Celebrity Tequila Has Another Winner With Casamigas

Celebrity liquors and spirits have been all the rage in the 21st century, particularly when it comes to tequila. Everyone from Kendall Jenner to Dwayne Johnson has curated their own version of the iconic spirit, and one brand renowned for its celebrity allure and approachability is Casamigos. Created more than a decade ago by friends George Clooney, Rande Gerber, and Mike Meldman, Casamigos has become successful largely due to the quality of its products — no easy feat given many celebrity tequilas tend to focus solely on the namesake behind the brand.

Casamigos sold more than 3 million cases of its tequila across the world in 2022, alongside a drastic increase in overall sales. Given its success, the brand has branched out beyond the classic tequila varieties, and released a jalapeño-flavored tequila called Casamigas in April 2024. A spicy twist on standard tequila, Casamigos partnered with Cindy Crawford when developing its new Casamigas line. The supermodel hoped to make her go-to cocktail — a skinny spicy margarita – both easier to mix and more attainable for the average person.

Sold at 80 proof (or 40% alcohol by volume), Casamigas aims to bring some spice to your cocktail without overwhelming your palate. To determine whether it meets the high standards already set by the Casamigos brand, I taste-tested this new bottle, and present my review of Casamigos Casamigas tequila.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

Casamigas is the newest tequila from Casamigos. A partnership with Cindy Crawford — a friend of the brand (and wife of one of its founders, Rande Gerber) — Casamigas was first released in April 2024. It was created, in part, as a way to simplify the process of preparing a skinny spicy margarita (or Crawford's favorite cocktail).

Casamigas offers a unique take on the standard Casamigos tequila. It's produced with the distillery's 100% blue Weber agave-made Casamigos Blanco tequila as its base, and uses fresh peppers to imbue the spiciness of jalapeños. This heat is then balanced by a sweetness from agave and citrus.

Additionally, while the Casamigas bottle is stylized mostly the same as the brand's blanco tequila, Crawford's personal touches are incorporated, as well. Red flames of fire, a red jalapeño, and a red kiss mark are drawn onto the label, while a red "A" replaces a crossed-out "O" in the Casamigos name. In many ways, the redesigned label embodies the sassy nature of the Casamigas tequila and name.

First introduced in April 2024, the Casamigos Casamigas tequila is available at various locations across the U.S. Now, some patrons appear to have mixed feelings regarding the general cost of Casamigos and its tequilas, as the brand's products typically sit in the middle-to-high price range for such spirits. Unsurprisingly, Casamigas falls in a similar range, though the precise cost of this flavor also varies depending on the vendor, bottle size, and location.

You can order Casamigas from various online vendors through the Casamigos website. A 750-milliter bottle from Reserve Bar starts at $49.99, for example (plus any applicable taxes or shipping fees), while a 1-liter bottle is priced at $59.99 or higher. Keep in mind that the exact cost will vary based on where a customer purchases and ships their bottle.

Other online retailers where the spicy tequila is sold include Total Wine and GoPuff. Casamigas is also available at various local liquor stores around the country. Additionally, it appears Casamigos Casamigas tequila is intended as a permanent addition to the brand's lineup, so it should remain on shelves for the foreseeable future.

If you ask the founders of Casamigos, they might tell you the best way to drink Casamigas is straight up — whether as a shot, neat, or on the rocks. After all, the goal was to create a spiced tequila that could be tolerated without the need for many additional flavors or juices. As such, this is an approachable spirit that doesn't necessarily require anything extra (which is the right way to drink tequila, according to some).

Of course, Casamigas was also created with a skinny spicy margarita in mind, and the jalapeño-flavored tequila works in a number of similar cocktails. For instance, you can try making a spicy cucumber margarita with it to complement the underlying vegetable flavors. Once mixed, you'll end up with a tongue-tingling beverage that's peppery, smooth, and easy to drink. You can also stick with a classic tequila soda mixed drink — the Casamigas will bring just a little bit of a kick — or use it to make the ultimate spicy margarita.

