818 Tequila
Kendall Jenner's tequila brand, built on 3.5 years of blind taste testing and a veteran spirits operator. Best-selling new tequila of 2021, available in 24 countries, and the first tequila to earn B Corp certification.
818 Tequila sold 136,000 cases in its first seven months on the market in 2021, making it the best-selling new tequila in the United States that year. By 2024, the brand was generating an estimated $45 to $50 million in annual revenue with 40% volume growth, while the overall tequila category grew just 2%.
Kendall Jenner founded 818 after 3.5 years of product development and holds an estimated 30 to 50% ownership stake in the company. The brand operates under Calabasas Beverage Company alongside her sister’s canned vodka soda brand Sprinter (Kylie Jenner’s separate venture), making the Jenner sisters co-owners of a beverage holding company spanning two spirit categories.
At a glance:
| Founded | 2020 (launched May 2021) |
| Founder | Kendall Jenner (Founder, Chief Creative Officer) |
| CEO | Larry Goodrich (Calabasas Beverage Company) |
| Ownership | Kendall Jenner (est. 30-50%), Grupo Solave, K5 Global, Shrug Capital |
| Revenue (2024) | ~$45-50M (estimated; private company) |
| Valuation | Not publicly disclosed |
| Distillery | Grupo Solave, Amatitán, Jalisco (NOM 1607) |
| Distribution | 13,000+ US retail locations, 24 countries |
| Products | Blanco (~$28), Reposado (~$40), Añejo (~$50), Eight Reserve ($130-200) |
The Story
Jenner started developing 818 around 2017 and spent 3.5 years on formulation before announcing the brand on Instagram in February 2021. Before the announcement, she submitted the tequila to international competitions anonymously and won at the World Tequila Awards and Ultimate Spirits Challenge, accumulating 43 awards across 13 competitions before anyone knew a Kardashian-Jenner was behind it.
The operation was built by Mike Novy, a 35-year spirits industry veteran who had served as president of Casa Dragones, one of Mexico’s most respected premium tequila brands. Production moved to Grupo Solave’s distillery in Amatitán, Jalisco after 818 outgrew its original distillery within weeks of launching. The name comes from the telephone area code for Calabasas, California, where Jenner grew up, which is unusual in a category where brands almost always reference Mexican heritage.
The Strategy
From $45 to $28
818 launched with a blanco priced at $45, a reposado at $55, and an añejo at $65. In early 2024, the company cut prices across the board by renegotiating contracts with glass, packaging, and transportation vendors without changing the product itself. The blanco dropped to roughly $28, and blanco volume grew 94% year-over-year after the cut. The brand’s core consumer is 21 to 35 years old, and a $45 blanco was too expensive for that demographic to reach for regularly.
Awards before the announcement
Before revealing her name, Jenner entered 818 into blind tasting competitions anonymously and accumulated 43 awards, including Best Reposado at the World Tequila Awards and a 96-point “best in class” score for the añejo at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge. For a celebrity spirits brand, where the default assumption is that the famous name does all the selling, building third-party validation before launch was a deliberate credibility play.
College bars and mini bottles
818’s marketing targets Gen Z drinkers through an annual College Tour where Jenner personally visits college bars across the country, now in its third year as of 2024. In 2025, the brand launched 50ml mini bottles at $3.99 and $4.99, positioned as an impulse purchase for younger drinkers. The strategy is built around social occasions rather than connoisseurship, which separates 818 from older celebrity tequilas like Casamigos that market to a wealthier, older consumer.
B Corp and agave bricks
818 became the first tequila brand to earn B Corp certification in March 2023. The most visible initiative is the Bricks Program with SACRED, which turns agave waste and adobe soil into building materials for community infrastructure in Jalisco and Oaxaca, with roughly $400,000 donated by 2023. The company also donates 1% of revenue to environmental nonprofits through 1% for the Planet.
The Numbers
| Year | Estimated Revenue | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 (May-Dec) | ~$10M | 136,000 cases; best-selling new tequila in US |
| 2022 | ~$25M | 379% growth |
| 2023 | ~$35-40M | Industry estimate |
| 2024 | ~$45-50M | 40% volume growth |
All revenue figures are industry estimates because 818 is a private company with no audited public disclosures.
Funding: K5 Global and Shrug Capital participated in an undisclosed seed round. In September 2024, distillery partner Grupo Solave made a strategic investment of undisclosed size and became a part-owner. No valuation has been publicly confirmed, though industry analysts have speculated the brand could be worth $400 to $600 million in an acquisition based on comparable deals like Diageo’s $1 billion purchase of George Clooney’s Casamigos in 2017.
Holding company: Calabasas Beverage Company, based in San Francisco, operates as the parent for both 818 and Sprinter (Kylie Cosmetics founder Kylie Jenner’s canned vodka soda). The company employs roughly 50 people, mostly in sales and marketing.
Controversies
Cultural appropriation backlash
When 818 launched in May 2021, promotional images showed Jenner at an agave farm in Jalisco wearing braided pigtails and a cowboy hat while Mexican workers appeared in the background. Latino communities and culture writers criticized the imagery as cosplaying Mexican women, and others pointed out that the 818 area code covers the San Fernando Valley, home to one of the largest Latino populations in Los Angeles. Jenner announced she would be “donating back to the community of Jalisco,” which materialized as the Bricks Program with SACRED. The brand never issued a formal apology for the specific imagery.
