, nothing, really — don't worry, there are plenty of celebrities selling those, as well, from Ryan Reynolds to Francis Ford Coppola. It's just that tequila is both incredibly popular and relatively easy to produce. The agave-based spirit has positively boomed in popularity over the last decade, and it still has room to grow. On top of that, it doesn't have to age for a very long time, unlike whiskey or (to a lesser extent) wine. If you're a celebrity looking for the most bang for your buck, tequila just makes sense.

And while we made fun of celebrities hawking tequila earlier, it's actually fairly easy to believe that they might have a genuine fondness for the spirit. Consumers value authenticity, and it's hardly far-fetched to think that a bunch of famous people living in California — who may very well vacation in Mexico — might have acquired a taste for tequila. And hey, there's nothing wrong with a bit of Casamigos, is there?