For meals, consider pairing Casamigas with grilled meats, as the smokiness will complement the liquor's spicy profile. Tacos and ceviche are viable pairings, too, with the freshness and subtle sweetness in both able to offset the pungency of the tequila.

Casamigas is produced with Casamigos blanco tequila, which is made from 100% blue Weber agave. The plant is grown in Jalisco, Mexico, and grows for several years before it's able to be used in tequila production. Once ready, the lengthy plant has its leaves trimmed, and the agave piña is removed to make the alcohol.

The agave piñas are first slow-roasted in brick ovens for several days. They are then cooled for at least 24 hours, before an extra slow fermentation process is utilized with the roasted plants. For Casamigas, the distillery incorporates green jalapeños at some point, as well, providing a fresh and natural spiciness to the heat-forward spirit.

While it's a jalapeño-flavored liquor, Casamigas tequila also contains a sweeter component (thanks largely to the agave). Additionally, the alcohol is helped by a citrus element, though it's unclear what ingredient may be responsible for the precise citrus flavor found in Casamigas.

As soon as you pop open a bottle of Casamigas tequila, a poignant peppery smell spills out. Beneath the surface, the spirit has the typical vegetable-like aroma usually found in tequila. With the scent of jalapeños mixed in (and hints of citrus on the back end), this tequila's nose is sure to awaken your senses.

Interestingly, the strength of the jalapeño doesn't come through as profoundly on the palate. In fact, the spiciness of Casamigas is more present in the back end of each sip rather than on the initial taste. There's even a lingering sensation of jalapeño that stays in the aftertaste, burning your mouth ever so slightly.

However, this spiciness is countered by the light sweetness of the agave and notes of citrus, leaving a well-rounded, smooth tequila with a nice balance of flavors. In short, Casamigas is an enjoyable bottle that gives you what you're looking for when choosing such a spirit.

Another spicy tequila on the market, Ghost Tequila uses ghost pepper in its production process rather than jalapeño (as is used in Casamigas). Since ghost peppers have a much higher Scoville heat rating than jalapeños — ghost peppers are roughly 107 times hotter than jalapeños, for instance — this spirit gives you the spice you'd expect, though perhaps a bit too much.

The scent of Ghost Tequila is less of a specific pepper and more general spiciness. This is followed by an extremely poignant hot taste; in fact, you feel the burn immediately after just half a sip. A slight sweetness from the agave does help cut this heat a bit. But unlike the well-balanced spicy sweetness offered by Casamigas, the incredibly smoky profile of Ghost Tequila overwhelms everything else.

Ghost Tequila leaves you with a warming sensation that's nice for anyone who likes spicy foods. Yet it's simply too much to drink straight on its own. While both of these tequilas have a smooth texture and a notable agave flavor, the Casamigos Casamigas is better for the average tequila drinker. It adds a smaller kick that keeps it enjoyable, whereas Ghost Tequila is best-suited for those times you're in the mood for a lot of heat.

The short answer is yes. Casamigos Casamigas is a versatile tequila suited for virtually any tequila needs. It offers a welcome twist on the classic tequila taste, adding a sassy spiciness to the brand's blanco tequila (and its label). The spice doesn't overwhelm the overall flavor by any means, leading to a balanced tequila that's approachable enough to drink straight up, but adaptable enough to be mixed into various cocktails. There may be cheaper options on the market, but few spicy tequilas are likely to match Casamigas overall.

Frankly, if you're looking for a tequila that can stand on its own and has just the right amount of spice? Casamigas should be the choice. Casamigos clearly accomplished its goal of creating a tequila that's ideal for either a spicy margarita or a straight shot — and did it well. Simply put, Casamigas is apt to add to the success of the Casamigos brand, and it's worth having a bottle of the Cindy Crawford-approved tequila on hand for your next gathering.