Celebrity Tequila Brands Like George Clooney's Casamigos and Kendall Jenner's 818 Offer More Than Just Tequila
Celebrity Tequila Brands Like George Clooney's Casamigos and Kendall Jenner's 818 Offer More Than Just Tequila
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| Celebrity Tequila Brands Like George Clooney's Casamigos and Kendall Jenner's 818 Offer More Than Just Tequila |
Most popular tequila brands, including celebrity labels like George Clooney’s Casamigos and Kendall Jenner’s 818, often include secret additives such as glycerin, caramel coloring, oak extract, and sugar-based syrups, DailyMail.com reveals.
Related: Kendall Jenner Introduces Peaches and Cream Smoothie at Erewhon, Priced at $23!
Despite labeling their products as 100% agave azul, Casamigos—famously founded by George Clooney and Randy Gerber—contains only about 99 percent tequila. Tequila regulations allow for up to one percent of additives without disclosure, including glycerin, caramel coloring, oak extract, and sugar-based syrups, as noted by Patron's website. Casamigos, however, does not disclose these additives.
Related: Kendall Jenner's Sizzling Snap Promotes Alo Yoga Amid Tequila Brand Controversy
Celebrity Tequila Brands Like George Clooney's Casamigos and Kendall Jenner's 818 Offer More Than Just Tequila pic.twitter.com/yj4Y7Jw5yx
— Kardashian Jenner News Update (@karjennews) May 20, 2024
“Many tequila products are made in an extremely fast, industrial, neutral way,” tequila expert Grover Sanschagrin told Liquor.com. Instead of using traditional processes to develop natural aromas and flavors, manufacturers often add chemicals to simulate these characteristics, resulting in a cheaper product with artificial enhancements.
Tequila is made from the agave plant and aged in oak barrels, developing different expressions: silver, reposado, and añejo. Añejo, which requires the longest aging period, can take up to three years to mature properly. However, for fast-selling brands like Casamigos, time-consuming aging processes mean lost revenue, prompting the use of additives like glycerin to enhance mouthfeel and oak extract to mimic extended barrel aging.
Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila also contains undisclosed additives, despite marketing itself as a natural and high-quality product. For instance, 818’s blanco is described as having notes of key lime pie and toasted coconut, flavors unlikely to come from traditional oak barrel aging. Tequila experts note that many large producers buy blanco tequila from mass producers and add chemicals to achieve the desired flavor profile.
The inclusion of additives is not exclusive to celebrity brands, with an estimated 70% of all tequilas containing secret flavor enhancers. To address consumer concerns, the Tequila Matchmaker website, launched by Grover and Scarlet Sanschagrin, helps consumers identify additive-free tequilas. Only about 100 brands, including Tequila Corrido and well-known labels like Tequila Ocho and Siete Leguas, have earned the additive-free designation.
Related: Kendall Jenner's Sizzling Snap Promotes Alo Yoga Amid Tequila Brand Controversy
The Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT), the regulatory body overseeing tequila, operates on an honor system, requiring distilleries to self-report additive use without independent verification. This leniency has led to disputes, with the CRT opposing the Tequila Matchmaker’s Additive-Free Alliance program, arguing it misleads consumers.
Despite resistance, the CRT announced plans to create its own additive-free certification, though details remain unclear. Skeptics, like tequila influencer Jay Baer, doubt the program's implementation, suspecting that the CRT’s main interest lies in maintaining the status quo and avoiding discussions about additives.
The controversy has escalated, with the Sanschagrins’ home being raided by Mexican authorities, allegedly under the pretext of running an "adulterated tequila factory." Although no arrests were made, some tequila bottles were seized, highlighting the tensions between traditionalists and industrial producers in the tequila industry.
Celebrity Tequila Brands Like George Clooney's Casamigos and Kendall Jenner's 818 Offer More Than Just Tequila pic.twitter.com/hpcH1fxXPS
— Kardashian Jenner News Update (@karjennews) May 20, 2024
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