Next move: Casa Malka Tequila
Fledgling Tequila brand Casa Malka has had a stellar start and is now set to expand overseas, with London in its sights.
“For me, 2025 was very becoming. We weren’t rushing. We were listening to the liquid, to the people drinking our products, to the culture around us. I feel like Casa Malka really found her voice last year,” says Malka Roth, co-founder of the eponymous Casa Malka Tequila brand. Launched in the latter part of 2024, last year marked the first full year of business for the fledgling brand – and 2026 is already gearing up to be bigger and brighter.
“It was a year of validation,” adds Jayson Winer, CEO and fellow co-founder. “To have validation of a successful product where you see people enjoying it was very wholesome. There was a lot of trial and error, but we’ve gained so much wisdom.”
Last year saw the brand embark upon collaborations with key on-trade accounts as it endeavoured to cement its place on back bars in the US, and that all-important consumer goal: liquid to lips. Last year, Casa Malka was chosen to be the spirit behind Nobu NYC’s May Cocktail of the Month. Guests at the renowned Japanese-Peruvian restaurant were able to order the Apricot Hikari, which showcased Casa Malka Blanco.
Brand identity
For the founding team – which also includes Casa Malka co-founder Jeff Diego – this first full year of business has been important to establish the brand’s identity, purpose and place in what is quickly becoming a saturated category.
“Casa Malka was built on intention,” says Roth. “We are obsessed with attention to detail. Every element – the liquid, the bottle, the cork, the way the brand shows up in culture – is considered early on. At the beginning, some called us ‘gimmicky’, but to me, a gimmick lacks care. Casa Malka gives equal weight to beauty and substance. When something is crafted thoughtfully and presented with confidence, it challenges expectations. We’re not here to chase noise or chaos. We’re here to create something people return to. So, I do believe that stands out tremendously.”
Weighing in on thoughts as to why Casa Malka may have seemed ‘gimmicky’ to a select few, Winer notes: “The bottle itself is beautiful, right? And when something is beautiful, you might think, ‘Well, it’s just a bottle’. They think there’s no substance there. And also, we don’t own a distillery in Mexico – we’re very open about that – and we’re not Mexican.
“But we love the category, we believe so strongly in the quality of our products, and when people try Casa Malka, they realise that yes, it’s presented beautifully, but the liquid is also beautiful.”
Winer shares an important example of how, even in the early years of Casa Malka’s development, this team is not resting on its laurels. “We switched distillery partners and moved to an organic distillery,” he says.
Roth continues: “The organic production was the logical step for us. It aligns quality, long-term supply and responsible growth. For me, it’s about respect; respect for the land, the people who work at the distillery, and the future we’re building. Organic isn’t just a label that we’re going to wear. It’s a responsibility that we’re going to carry; it’s about taking care of what gives us so much.”
It also aligns closely with the brand’s long-term sustainability plans. “Organic production is really fitting to that sustainability ethos.”
It’s an exciting move for Casa Malka, particularly as there are big plans for new product development in the pipeline for this year. Last September the brand piqued people’s interest with the release of Queen’s Brew, a ready-to-drink (RTD) Espresso Martini made with Casa Malka Reposado Tequila and Wandering Bear Cold Brew.
“Coffee is one of my favourite things,” Roth notes, adding: “As a mother, you wake up and all you want is your coffee. I’d not found a drink that has Tequila and coffee that I really loved, so we made it happen.”
Winer adds: “I’m very excited to grow that side of the line because I feel there’s a number of variations that could be made,” alluding to more line extensions to come. “Hopefully later in 2026, we can start expanding on it. It tastes good, it looks great, and it’s marketable. It’s a beautiful product.”
Approachable format
For Winer, Queen’s Brew was also about giving consumers the chance to experience the brand in a format that was approachable and affordable, which would hopefully encourage future investment in the core Casa Malka Blanco and Reposado bottles. The RTD category is forecast to reach a 9% share of the total beverage alcohol sector in the US by 2029, according to IWSR data. While this growth has slowed slightly compared with past predictions, it’s evident there are vast opportunities to succeed in the RTD space.
