Proximo Spirits is unveiling a new upscale Tequila brand in collaboration with entertainer Kevin Hart. The newcomer, Gran Coramino, is debuting with a Reposado Cristalino Tequila retailing at $50 a 750-ml. Gran Coramino is launching today in California, Texas, Illinois, New York, and Georgia ahead of a national rollout next month.The 100%-agave Tequila is first aged in Eastern European oak barrels and finished in California Cabernet wine casks. The liquid is then transformed into a clear Cristalino Tequila via a slow-filtration process pioneered by Proximo parent Grupo Cuervo a decade ago. Cristalino Tequilas have gained traction in the U.S. in recent years. Cuervo CEO Juan Domingo Beckmann tells SND they have “the complexity and depth of an aged Tequila, with a smooth accessibility to be enjoyed either neat or in cocktails. We are the inventors of the Cristalino style of Tequila and this truly is one of the highest quality of liquids we have created, and at an accessible price point.”

“I wanted something different in the market, to tell a story that hadn’t been told before for my fans, for my culture, and a generation who has never tasted a Cristalino before. It’s the best-kept secret in Tequila,” said Hart, who is known for films like Ride Along, Night School, and The Upside among others, as well as numerous standup comedy specials and other projects across a range of media.

To develop Gran Coramino, Beckmann and Hart linked with Global Brand Equities, which also helped create two E.&J. Gallo-marketed celebrity brands: Maison No. 9 Rosé (Post Malone) and Mercer + Prince Canadian Whisky (A$AP Rocky). Gran Coramino will donate $1 from every bottle sold to support diverse entrepreneurs and small businesses in Mexico and the U.S. “With Kevin’s global fanbase, and our leadership in Tequila and the Cristalino category, we expect to make Gran Coramino one of our fastest growing brands in its first year,” Beckmann said.

The launch comes following the release of a solid set of first-quarter results for Grupo Cuervo. Net sales for the company increased 27% to $445 million on volume up 11% to 5.4 million 9-liter cases, with EBITDA registering a 17% increase to $108 million. U.S. and Canada net sales increased 11.2%, reflecting a premiumized mix and price increases, despite a 2.6% volume decline owing to a tough comparison in the RTD category against the previous year.—Daniel Marsteller