SB meets… Lanay Jacobs, 818 Tequila
The vice‐president of sales, and president of 818’s parent firm Calabasas Beverage Company, shares insights into how the Tequila brand, founded by Kendall Jenner, is experiencing double‐digit growth in a challenging economy.
*This interview was originally published in the October 2025 issue of The Spirits Business magazine.
818 Tequila has just launched miniature Tequila bottles that clip onto handbags. Tell us more.
The consumer response to the bag charms has been incredible. We expanded with the 50ml bottles based on consumer demand. Small formats are on fire right now, not only in the larger spirits segment but also in Tequila. We launched the 50mls with our blanco and reposado; it’s not a new format, but it’s a fresh approach. We want to reinvent the space for Millennial and Gen Z consumers that see minis as a stylish accessory, capitalising on the bag‐charm and key‐chain trend.
Was it partly inspired by the Labubu craze?
Labubu is what everybody knows and loves, and seeks out. So definitely, yes.
Was the smaller format also inspired by the health-conscious trend?
When you look at where the consumer is going right now, they’re being very intentional about the brands that they’re choosing. They’re looking at brands that do good. They’re looking at brands with high‐quality craftsmanship, and they’re looking at price. Fortunately, 818 can check all those boxes. We’re B Corp‐certified, we work with 1% for the Planet, giving 1% of our revenue to planet‐saving initiatives, and everything about our production process, from the packaging to the distillery running on biomass, is done with sustainability in mind. I think that’s key to what consumers are looking for.
Tell us about the campaign that will support the launch.
We kicked off the ‘Free the Nip’ campaign on our self‐proclaimed holiday and birthday when 818 was launched five years ago, 8 August, with ‘nip’ meaning a shooter or small serve. That campaign will support the launch of our miniatures in key retail stores across the US. The campaign itself really bridges 818 as a fashionable, iconic brand. We like to say that 818 is not just a Tequila brand, it’s a lifestyle brand. So ‘Free the Nip’ is really a cute, tongue‐in‐cheek campaign that reimagines the mini bottle as a fashion statement.
How tricky is it to balance quality, craftsmanship, and the fun aspect of a brand?
Fortunately, our secret sauce is we kind of own that Gen Z and Millennial consumer. They’re always looking for that fun factor. And it’s in our DNA. Then the other part of 818 is being really proud of being traditionally crafted, and how seriously we take making a really high‐quality product. That’s the line that we toe. And even with the mini launch – it’s tapping into that ‘treat’ culture right now.
What’s the secret to 818 Tequila’s sales success?
We’re in double‐digit growth, which is amazing to see. We’re really strategic about how we go to market, whether that’s the accounts we are targeting, and following where our demographic is living and breathing, and where they’re making their purchases. We’re always targeting college areas and key cities where younger, legal‐drinking‐age demographics live.
Where are you excited to take 818 next?
We’re lucky that we’re distributed nationally in the US, and we’re in over 17 countries. We do really well in China – we’re the number‐one premium Tequila there. We’ve been doing really well in Australia, and in the UK. The brand resonates not only nationally, but also internationally. There’s a tonne of excitement and growth in those markets.
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