Casamigos

You, George, and Mike recently launched your new Cristalino Reposado. This is unique as Cristalino is normally made in Añejo or Extra Añejo. What made you decide to go with Casamigos Reposado?

Casamigos Cristalino is made with 100% Blue Weber agave Casamigos Reposado Tequila. Most cristalinos are anejo-based, ours is reposado-based. It’s simple - we chose to use our reposado for the taste. People that have enjoyed other types of spirits have turned to Casamigos because of its quality. I see the same happening for Casamigos Cristalino. George, Mike and I made Casamigos out of our desire to drink the best-tasting, smoothest tequila. The same applies to our Casamigos Cristalino.

What made your team decide to add a Cristalino to your family of brands?

George and I are passionate about Casamigos and everything we do. Just as we made our tequila and mezcal, we wanted to create a cristalino that we wanted to drink. There’s a growing population curious about Cristalino in the States. We have been working on this for a while and we’re really excited about the launch and for people to finally get the chance to drink it.

How long did it take to come up with the final recipe? We heard you and George had over 700 samples to come to the final decision. Is this true?

We have been talking about launching a Cristalino for some time but 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 tequila. We wanted to create something great that we were proud of, that we feel is the best and different than others.

How does your Casamigos Cristalino Reposado compare to your regular reposado? What is the difference?

Cristalinos are complex and subtle. The process is very unique. With our Casamigos Cristalino, we have a tequila that has the complexity and character of our reposado with the clear, crisp, bright notes of our blanco.

How do you recommend drinking Casamigos Cristalino? Neat? On the rocks? Mixed?

It’s no secret we enjoy our Casamigos neat or on the rocks. Cristalino is no different. But simple cocktails also work well with the Cristalino. A nice Casamigos Cristalino martini – not too many ingredients. Keep it simple to preserve the integrity of the Cristalino.

"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, that really stands out. That’s the true secret to success."

Rande: So, 10 years of Casamigos now being the fastest-growing, most soughtafter tequila brand ever. How excited are you? Is it everything you imagined, or did it exceed your expectations? Did you expect it to grow this quickly?

Success isn’t always defined by profit. I believe the success that we’ve created for Casamigos has been changing the perception of tequila. When we created it, we wanted something that was very different from every other tequila, something with no burn. The perfect tasting, smoothest tequila that we made for us to drink and share with friends.

The fact is that if you don’t have a good product, it’s not going to work. Some brands attempt to fool the customer with big marketing campaigns, made up stories and fancy bottles. For Casamigos, it has always been about what’s inside the bottle.

What are your thoughts on the tequila category’s recent booming success?

We launched Casamigos back in 2013. It was not a celebrity tequila. My friend George just happened to be an actor but it was born out of our desire to drink the best tasting, smoothest tequila with our friends. I’m proud that we helped grow the tequila category to what it is today, and I wish everyone a lot of luck. Many will learn that it takes time, dedication, and authenticity and most of all a great product such as Casamigos to succeed.

How has your friendship with George and Mike grown throughout these ten years of Casamigos? Has the business made your friendship stronger being partners in business?

We were friends first and business partners 2nd. We all contribute in our own ways and I feel we are the perfect trifecta. I couldn’t ask for 2 better friends and partners.

What is the secret to Casamigos’ success?

We really haven’t changed our philosophy, number one it’s about the product. We have a great tequila and people understand the differences in that. And when you start with that, your job is to get people to try it. I was confident, once they tried it, they would switch from whatever other brand they may have been drinking in the past. So many people are drinking Casamigos, more and more every day and they spread the word. A lot of those customers who were drinking vodka, whiskey, gin and other liquors are now drinking Casamigos. 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, that really stands out. That’s the true secret to success.

What personal legacy would you like to leave behind with Casamigos?

I hope my legacy isn’t about Casamigos but rather as a good father, husband and friend.