Rande Gerber Talks Tequila—Including Casamigos’ New Cristalino

Jun 04, 2023

Rande Gerber might have started his career as a nightlife entrepreneur, but Casamigos is the brand that brought him worldwide fame.

Gerber launched the tequila company in 2013, along with co-founders George Clooney and Mike Meldman, at a time when the spirit was a nascent industry. The trio saw fast success with their venture and sold it to liquor company Diageo in 2017 for US$700 million, a transaction that was the topic of headlines globally.

Despite the sale, Gerber continues to be involved as ever in Casamigos and runs the day-to-day operations in his role as chairman. On Thursday, Gerber debuted the company's latest expression, a fast-growing category within tequila called cristalino. Reflective of the name, it's a clear spirit made of 100% Blue Weber agave that resembles a blanco tequila. Unlike blanco, which isn't usually aged, however, cristalino, in general, does undergo aging and is filtered with charcoal, a process that removes its color and taste.

A cristalino can be created from a reposado, anejo, or extra anejo. Casamigos crafts its version from reposado, its best-selling expression. It's distilled twice and aged in American white oak barrels; the finish is crisp and clean, while the distinct flavor has notes of cocoa and vanilla bean.

A few days before introducing the cristalino, the Los Angeles-based Gerber spoke to Penta about the new tequila, which retails for US$61 a bottle, his advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and his other ventures.

Penta: Why do you think that cristalino is growing as a tequila category? Is it due to the rise in popularity of tequila overall?

Rande Gerber: We have been working on perfecting the taste of our cristalino for a while now, and we do feel there is an increase in demand as the tequila category is growing.

Tequila is increasingly becoming an oversaturated market. How can a new brand stand out?

They need to start with a great product which takes patience. Growing a successful brand takes time, dedication, and authenticity. The packaging and the branding of the product is as important as the brand itself. A lot of brands spend money on big marketing campaigns, but if the product isn't great, people won't drink it.

What's next for you on the business front?

Casamigos is my baby and I still get excited coming up with new ideas so I will continue to run and create new products for us. I am also fortunate to see many new products before they come to market, and you may see one or two coming soon.

In your opinion, what is the key to backing a successful venture? Is it enough to believe in the product or business or are there other factors to consider?

No. 1, it's about the product. 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's the true secret to success. The team around the product is just as important. They need to be extremely passionate and believe in hard work and dedication. Many times, it's the person that I am investing in first.

What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?

In life, it's rarely about getting a chance, it's about taking a chance. We all hope we don't have failure, but in the really good times, you learn absolutely nothing. In the hard times and times you have failed, you learn the most. Without failure, you can't have success, and success isn't about never making mistakes. It's about recovering from the mistakes you have made.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.