Tequila 512 trademark lawsuit
Austin-based Tequila 512, founded in 2012, filed a trademark infringement lawsuit in February 2022 alleging that 818 copied its logo and color scheme. Both parties settled in November 2022, agreeing to continue using their respective names with label modifications to clarify they are unrelated brands.
100% agave class action
In September 2025, plaintiffs filed a class action in Florida alleging that independent laboratory testing showed certain 818 products did not meet the “100% Blue Weber agave” standard on the label. 818 filed a motion to dismiss, stating that its tequila “is made in Jalisco, Mexico, under the strict oversight of the Tequila Regulatory Council and is certified 100% agave azul.” The case is pending as of early 2026, and 818 is one of several celebrity tequila brands caught up in a broader industry adulteration investigation.
What You Can Learn
Price your product for the customer you actually have. 818 launched at $45 for a blanco and grew steadily, but when the brand cut prices to $28 by renegotiating vendor contracts, blanco sales nearly doubled. The lesson is not that cheaper is always better, but that a price mismatch between your product and your core demographic will cap growth regardless of how strong the brand is.
Credibility can be built before launch. Jenner entered 818 into blind tasting competitions anonymously and accumulated 43 awards before anyone knew her name was behind the brand. For any online business where the founder’s profile might invite skepticism, building third-party validation before launch gives the product a foundation that exists independently of the founder’s reputation.
The operator matters more than the founder. Jenner is the face of 818, but Mike Novy, a 35-year spirits veteran and former president of Casa Dragones, built the actual business. Nearly every successful celebrity brand has an experienced operator behind the public figure, and the quality of that operator usually determines whether the brand survives past the initial hype.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns 818 Tequila?
Kendall Jenner holds an estimated 30 to 50% ownership stake, with additional shares held by distillery partner Grupo Solave and early investors K5 Global and Shrug Capital.
What does 818 mean?
818 is the telephone area code for Calabasas, California, where Kendall Jenner grew up.
Where is 818 Tequila made?
818 is produced at Grupo Solave’s distillery in Amatitán, Jalisco, Mexico (NOM 1607), a family-owned operation with four generations of agave cultivation experience.
How much does 818 Tequila cost?
After a price reduction in early 2024, 818 Blanco costs roughly $28, Reposado roughly $40, Añejo roughly $50, and the ultra-premium Eight Reserve ranges from $130 to $200.
Is 818 Tequila a B Corp?
818 became the first tequila brand to earn B Corp certification in March 2023, though critics have noted the brand scored low on air and climate metrics despite its sustainability marketing.
Who founded 818 Tequila?
Kendall Jenner founded 818 Tequila and serves as Chief Creative Officer. She started developing the product around 2017, spent 3.5 years on formulation, and launched the brand in May 2021. The day-to-day operation was built by Mike Novy, a 35-year spirits veteran and former president of Casa Dragones.
When was 818 Tequila founded?
818 was founded in 2020 and launched commercially in May 2021 after 3.5 years of product development. Before the public launch, Jenner submitted the tequila to international competitions anonymously and accumulated 43 awards across 13 events.
What is 818 Tequila’s valuation?
818 has not publicly disclosed a valuation, but industry analysts have speculated the brand could be worth $400 to $600 million in an acquisition. The comparable benchmark is Diageo’s $1 billion purchase of George Clooney’s Casamigos in 2017.
How much revenue does 818 Tequila generate?
818 generated an estimated $45 to $50 million in 2024 with 40% volume growth, while the overall tequila category grew just 2%. First-year sales hit roughly $10 million across May to December 2021, climbing to $25 million in 2022 and $35 to $40 million in 2023. All figures are industry estimates because 818 is a private company.
What is Kendall Jenner’s net worth?
Forbes has estimated Kendall Jenner’s net worth at roughly $60 million, built primarily from modeling income, brand deals, and her stake in 818 Tequila. The 818 stake is estimated at 30 to 50% ownership, with the remainder held by distillery partner Grupo Solave and early investors.
Sources
- PR Newswire, “818 Tequila Is the Best-Selling New Tequila of 2021,” December 2021. First-year case sales and market position.
- Modern Retail, “How 818 Tequila’s Price Reduction Helped Bump Up Sales,” 2024. Price cut strategy, blanco sales growth, original and revised pricing.
- Food Dive, “Trendy Tequila Cocktails Bolster 818 Growth,” 2024. Volume growth, market position, category comparison.
- Food Dive, “818 Tequila Nabs New Investment and CEO,” September 2024. Grupo Solave investment, Larry Goodrich appointment, Calabasas Beverage Company structure.
- Today.com, “Kendall Jenner Called Out for Cultural Appropriation Over Tequila Ad,” May 2021. Cultural appropriation backlash details.
- NBC News, “Kendall Jenner’s Tequila Brand Accused of Copying Tequila 512,” February 2022. Trademark lawsuit filing details.
- The Drinks Business, “818 Tequila Settles Lawsuit After Claims It Copied Rival Brand,” November 2022. Trademark lawsuit settlement terms.
- The Spirits Business, “818 Tequila Challenges 100% Agave Lawsuit,” January 2026. Class action details and 818’s response.
- PR Newswire, “818 Tequila Announces B Corp Certification,” March 2023. B Corp certification, sustainability initiatives.
- Fast Company, “Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila Is Turning Agave Waste Into Bricks,” 2022. Bricks Program details and donation figures.
- Just Drinks, “Jenner-Backed Brands 818 and Sprinter Form Sales Venture,” 2024. Calabasas Beverage Company structure, employee count.
- Southern Glazer’s Newsroom, “818 Tequila Distribution Agreement,” May 2021. Distribution partnership and launch details.