Gran Coramino is a three-way partnership, and the alignment was baked in from day one. Kevin Hart brings the audience and the execution. James Morrissey, through Global Brand Equities, brings the consumer-brand operating playbook. Juan Domingo Beckmann, an 11th-generation tequila producer, brings the supply chain and the production credibility that kills the "another celebrity tequila" objection before it lands.

 

"From day one, this wasn't about launching another celebrity tequila," Morrissey told Traded. "It was about building a real business with real staying power."

The structure

Most celebrity spirits brands are in licensing deals. Gran Coramino isn't. The company owns the full stack: from agave cultivation in family-owned fields to harvesting, distillation, aging, blending, bottling, and distribution. That choice is slower. It also compounds.

 

"We wanted to control the product from the ground up," Morrissey said. "That's what allows you to build consistency, quality, and ultimately trust with the consumer."

The numbers

The category grew roughly 2% by volume in 2025 and 0% by retail value. Gran Coramino grew 85% year-over-year. More than half of its lifetime case sales happened in a single year. The reposado, released twelve months ago, finished its first year as the #1 new tequila product on U.S. shelves. The brand is now growing 73% faster than the top five celebrity tequila brands.

 

"We're not trying to spike. We're trying to compound," Morrissey said. "That means disciplined growth, not chasing every opportunity."

The reframe

The most useful way to look at Gran Coramino is to stop calling it a celebrity brand. It's a vertically integrated consumer packaged goods company that happens to have celebrity distribution built in. Most celebrity spirits compete for awareness. Gran Coramino competes on repeat purchases.

 

Hart's view sounds patient, and in this category, patience is a strategy. "Building a premium tequila isn't something you rush," he said. "We are not chasing short-term wins. We are building something that can stand the test of time."

Why it matters

Casamigos was sold to Diageo for $1 billion in 2017, and every celebrity tequila since has been pitched on that comp. Most have not gotten there.

The ones that will are the ones that invested in the operating company, not the photo shoot. For founders watching the consumer space, the shift Gran Coramino represents is worth noting: in a saturated category with declining category value, the celebrity isn't the moat. The supply chain is. The distribution is the accelerant.