Bloomberg — French drinks maker Pernod Ricard SA will launch a new brand of sotol liquor backed by rock star Lenny Kravitz to target rising demand for Mexican spirits.
Pernod said the product, to be made in collaboration with Mexican distiller Casa Lumbre, will be called Nocheluna Sotol and aim for an “ultra-premium” category. Kravitz, an actor and designer as well as a musician, will promote the brand.
Produced and bottled in Mexico, it will launch in the US with plans for global distribution, the Paris-based company said.
While a powerhouse in premium whiskeys, Pernod has a limited presence in tequila and the move comes as demand for agave-based spirits soars. Americans will spend more money on tequila and mezcal this year than on domestic whiskeys. Sales are expected to top $13.3 billion next year, overtaking vodka as America’s most-purchased spirit, according to IWSR, which tracks and analyzes drinks market data.
Sotol is a liquor produced from an agave-like plant from the genus Dasylirion, more commonly known as “desert spoon,” that grows wild in parts of Mexico and the southern US.
The spirit is clear like tequila and mezcal, and was regarded as a kind of moonshine in Mexico until it was legalized in 1994.
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