Hollywood's tequila wars: Why it feels like every celebrity has their own bottle

• Kendall Jenner recently joined the long list of American celebrities in the tequila business.
• But why is tequila, specifically, so appealing to celebs? Experts think there are a few reasons.
• Most of them say it's a combination of lucrative business and tequila's "cool factor."

While Kardashian-Jenner family members are no strangers to controversy, Kendall Jenner's announcement of her new tequila company, 818, was met with more anger than she may have anticipated.

Criticism and accusations of cultural appropriation abounded on Instagram and Twitter as soon as Jenner's announcement dropped in February. And while this negative perception of Jenner's new business venture was a popular opinion online, some social-media users were confused by the backlash.

Defenders called out what they thought was a double standard, noting that while the reality star and model is hardly the first non-Mexican celebrity to attach herself to a tequila company, she seemed to get far more criticism than any of her famous peers.

Marie Sarita Gaytán, the associate professor of sociology and gender studies and author of "¡Tequila!: Distilling the Spirit of Mexico," previously told Insider that the root of the issue is likely that Mexicans and Mexican Americans see how their goods and culture hold more value in the US than their people do.

But she also pointed out the inconsistencies in the backlash Jenner is facing versus the absence of backlash other, mostly male, celebrities have faced in the past.

"When women step 'out of bounds,' whether it's in politics, business, or in this case, culture and entrepreneurship, it touches a nerve," Gaytán said.

As we've previously explored, there's no clear answer to whether Jenner's tequila venture is appropriation given that she's not Mexican or why exactly she is being criticized so heavily over it when other non-Mexican celebrity tequila owners were not. However, Insider spoke with a few tequila experts to explore a different question the launch of 818 has brought up:

What is it about the tequila business that's so appealing to celebrities?

Kendall Jenner is just the latest celebrity to launch a tequila brand

George Clooney and Rande Gerber had the most prominent and financially successful celebrity tequila venture to date - the pair sold Casamigos to Diageo for $1 billion in 2017.

Michael Jordan and a team of four others created Cincoro tequilain 2019.Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson launched Teremana in 2020. Nick Jonas' Villa One launched in 2019. Rita Ora,rapper E-40,Adam Levine and Sammy Hagar,AC/DC,Justin Timberlake, andSean "Diddy" Combs have also attached themselves to the Mexican-made spirit in one way or another.

Comedian Kevin Hart even teased the launch of his own tequila brand the same week Jenner announced hers.

Of course, when it comes to alcohol ventures, celebrities aren't solely starting up tequila brands.Kate Hudson is behind a gluten-free vodka line, Ryan Reynolds and Snoop Dogg both own gin brands, and a slew of other celebrities have their own wines. Still, it's clear that tequila is especially popular among celebrities looking to get into the industry.

There's no one reason why some celebrities are drawn to tequila over other hard liquors, but tequila experts have some guesses.

Tequila is a great business opportunity

The tequila spirit category jumped more than 46% in 2020, according to Forbes.

Pete Kelly, owner of Spirits Innovation Partners and CEO of INSÓLITO, says the world of spirits is naturally at the intersection of celebrities' identities as both creatives and businesspeople. Gaytán also sees it as an on-brand business venture.

"Celebrities want to make smart investments, build a brand for a few years, and then sell it," Gaytán told Insider.

"Tequila is still growing as a spirit 'category,'" she continued, "and the growth is being driven by 100% agave, high-end tequilas." The continued growth of demand for a top-shelf product creates a desirable space for celebrities from a business perspective.

Keenan Towns, the cofounder of Trusted Spirits, agrees.

"Celebrities see this category as a trendy, lucrative business investment," he wrote in an email to Insider.

"The popularity of the category has been on fire with the early 2000s acquisitions of brands like Avion and Cabo Wabo," Towns said. "Then, most recently, after what we thought was the biggest sell in history, Casamigos, here comes The Rock's Teremana Tequila, which [shipped] 400,000 cases in one year and could potentially sell for $2 billion."

Speed of production can be a draw too

Towns told Insider that getting to market can be a quick process when it comes to tequila, which also adds to its appeal.

"In 2020, I went to the tequila capital, the Mexican state of Jalisco, and there are thousands of tequila brands just waiting to be exported," he said, underscoring how high accessibility decreases the amount of money celebs need to pour into the product.

While some spirits like Scotch age for a minimum of three years, according to Scotch Whiskey Association, tequila also generally takes less time. Depending on the expression, the agave-based spirit requires three years in a barrel at the maximum.

"Blanco tequila doesn't require a lengthy barrel-aging period," Towns said. "Añejo takes a little longer but not as long as rum or whiskey, for example."

Tequila also has an attractive, fun personality

Towns says the celebrity appeal of tequila also has a lot to do with something he calls "The Cali or Hollywood Effect."

"California is the largest US tequila market and Mexican 'Taco & Tequila' culture has made a big impact on consumers and celebrities in this region," he told Insider."Celebs are seeing their peers doing deals and say 'why not me?'"

Gaytán also says the image is a big factor here.

"Tequila appeals to a wide range of people, albeit for different reasons," she said. "Sammy Hagar fans are probably not the same as [Kendall] Jenner fans. But their image [or lifestyle] is about fun, parties, etc."

Gaytán also calls it a user-friendly drink. "With high-end tequila, you pour and drink," she said. "There's no fussing around with cocktails like with vodka."

The celebrity tequila boom is probably a combination of all these factors

While it's difficult to pinpoint a single reason why celebrity tequila is booming, experts guess it has something to do with all of these components.

The Instagrammable-factor and indication of a good time being had by whoever is holding the bottle adds a layer of personality to the drink and therefore to the celebrity associated with it.

"I think that for some celebrities those details matter," Gaytán said. "I could be wrong."