“The reality is that the Espresso Martini has become popular, and we wanted to put our take on it,” Winer adds. “We are a very innovative brand. We have 100 ideas in the pipeline that I wish we could launch today. But we have to be thoughtful – and that’s what Queen’s Brew was; it’s a reflection of our innovation, and the start of showing what we can – and will – come up with in the future.
“We also want to partner with brands that have the same ethos as us. We have a couple of partnerships on the way.”
Welcome to the UK
This year will also see Casa Malka make its debut in the UK. In November, Roth and Diego came to London to start setting the foundations for the brand’s launch overseas. A preview event at Soho bar Disrepute cemented their eagerness to crack the UK market and connect with Tequila lovers.
“My goal coming to London was really making connections,” Roth shares. “I wanted the UK trade to feel who we are and not just taste the Tequila. It was important to share the intention behind the brand, the details and where we were heading. The energy in the room, the conversations, the curiosity told me we’re arriving at the right time, in
the right way.”
Conversations are going strong between Casa Malka and distributors, wholesalers, on-trade and off-trade venues, and it’s anticipated that the brand will be landing on shelves and back bars by the second quarter of 2026. “We really want to be in the on-trade,” explains Winer, “because that’s where a lot of education will happen. We are a very thoughtful brand. We want to educate the market. But also, there’s an opportunity on the retail side because it’s a very retail-friendly product. People gravitate towards it. We’re making sure we have the right partners to launch, and we’re so excited to take Casa Malka to London and the UK.”
Beyond the UK, Casa Malka is also exploring expansion opportunities in Europe, select Asian markets, and the Middle East. “For us, opening a market really means showing up. We believe the most effective way to build the brand is to be present, meeting the trade, telling the story and supporting our partners directly. So, with that being said, we don’t necessarily want to be everywhere, but we want to be in the right places with real connections.”
The US remains the biggest market for Casa Malka; it has already secured sales listings in 12 states. New York and Miami are the biggest markets in the US for the brand, followed by Texas. “New York, Miami – we live here. We know and understand these markets, and we’re obviously very close to them,” adds Diego. “That’s why London is a critical business for us. It’s far away, it’s new territory, but we are listening and learning, like Malka said. We’re getting feedback. We’re tweaking as quickly as we can. Our asset is we’re humble enough to listen, then are quick and efficient enough to pivot right away.”
More broadly speaking about Tequila, Winer and Roth see a lot of room for the category to capture new audiences who are not yet agave-spirits drinkers. In their eyes, a slowdown for Tequila is not about to happen any time soon.
They’ve picked up on bartenders, particularly in the US and the UK, now asking what style of Tequila a guest would like, a testament to the education and quality coming from the category.
Trends-wise, Winer believes additive-free will be the future of the category. He adds: “I think high-proof or still-strength is going to become big in Tequila. I’ve seen a lot of brands launch it already. I think extra añejo will step back a little bit.“A trend I’m expecting to see this year is there will be more Tequila-based bars that just sell a lot of Tequila. I’ve seen that a lot in Barcelona, really agave-forward bars.”
Patience and perseverance
Ambitions are high, and the Casa Malka team is ready to work hard to meet their goals. If 2025 taught them anything, it’s that building a brand and business requires patience and perseverance. As their second full year of operation gets under way, I ask them how they would define a successful 2026 this time next year.
“If people experience Casa Malka, remember it, talk about it and return to it, I think that would mean we’ve done our job – and we’ll keep doing it year after year,” Roth says, before Diego quips (half seriously): “For me, reorders, velocity, depletions. That means they love it, they want us back, and they want more of it.”
He continues: “In all seriousness, innovation is always at the heart of Casa Malka. So if we’re able to innovate or contribute to the industry by creating new and interesting products, then I think that would be a success.”
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