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There was always going to be room in the alcoholic beverage market for a high-end small batch of Tequila produced in the traditional way. Slipping into this gap came Teremana Tequila, which was the brainchild of its founder Dwayne Johnson.
As a well-known, highly respected, and highly paid, movie star, Dwayne Johnson, also popularly known as the wrestling legend, “The Rock”, created the Teremana Tequila brand in conjunction with partners Dany Garcia, Jenna Fagnan, and Ken Austin.
It is worth noting the ingenuity, and thought, combined with Dwayne Johnson’s own Polynesian heritage went into creating the brand name “Teremana”. Dwayne’s Father is an Afro-American, and his mother is Polynesian, with both parents having been born in Samoa.
Teremana is actually a combination of two words, with “Terra” being the Latin word for “earth”, and “mana” being the Polynesian word for “spirit”. Hence, we get Teremana, meaning “spirit of the earth”.
Introduced to the USA in March 2020 and with only a short time in the market, sales of Teremana Tequila rocketed throughout the USA, and product launches quickly followed in Canada and Mexico.
Aided by the fact that Tequila in general had reached a position in the US market where it was enjoying the fastest-growing sales rate of any major spirit, double-digit sales figures were recorded in the super-premium bracket, right where Teremana was positioned.
Looking ahead, Dwayne Johnsons sees only boundless possibilities and opportunities to grow his iconic brand.
Now recognized as a serious top-end player in the market, Teremana has been showered with some of the industry’s most prestigious spirits awards. Market Watch named it the “Best New Spirits Product for 2021” and Teremana was named Tequila of the Year at The USA Spirits Ratings.
Like so many other celebrities, Dwayne Johnson has used his formidable reputation to invest in and build other businesses and brands. Currently, Johnson owns Seven Bucks Productions, along with an athletic wear line called the Project Rock Collection, and an energy drink, Zoa Energy.
Johnson is also the co-owner of the XFL football league, backed by its parent company, Alpha Entertainment LLC. Between his acting career and being a successful businessman, Johnson is well on his way to becoming a billionaire.
In fact, given that his share in Teremana is estimated at 30 %, he would already be a billionaire.
History of Teremana Tequila
This super-premium, hand-crafted Tequila is produced in the Destilería Teremana de Agave. located in a small town, nestling amidst the panoramic peaks of the Jalisco Highland mountains in Mexico.
Teaming up with an established Mexican family-owned distillery, founder Dwayne Johnson created a unique home for his Teremana.
Every step of their tequila-making process is meticulously carried out in the traditional manner. Right from the jimadores wielding their coas while they harvest the fully ripe naturally sweet Blue Weber Agave hearts (also known as the pina or pineapple), to the slow roasting of the harvest in small traditional brick ovens.
The roasted agave is then fermented in open wooden vats for 72 to 96 hours, and this ferment then goes for final distillation which takes place in locally handmade copper pot stills. This method ensures the production of a top-quality, exuberant, and richly flavorful tequila that truly pays respect to its land of origin.
From the day it was first launched in 2020, Teremana Tequila was an unprecedented and stunning success in North America. In Dwayne Johnson’s words:
“It has far exceeded all our expectations and is accelerating at an extraordinary pace towards its full potential. Taste, quality, and affordability are the keys to Teremana’s success, but the driving force will always be the brand’s deep, mana-fueled connection with the people. This is a very inspiring road for me and my founding partners to travel down, as our dream has now become reality”.
Insiders in the spirit industry credit the unprecedented growth of Teremana to the company providing a high-end premium quality product with superior taste at an affordable price. This, coupled with the natural connection of Dwayne Johnson, acclaimed movie star and wrestling champion, to millions of fans turned consumers, worldwide, provides a firm customer base.
The Teremana Tequila brand alone, sold over 600,000 cases in 2021 which dramatically boosted its valuation, which now sits in the 3.5 billion US $ bracket.
Now planning to market this bestseller internationally, Dwayne is coming up with new business models. Dwayne Johnson recently met with BNN Bloomberg during his visit to Toronto and opened up about his strategies and hopes for his alcohol brand, which is already ranked as one of the biggest in the Tequila market.
Teremana Tequila: Bottle prices, variations, and sizes
| Teremana Reposado Tequila: Notes of oak and vanilla with a smooth rich finish | 750ml bottles 40% ABV (80 proof) | $34.99 |
| Teremana Blanco Tequila: Notes of bright citrus with a smooth fresh finish | 750ml bottles 40% ABV (80 proof) | $32.99 |
| Teremana Anejo Tequila: Notes of oak, vanilla and roasted agave | 750ml bottles 40% ABV (80 proof) | $39.99 |
Alternatives And Comparisons
Jose Cuervo
In the year 1795, after receiving the first official charter from the King of Spain to produce tequila commercially, Jose María Guadalupe de Cuervo began selling the very first Tequila, fully titled as “Vino Mezcal de Tequila de Jose Cuervo”. Cuervo has been producing tequila at La Rojeña, the oldest active distillery in Latin America, located in the town of Tequila, ever since
Jose Cuervo 250 Aniversario: This exceptional tequila, in a 750 ml bottle, averages out at around $2,000 per bottle along with its hand-blown crystal decanter. Definitely for the well healed only!
