Demeter & Co. Targets Tequila’s Luxury Tier With Cierto Launch
February 23, 2023Demeter & Co., the upscale drinks company led by industry veterans Jim Clerkin and Jeff Menashe, is targeting the luxury spirits segment with its latest launch, Cierto Tequila. Cierto is rolling out this month in California, Florida, Texas, New York, Illinois, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Delaware, and will continue to expand throughout 2023 via its national partnership with Southern Glazer’s.
Made by master distillers Enrique Fonseca and Sergio Mendoza at the La Tequileña distillery, Cierto is billed as an additive-free Tequila aged in French Limousin oak casks that previously contained fine wines, Cognac, and Armagnac. Jim Ruane, who previously directed brands like Ketel One and Crown Royal at Diageo NA and serves as Cierto’s chief growth officer at Demeter, tells SND the brand is aimed at “discerning drinkers who are well-traveled, well-versed, and put in extreme effort to discover unique experiences, which they share enthusiastically with others. They’re increasingly diverse, with uncompromising standards about what they buy and put into their bodies. Cierto seeks to match their level of curiosity and exceed their expectations.”
Cierto is debuting with four “Private Collection” releases: Blanco (rested for eight months and retailing at $89 a bottle), Reposado (aged 11 months in Limousin oak, $119), Añejo (aged a minimum of 18 months in Limousin oak, $169), and Extra Añejo (aged 48 months in Limousin oak, $279). Cierto was founded by Todd Chaffee of Elevated Spirits along with Fonseca and Mendoza, with Demeter now tapped to develop the brand into a key player at Tequila’s top end.
“Off-premise, we’ve had great early success with retailers, large and small, who specialize in selling luxury brands and agave spirits,” Ruane notes. “On-premise, we’re targeting trend-leading fine dining, global-fusion, hotel, and nightlife establishments. Digital retail will be a major emphasis for Cierto as we embrace modern routes-to-market and create world-class content that lives up to the expectations of today’s luxury drinkers.”
While premiumization appears to have slowed some within the overall spirits market recently, Tequila’s top tier continues to churn forward. According to Impact Databank, Tequilas priced above $40 a bottle represented more than a quarter of the category last year. That uptrading trend has led Tequila to surpass American whiskey in value terms in the U.S., now trailing only vodka. The ambitious marketers behind Cierto aim to help further that progress in the year ahead.
—Daniel Marsteller
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