TL;DR
Get kitchen staples and gadgets delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
About four months after Sazerac acquired a minority stake and exclusive U.S. sales and distribution rights, 818 Tequila says it is on pace for its biggest sales year since launching in 2021. Company-cited NielsenIQ data showed its volume sales rose 73% in the four weeks ending Sept. 5, while the tequila category above $25 declined 0.4%.
Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila is on pace for its biggest sales year since launching in 2021, the company said, about four months after Sazerac took a minority stake and exclusive U.S. sales and distribution rights. Company-cited NielsenIQ data showed 818’s volume sales rose 73% in the four weeks ending Sept. 5, while the tequila category priced above $25 declined 0.4%.
818 Spirits President Lanay Jacobs told Food Dive that wider distribution under Sazerac has helped make 818 the fastest-growing tequila brand in the category above $25. That description and the sales figures were reported by the company, using NielsenIQ data; the report did not provide the underlying dataset or detail how the brand’s growth rate was calculated.
Jacobs said the partnership has allowed 818 to increase in-store displays and expand marketing activations, including at Coachella and college tailgates. The brand sells tequila in 750-, 375- and 50-milliliter bottles. Jacobs said the smaller formats can give consumers a lower-cost way to try a premium product, though the report did not give sales figures by bottle size.
The company also says it is attracting people who had not previously bought tequila. Jacobs said 66% of 818 consumers last quarter came from outside the tequila category, often from vodka or whiskey. That figure is a company-reported share of the brand’s consumers, not a measure of the total number of new tequila drinkers in the market.
Sazerac Adds Reach to 818
The deal gives 818 access to the sales and distribution network of a large spirits company as it tries to turn brand recognition into broader retail availability. The reported increase matters because the company says its growth followed expanded distribution and in-store promotion, while the broader above-$25 tequila category fell 0.4% in the same four-week period.
That short-window result does not establish that the partnership alone caused the increase, or that the trend will continue. Still, the arrangement could help 818 compete for shelf space and customers against established tequila labels. For Sazerac, the investment adds a celebrity-founded tequila brand as it broadens its portfolio and pursues younger consumers.
818’s reported reach beyond tequila drinkers may also matter to the brand’s longer-term prospects. A 2026 Tequila Report survey cited by Food Dive found 90% of engaged tequila drinkers maintain one go-to favorite. That survey finding suggests repeat preference can be a significant hurdle for new entrants, but it does not show whether 818 buyers will become loyal customers.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
From Launch to Distribution Deal
Jenner co-founded 818 Tequila in 2021; its name refers to the area code of her hometown. Jacobs described the first five years as a period focused on building awareness and cultural relevance, followed by a push to scale the business through a distribution partner.
In June 2026, Sazerac acquired a minority stake in 818 and secured exclusive U.S. sales and distribution rights. Sazerac owns brands including Fireball and Buffalo Trace. The partnership’s reported results arrive amid the company’s wider effort to expand its portfolio, including investments in or acquisitions of ready-to-drink brands such as BuzzBallz, Dirty Shirley and SipMargs, alongside spirits businesses including Svedka Vodka.
The figures in the report measure different things: the 73% increase is volume sales over four weeks, not annual revenue or market share, while the claim that 818 is on pace for its largest year is a company outlook. The source does not provide full-year sales totals or disclose the size of Sazerac’s stake.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Sales Claims Need More Detail
The published figures do not establish whether 818’s sales growth continued after the four weeks ending Sept. 5. The report gives no full-year sales forecast, revenue total, market share, or comparison with the same period a year earlier. It also does not identify the precise NielsenIQ measures or the retail channels included in the calculation.
The company’s 66% figure is not independently detailed in the report: its sample size, methodology and definition of a consumer are not stated. It is also unclear how much of the reported sales increase came from greater distribution, in-store displays, event marketing, or other factors. Sazerac and 818 have not, in the source material, disclosed the investment amount or the terms of the minority stake.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
A Full-Year Sales Test
The next clear measure will be whether 818 finishes 2026 with its largest annual sales total since its 2021 launch, as the company currently expects. More reporting on full-year volume, revenue and distribution would help show how much the Sazerac partnership has changed the brand’s scale.
For now, Jacobs says the companies plan to keep expanding distribution and consumer activations. The source does not provide a timetable for additional markets, new products or further investment. Future sales data will show whether the early gains extend beyond the reported four-week period.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
What is the Sazerac deal with 818 Tequila?
In June 2026, Sazerac acquired a minority stake in 818 and received exclusive U.S. sales and distribution rights. The size of the stake and financial terms were not reported.
How much did 818 Tequila sales increase?
Company-cited NielsenIQ data showed volume sales rose 73% in the four weeks ending Sept. 5, 2026. The report did not provide revenue figures or the underlying dataset.
How did the tequila category perform over the same period?
The category of tequila priced above $25 declined 0.4% in the four weeks ending Sept. 5, according to the data cited by 818. The report does not specify the comparison baseline in further detail.
Is 818 Tequila already having its biggest year?
Not yet as a confirmed full-year result. The company said 818 is on pace for its largest year since launching in 2021, but it did not publish a completed annual sales total.
Who is buying 818 Tequila?
818 Spirits President Lanay Jacobs said 66% of the brand’s consumers last quarter came from outside the tequila category, often from vodka or whiskey. The report did not provide the figure’s methodology or sample size.
Source: rss
Halloween Picks
halloween
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
