George Clooney & Rande Gerber: Casamigos Tequila Cocktails

Heartthrob movie star George Clooney and ex model Rande Gerber partnered with Discovery Land Company CEO & founder Mike Meldman to launch Casamigos Tequila in 2013. The close friends, who own adjacent homes in Los Cabos, Mexico, spent endless nights tasting and developing a small batch, ultra premium tequila. Casamigos is made from 100% Blue Weber agave, grown in the rich, red clay soil and cool climate of the Jalisco Highlands of Mexico. “We worked on the creation of Casamigos Tequila for over five years with our master distiller in Jalisco, and conducted blind tastings with friends until we knew we got it right,” said Clooney. Since then George Clooney and Rande Gerber sold their company for $1 billion dollars to Discover Diageo in June 2017, one of the world’s largest producers of spirits and beers.

Movie star George Clooney and ex model Rande Gerber.

Despite selling the company, the Oscar winner and the bar guru definitely know a thing or two about spirits and celebrations. Gerber, founder of Midnight Oil and The Gerber Group and husband to Cindy Crawford, has worked with the industry’s most creative mixologists, and together with Roberto J. Serrallés, Vice President of Serrallés Distilleries and a member of one of the most distinguished families in Puerto Rico, had previously launched Rum Caliche, but this was a first for Clooney. “We love tequila: on the rocks, by the shot, at times straight from the bottle. Our idea was to make the best tasting, smoothest tequila, whose taste we didn’t have to cover up with salt,” said Clooney and Gerber. Eight hundred bottles later, the duo was satisfied with the results and Casamigos was born.

Mike Meldman, Ana B, Remos, Founder azureazure.com; George Clooney, Rande Gerber and Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald’s celebrity reporter.

Casamigos (a shortened version in Spanish for house of friends) takes pride in the painstaking fermentation process, which takes 80 hours to complete (double the industry standards), using the bagasse from the agave, a byproduct of tequila production that imbues this spirit with a richer, more delicate flavor. Originally intended for personal use, to be shared with family and friends, the brand is distributed by the country’s most important distributors: Southern Wine and Spirits of America, Glazer’s Distributors, Republic National Distributing and can be ordered online at reservebar.com. Clooney told azureazure.com that before the launch date, 100% of the first year’s production was sold, and that he donated the proceeds to his humanitarian work in Sudan.The label comes in the two basic tequila categories: Reposado and Blanco. Reposado is a sipping tequila that is aged for seven months in American white oak barrels, reconditioned after originally being used for premium-aged whiskey. It is smooth, clean and has a hint of caramel. Casamigos Blanco is crisp and clear with subtle hints of vanilla and distilled in old-style copper-lined pot stills. Both are ideal served neat or on the rocks, and is the antidote to those bad margaritas we are all familiar with: sugary sweet, with subpart tequila that usually give us a horrible headache the next morning.

George Clooney signs one of Casamigos premium tequila bottles, adding a personal touch.

The bottle is clean and sleek, like apothecary flasks, casual but modern. It takes us back to the golden age of Hollywood with young sex appeal. “We talked about how this was going to be like the bottles you see in old John Wayne movies,” jokes Clooney, “where you slide the bottle down the bar, pull the cork out with your teeth, and pour yourself a shot.”As the allure of tequila continues to grow in popularity, the star power behind this brand is undeniable, but what remains is its unique flavor profile that will surely become a favorite with the most discerning tequila lovers, a treasure for the palette and a celebration of unending friendship. In regards to the sale of the company, Clooney said: “If you asked us four years ago if we had a billion dollar company, I don’t think we would have said yes. This reflects Diageo’s belief in our company and our belief in Diageo. But we’re not going anywhere. We’ll still be very much a part of Casamigos. Starting with a shot tonight. Maybe two.” Gerber agreed saying: “George doesn’t need the money. I didn’t need it. Mike didn’t need it. It wasn’t the reason behind launching a tequila. We wanted everyone to be able to drink it, and not be exclusive.” As a result, the successful brand continues to be produced by Discover Diageo with Clooney and Gerber still apart of the company in a management type role.

George Clooney & Rande Gerber enjoying a glass of Casamigos Tequila.

These favorite cocktail recipes from George and Rande will turn you into the most popular bartender at your next party.

MI CASA
1 1⁄2 oz. Casamigos Blanco Tequila
1 oz. fresh-squeezed lime juice
1⁄4 oz. orange juice from a fresh orange wedge, cut 1” thick, squeezed and dropped in the shaker
1⁄2 oz. clear agave nectar

Shake ingredients with ice, then strain into a cocktail martini glass or serve on the rocks (salt optional). Garnish with an orange wheel floating atop.

SU CASA
1 1⁄2 oz. Casamigos Reposado Tequila
4–5 oz. grapefruit soda
1 lime

Build into a tall glass with ice, and then top with squeezed lime. Garnish with a lime wedge.

PINEAPPLE CILANTRO MARGARITA

Ingredients:

2 oz. Casamigos Reposado Tequila

1 oz. Pineapple Juice

.5 oz. Fresh Lime Juice

.5 oz. Simple Syrup

8–10 Cilantro Leaves

Optional: ½ Thick Rim of Sugar, Cilantro Salt (Equal Parts)

Method: Combine all ingredients into tin shaker. Add ice, shake vigorously, and strain into rocks glass. Add ice and garnish with 2 pineapple leaves.

PRICKLY PEAR MARGARITA

Ingredients:

2 oz. Casamigos Blanco Tequila

1 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice

.5 oz. Prickly Pear Puree

.5 oz. Simple Syrup

2 Dashes Orange Bitters

Method: Combine all ingredients into iced mixing glass, shake vigorously, and strain into rocks glass. Garnish with a pear slice.

CAYENNADE MARGARITA

Ingredients:

2 oz. Casamigos Blanco Tequila

.75 oz. Fresh Lime Juice

.5 oz. Agave Nectar

1 Serrano Slice

Top off with Cayennade by GT’s Kombucha

Method: Combine all ingredients, except kombucha into tin shaker. Muddle serrano, add ice, shake vigorously, and fine strain into rocks glass. Add fresh ice, top off with GT’s Cayennade Kombucha, and garnish with lemon wheel on skewer with Cayenne salt sprinkle over top.

SMOKY CASA MARGARITA

Ingredients:

2 oz. Casamigos Mezcal

1 oz. Fresh Lime Juice

.75 oz. Agave Nectar

2 Dashes Orange Bitters

Flamed Orange Peel

Method: Combine all ingredients into tin shaker. Add ice, shake well, and strain into rocks glass. Add fresh ice and garnish with a flamed orange peel. ■

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