¡Arriba, arriba! ¡Ándale, ándale! July 24th is National Tequila Day!
No one seems certain how the day honouring one of Mexico’s biggest (legal) exports came to be, but why pass up an excuse to sip what that sexy succulent blue agave has given us?
You can get your tequila fix in margaritas or you can do shots with a wedge of lime – but tequila aficionados know it’s best when sipped.
Tequila has inspired plenty of music. Country duo Dan + Shay had a hit single with "Tequila," as did Kenny Chesney with "You and Tequila." Of course, The Champs' banger "Tequila" is now a classic.
Guitar legend Carlos Santana – whose roots are in Jalisco, where most tequila is produced – invested in the Casa Noble Tequila Company in 2011. (He cashed out when the brand was acquired by Constellation Brands three years later.)
Others have struck licensing deals with tequila producers. Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top aligned with Pura Vida, Australian rockers AC/DC partnered with Luxembourg-based Amber Beverage Group for Thunderstruck Tequila, and country star George Strait teamed up with Código 1530.
The Backstreet Boys have said they are planning to launch a tequila brand.
Here are three brands backed by big names in the music business:
SAUZA 901
Pop superstar Justin Timberlake partnered with Beam Suntory, a Japanese company, on Sauza 901 tequila. It is, apparently, more than just a licensing deal.
“I have spent the last several years creating a premium brand that captures the passion I have for tequila,” Timberlake is quoted as saying on the brand’s website.
SANTO MEZQUILA
Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine and former Van Halen singer Sammy Hagar are behind Santo Mezquila – a blend of tequila and mezcal they launched last year.
“With Santo you get that smooth, full agave, rich tequila flavour with a touch of smoky-sweetness that you can only find with mezcal,” Levine said in a statement. “Perfect for sipping.”
DELEON
The artist known as Diddy, P. Diddy and Puff Daddy put his money where his tequila goes in 2014 when he bought half of DeLéon. (The other half is owned by British company Diageo.)
“I see the uptick naturally while I’m out there, with the female audience being into tequila," Diddy told Forbes in 2014. "I want to touch everybody with some smoothness, so that when you drink tequila, you don’t make that ugly face."