Jose Cuervo Tequila ley .925 Diamante: This is the most expensive bottle of tequila ever produced and was first sold in 2010, After a lengthy manufacturing process, the stunning bottle, designed by Jose Davalos Mejia, was crafted from five pounds of pure platinum and 4,100 white diamonds.
While the tequila inside is top class, a very nice (7-year-old 100 percent Agave Tequila distilled by Hacienda La Capilla) The bottle sold for an eye-watering US$ 3.5 million.
Cabo Wabo Tequila
| Cabo Wabo Tequila Blanco | 750ml bottles | $34.99 |
| Cabo Wabo Tequila Anejo | 750ml bottles | $46.99 |
How To Drink Teremana Tequila
Both the Teremana Reposado and Blanco make an ideal base for a lively cocktail recipe. For more fun and flavor, try these specialty Mana cocktail creations:
Mango Manarita
Ingredients
- 2 oz Teremana Blanco
- 3/4 oz Lime Juice
- 1/2 oz Agave Syrup
- 1 oz Mango Nectar
Take a pinch of salt and shake with ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into a rocks glass over ice.
Garnish with a mango slice.
Strawberry Cucumber Mana Fresca
Ingredients
- 1 cup Teremana Blanco
- 1 cup Water
- 1 cup Cucumber, peeled and sliced
- 1 cup Strawberry, peeled and sliced
- 1/4 cup Lime Juice
- 1/2 cup Sugar
Combine all the ingredients, blend, and strain into a pitcher
Hibiscus Palmer
Ingredients
- 5 oz Teremana Reposado
- 1 oz Lemon Juice
- 75 oz Simple Syrup
- add about 3 oz of Hibiscus Tea
Shake with ice and strain into a John Collins glass
Top up with hibiscus tea.
Mana Clover Club
Ingredients
- 5 oz Teremana Blanco
- 75 oz Simple syrup
- 75 oz lemon juice
Separate one egg white and shake in a tin with no ice then set aside
Lightly mash 4-5 fresh raspberries in a separate shaker, add all ingredients with ice and shake
Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with raspberries
Interesting Facts and Myths
One of Dwayne Johnson’s business ventures, Seven Bucks Productions, was named after a fairly bleak period in his life when his dream of being an NFL football player tanked due to injuries. During this time, nothing else seemed to be working out.
The name came from a personal low, when he was traveling with his father one time, feeling pretty miserable, and on going through his own wallet he found that he had the sum a total of 7 bucks to his name.
As impressive as Dwayne’s’ acting career has been, and continues to be, it is surprising to learn that the vast majority of his net worth comes not from acting, but directly from his Teremana Tequila brand.
To date, Johnson’s net worth is around $800 million, with only about a quarter of that fortune coming from the films he has starred in. The remaining 75 percent is from Teremana Tequila sales and his other business ventures.
In only its first year in business, Teremana was on track to sell 400,000 cases of Tequila. A staggering achievement considering that this was more than double the sales that George Clooney’s Casamigos sold before Clooney’s’ company was bought out by retail giant Diageo, for the sum of 1 billion US$
FAQs
What is a jimador?
A jimador is a highly skilled and experienced Mexican field worker whose profession is harvesting agave plant hearts (The Pina) that are used in the production of Tequila and Mezcal.
What is a coa?
A coa de jima or coa (“hoe for harvesting”) is a specialized tool designed for the efficient harvesting of the Agave hearts. It is a long, machete-like round-ended knife with a long wooden handle and is used by a jimador to cut the leaves off the Agave being harvested and to cut the agave heart from its roots.
The core (or “heart”) is called the piña (“pineapple”) and is the only part used for the production of Mezcal, Sotol, and Tequila.
What is the difference between Tequila and Mezcal?
The “Declaration for the Protection of the Denomination of Origin” (a Mexican law that oversees the protection of the Tequila name) states that In order to qualify as a Tequila, the spirit may only be made from one particular type of Agave plant, which is the Blue Weber Agave.
Mezcal, however, is made from any variety of Agave plants, be they wild or cultivated. There are some 40 varieties of Agave that can be used in the production of Mescal. In addition,
Also, Tequila may only be produced inside the Mexican state of Jalisco (where you will find the town of Tequila and in a few municipalities in Guanajuato, Michoacan, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. All other agave-based distilled spirits made outside of those regions are called “Mezcal.”
What does “proof” mean in alcohol terms?
Sometime in the 16 h Century, in Britain, the government instituted additional taxes on spirits over a certain strength (now unenthusiastically known as a “sin” tax.
The word proof thus came about as confirming that the amount of alcohol in the drink was correct as claimed.
Is Tequila the strongest alcohol on the market?
Definitely not. The strongest commercially sold alcoholic drink is reputed to be the Polish Vodka named “Spirytus Premium Vodka”. It is bottled at a brain-numbing 192 proof (96% ABV) as opposed to a pedestrian 80 proof for an average Tequila.
Conclusion
The Aztec Indians, the original occupants of Northern Mexico, are reputed to have made alcohol from fermented Agave plants some 1000 years BC. Perhaps a hard act to follow but Dwayne Johnson does not appear to be intimidated.
Exquisite taste, dynamic marketing, and a great product are the benchmarks of success for Teremana Tequila.
