We'll be raising a glass of Casamigos Tequila on Super Bowl Sunday in Las Vegas. Here, we chat with co-founder Rande Gerber, who launched the beloved tequila company in 2013 alongside George Clooney and Mike Meldman before liquor giant Diageo acquired the booming brand in 2017. Here, Gerber discusses Vegas, football and the feel-good spirit of the Casamigos lifestyle.
Rande Gerber; PHOTO COURTESY OF CASAMIGOS
Tell us about Casamigos’ presence in Las Vegas. Casamigos really is a lifestyle… the people who drink it, the way we drink it, where we are when we are drinking it, what we are wearing. When I think of the Casamigos drinker, the one common thing on my mind is that we are all laughing and having fun with family and friends. Life is meant to be shared, and what better way than over a few Casamigos? And what better place to embody a similar lifestyle than Vegas? Because of that, we are everywhere in Vegas.
Where would we find you drinking and dining in Las Vegas? I love Station Casino properties, specifically Red Rock and Green Valley Ranch. I also recently went to the new Fontainebleau, which was incredible. The Wynn, Cosmopolitan, MGM… all the old-school casinos are also always fun to hit. I’m not picky when I’m in good company.
What drink are you whipping up on Super Bowl Sunday? Casamigos, of course! I drink Casamigos neat and on the rocks.
What’s your best Super Bowl memory? Watching the games with my dad, eating chili and throwing the football around at halftime. The Jets are still my team; I’ve been going [to games] since they played at Shea Stadium.
2023 marked the 10th anniversary of the brand. When did you know you had something massive on your hands? When we kept running out of tequila, and no matter how much more we were making, we always seemed to be playing catch up. At one point, I was getting calls from my friends at Nobu asking if I could drop a few cases off to get them through the night. So I grabbed some from my house and made the delivery. Things are a bit different now.
The Casamigos Tequila lineup; PHOTO COURTESY OF CASAMIGOS
Since Casamigos launched, the tequila and broader agave spirits category has experienced a rise in sales, with more and more brands entering the space. What has kept Casamigos in one of the top spots? We really haven’t changed our personal philosophy. As far as the product goes, working with a big company comes with challenges. As long as we are involved, we will try to keep the focus on quality. We have a great tequila, and people understand the differences in that. And when you start with that, your job becomes a bit easier. A lot of those customers who were drinking vodka, whiskey, gin and other liquors are now drinking tequila. You can’t have a product that’s only a little bit better than others because then people will go back to what they know. That’s why you have to create a product that’s much better than others, and that really stands out. That’s the true secret to success.
Many consumers assume that if you put a celebrity on a booze bottle, it will sell. Thoughts? Casamigos is brought to you by those who drink it. It’s not a celebrity brand. We made it to drink, not to start a company. People appreciated the authenticity of our story. George, Mike and I created it, own it, drink it, run the company and live the lifestyle. We are just three guys who know what we like and want to share it; one of us just happens to be a celebrity. The awards and accolades Casamigos has received result from the spirit itself, not the people behind it.
You launched Casamigos Cristalino in 2023, the first new release since your mezcal in 2018. Why not sooner? We have been talking about launching a Cristalino for some time, but we wanted to make sure that what we were creating was the best. We are involved in every aspect of the brand and business, so it took many samples for us to create the perfect one. We only do things we are proud of, no matter how long it takes.
What’s your hope for the next 10 years? I hope to continue working with George, Mike and my team, running the company and spending more quality time with my family and friends.
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