The iconic tequila brand Hornitos is ready to jumpstart your summer with its new ready-to-drink (RTD) sparkling canned tequila cocktail. The new tequila-based hard seltzer is now available in select markets, with plans to expand nationwide this summer.
Hornitos Hard Seltzer is made with blue agave and real Plata tequila. It is available in two flavors: lime and mango. Both are made without any artificial flavors.
Each 12 oz. can of the Hornitos RTD contains under 115 calories, 5% ABV, and is made using natural ingredients. The tequila seltzer has a suggested retail price of $11.99 per 4 pack. The brand says that the new canned cocktail was designed for “high energy moments.”
“The tequila and ready-to-drink cocktail segments are two of the fastest-growing segments in the spirits category right now, with hard seltzer retail sales up 225% in the last year alone,” said Rashidi Hodari, managing director of tequila at Beam Suntory.
“With our pioneering history, we’re excited to seize this momentum and bring tequila and seltzer together to deliver a whole new Hornitos Tequila experience for those looking for a refreshing, premium ready-to-drink beverage.”
To celebrate its launch, the brand is giving away over $40,000 in adventures, experiences, and other fun prizes. Legal drinking age (LDA) fans are invited to enter the “Call the Shots” giveaway in stores and on social media.
Hornitos Tequila was founded on the belief that “nothing great ever happens without taking a chance” in 1950 by Don Francisco Javier Sauza in honor of Mexican Independence Day. Hornitos is a brand of Sauza Tequila Import Company, now wholly owned by Beam Suntory. Beam Suntory is the world’s third largest producer of spirits, behind Diageo and Pernod Ricard.
Francisco used his high standards to push the tequila industry forward in the 1950’s and 60’s, petitioning the Mexican government to set national standards. He was driven by the belief that true tequila must be made in the country using 100% blue agave.
The innovative distiller also changed the game by cooking agaves in smaller ovens, which afforded more control over the process, resulting in a better taste. The quality of the agave was critical to Francisco’s craft, and Hornitos now brings that same passion to its new hard seltzer.
Hornitos’ parent company – Beam Suntori – has been making some major moves into the RTD space over the past few months. Last September it acquired On the Rocks, a line of premium RTDs made with top shelf spirits, including many of Beam Suntori’s own brands. Indeed, the classic Margarita is actually made with Hornitos.
Tequila seltzers have been taking the world by storm recently. Jose Cuervo launched its own RTD, Playamar, last summer, which is available in both lime and grapefruit.
This week Miller Coors released Proof Point, a new premium RTD that includes a tequila seltzer made with a splash of real grapefruit juice. And everyone from Dos Equis to Topo Choco are launching their own takes on Ranch Water, a tequila-based cocktail created in Texas.
With its bold history of innovation, the RTD space seems like a natural fit for Hornitos. Given its history of pushing the tequila industry forward, and making it available to the people, we can’t wait to see what it does with hard seltzer.
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