Kendall Jenner Confirms Tequila Launch; 818 Arrives With Awards - Forbes

It’s the shot heard around the spirits world.

Kendall Jenner posted on her social media this afternoon, confirming that she is behind start-up spirits brand 818 Tequila. “For almost 4 years, I’ve been on a journey to create the best tasting tequila,” she wrote on her Instagram, alongside videos of tasting and parties with her friends.

The tequila, in a savvy marketing move, was submitted anonymously to spirits competitions... and it won the 2020 World’s Best Reposado title from the World Tequila Awards. The judges raved that the spirit had “an earthy nose which hints at pecan pie, sweet potato and caramel. A sweet and smoky body with some oaky influence, vanilla, and more sweetness on the finish as cinnamon ice cream comes through.” The submitting party was named as K & Soda.

818’s Anejo also picked up a title from the World Tequila Awards, a bronze medal and the laudatory tasting notes: “The nose brings together aromas of butterscotch, damp wood and chocolate. This is sweet and vibrant on the tongue with asparagus notes, glints of orange zest and caramel that linger on the finish.”

Henequen Cactus Farmer — Sales of tequila have consistently grown over the last two decade.
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Other awards 818 racked up so far: The Chairman’s Trophy and a Top 100 Spirits nod from the Ultimate Spirits Challenge, a Platinum and a Double Gold Award from the 2020 SIP Awards, and a Triple Gold from MicroLiquor Spirit Awards, among others.

The 2019 Met Gala Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion - Street Sightings — Kendall Jenner, photographed at the 2019 Met Gala, joins the celebrity spirits club with her new ... [+] tequila 818.
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For all its accolades, few consumers have tasted the spirit yet. The brand’s Instagram says it is coming soon.

Jenner is the latest celebrity to join the spirits fray, following in the footsteps of George Clooney, who arguably set off the celebrity spirits trend. A partial list of celebrity-owned wine and spirits brands includes Ryan Reynolds (Aviation Gin), Post Malone (Maison No. 9 rose), Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston ( Dos Hombres Mezcal ), Kate Hudson ( King St. Vodka) and Dan Aykroyd (Crystal Head Vodka). The gold standard is George Clooney, who along with partners Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman, sold his Casamigos tequila company for $1 billion to Diageo in 2017.

Jenner confirmed the news as fan speculation swirled. In January, an eagle-eyed TikTok user, Hannah Farrell, decoded recent posts from the supermodel, and made a video based on a bottle that she saw in the background. “I’ve looked into this tequila. I think this is Kylie’s new tequila that she’s gonna bring out,” she said. “Call me any time Kris.”

According the Distilled Spirits Council of America, tequila volumes have grown 209% since 2002, at an average rate of 6.5% per year. Even with a pandemic, 22.2 million 9-liter cases were sold last year.

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