The Kardashian klan are never shy of broaching into new business territories – and seem happy to try their hand at everything, from women's shape wear to an independent church. So when Kendall Jenner announced her intention to launch a tequila brand, it was no enormous shock. Since launching Tequila 818 in May 2021, the model turned entrepreneur has been working hard to make her brand one of the best-selling tequilas available, and has even been roping in her sisters to push her beverage to online users.
Despite finding success with her new venture, Jenner has also been fighting against a whole host of difficulties. So what problems has Tequila 818 faced since hitting liquor store shelves, and how is the brand doing overall?
6 Kendall Jenner's Initial Launch For Tequila 818 Was A Huge Success
When Kendall announced that she would be releasing her own brand of tequila in early last years, fans were delighted to get their hands on a bottle of the famous Mexican beverage. Jenner is not the first big celeb to try her hand at distilling tequila, with Rita Ora’s Prospero Tequila and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s Tremana Tequila already on the market. In fact, it seems most celebrities have a slice of the alcohol market pie right now; Bob Dylan boasts X Heaven’s Door Whiskey, while Ryan Reynold sells Aviation Gin, and Lenny Kravitz has X Dom Perignon.
Despite a crowded market, the May 2021 sales launch still made waves - bottles of Tequila 818 sold out within four hours of becoming available for sale.
5 Tequila 818 Has Personal Meaning For Kendall Jenner
Kendall has long-desired to found her own business completely separate to her modeling career and family. With Tequila 818, she was able to do just that.
Adding a personal touch, the brand is named after the area code of the San Fernando Valley where Jenner grew up. It was also important to her that the product was high quality; the drink is handcrafted in small batches using agave which harvested in Jalisco, Mexico, before being cooked in brick ovens and aged in French oak barrels.
4 But Tequila 818 Is Also The Target Of A Lawsuit
Things hit troubled waters, however, when Kendall was caught up in a legal drama involving her brand, with claims she had stolen the product design. A similar brand, Tequila 512, claims that its rival has sold tequila 'using a highly distinctive logo and color scheme that has been in place since 2015. And out of the entire world of colors and shapes to use for product design, Defendant chose to copy Plaintiff’s distinctive black lettering inside a vertical yellow rectangle,' the lawsuit said.
3 Kendall Jenner Is Fighting Against The Claim, However
Kendall is dismissive of the claims, however, and her legal team are fighting the case. Representatives for 818 Tequila told the Daily Mail: '818 does not believe there is any merit to these claims.'
'They have had plenty of time to make any effort to correct this since it first surfaced in the media earlier last year, but instead elected to ignore it. We not only have a right to protect our trademarks, we actually have a legal obligation to do so. They know this and put us in this position of having no choice but to take action to protect our unique brand identity.'
Fighting on numerous fronts, Kendall has also been dealing with claims of cultural appropriation and exploitation of agave farmers. Naming her Mexican spirit after a Calabasas area code was considered ignorant by many for overlooking the drink's Mexican legacy.
2 Kendall Jenner's Brand Has Won Awards
Despite controversies over branding, the taste of Tequila 818 has been the true test of its quality. According to Jenner, it has been winning prestigious awards.
Writing on Instagram, Jenner announced that her brand had won Best Reposado Tequila at the World Tequila Awards and the Chairman’s Trophy at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge.
“For almost four years I’ve been on a journey to create the best tasting tequila,” Jenner wrote on Instagram, revealing the launch of the company.
“After dozens of blind taste tests, trips to our distillery, entering into world tasting competitions anonymously and WINNING (🥳), 3.5 years later I think we’ve done it!
"This is all we’ve been drinking for the last year and I can’t wait for everyone else to get their hands on this to enjoy it as much as we do!”
1 Tequila 818 Sales Have Been Hugely Successful
In terms of sales, Kendall's new business has proved enormously successful. As of December last year, the tequila brand has shipped over 136,000 cases, or 1.5m bottles of tequila.
"We are thrilled to see the growth of 818 Tequila and sales continue to outperform our expectations," said Mike Novy, President and COO. "The elevated flavor profiles of 818 Tequila were created to introduce a flourishing market to a tequila experience they can savor. Kendall is a strong female voice in the industry, leading a brand that stands for sustainability, while also delivering award-winning taste."
Bottoms up!