Q&A: Casamigos Tequila’s Rande Gerber
Rande Gerber at Casamigos Tequila Launch at Hakkasan at Fontainebleau on January 8, 2013
Miami Beach, FL – April 4, 2016 – “Brought To You By Those Who Drink It” and privately owned by longtime friends George Clooney and Rande Gerber, founder of Gerber Spirits, and Discovery Land Company CEO & founder Michael Meldman, tequila-filled nights with friends is how Casamigos was born. Now available across the country, around the world and in Miami’s top restaurants, bars and clubs Casamigos produces a Blanco, Reposado and Añejo tequila. A few spots where World Red Eye readers can enjoy Gerber’s award winning Casamigos Tequila in Miami include: Delano Hotel, The Bazaar, Fontainebleau Miami Beach, Casa Tua, Soho Beach House, SLS Hotel, Nobu, Ortanique, The Forge, Radio Bar, Nikki Beach Club, Cleo South Beach and more.
Awards and ratings include the highest rated gold medals from Los Angeles International Spirits Competition, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, The Beverage Testing Institute, The New York World Wine & Spirits Competition, The Spirits of Mexico Tasting Competition and many more. Additionally, Casamigos was rated “Excellent, Highly Recommend” by The Ultimate Spirits Challenge, received the coveted 5 star rating from BevX Magazine, “A perfect tequila,” A rating, from Good Spirit News, named “Best Tequila in the World” by Men’s Journal magazine and Oprah Winfrey lists Casamigos as “The Smoothest, The Best.
World Red Eye had a chance to catch up with Rande Gerber while he was in town to discuss all things tequila with us, Salud!
WRE: What made you decide to make your own tequila?
RG: We were spending a lot of time in Mexico, and as you do when you’re in Mexico, we were drinking a lot of tequila. We would go to different bars and bartenders would suggest different tequilas, some really expensive, some not so expensive, some good, some not so good, but we never found one that was perfect for us. We wanted the best tasting, smoothest tequila that didn’t have to be covered up with salt and lime. We wanted to be able to drink it all night long and not be hungover in the morning. So we started working with a great distillery to develop the exact profile that we wanted.
At first we were doing it just for us. We started making bottles for ourselves to drink and everybody liked it so we sort of felt that this might be something we should sell. There came a point where we were making so much for ourselves and friends, which we’re not really supposed to do, that the distillery recommended we get licensed and start selling it. We wanted to continue drinking it and we wanted to be able to give it to our friends. So we decided to start selling it and create a company.
Cindy Crawford, Rande Gerber, Blake Lively, & Penn Badgley at W Fort Lauderdale Grand Opening on June 4, 2009
WRE: How did you come up with the name “Casamigos”?
RG: It’s named after our homes in Cabo called Casamigos, which loosely translated means ‘house of friends.’
Rande Gerber & Cindy Crawford at W Fort Lauderdale 1 Year Anniversary on June 24, 2010
WRE: How did you land on the flavor profile?
RG: It was pretty easy because we really knew what we liked once we narrowed it down. We loved it and then did blind tastings with our friends to make sure. We had all the top tequilas lined up alongside ours. We probably had six or eight tequilas lined up. Everyone chose ours. One day we were inspired while talking to the guys at the distillery and said, “Why don’t we age the tequila in these old whiskey barrels, and give it a sort of smoky profile?” The minute we got those samples we knew it was perfect.
Cindy Crawford & Rande Gerber at Soiree at The Raleigh on March 20, 2005
Rande Gerber, Cindy Crawford, Estelle, & Scott Gerber at W Fort Lauderdale 1 Year Anniversary on June 24, 2010
Rande Gerber & Cindy Crawford at W Fort Lauderdale 1 Year Anniversary on June 24, 2010
WRE: Does Cindy drink tequila?
RG: Cindy loves it; she drinks it the same way as us, on the rocks. She was converted from typically drinking margaritas. Once you find tequila that you love that is as smooth as ours you don’t need to add anything to it.
Rande Gerber, Cindy Crawford, & Dennis Rodman at W Fort Lauderdale 1 Year Anniversary on June 24, 2010
Rande Gerber, Cindy Crawford, & Estelle at W Fort Lauderdale 1 Year Anniversary on June 24, 2010
WRE: What mixes best with tequila?
RG: It mixes well with anything, but we like to drink our tequila neat or on the rocks. You could use a little bit of lime or fresh grapefruit juice. You can hide a lot of bad tequilas behind a margarita. But Casamigos actually enhances the margarita.
Cindy Crawford & Rande Gerber at Casamigos Tequila Launch on January 8, 2013
It’s named after our homes in Cabo called Casamigos, which loosely translated means ‘house of friends.’
Rande Gerber, Co-founder of Casamigos Tequila
Rande Gerber, Belkys Nerey, & Cindy Crawford at Casamigos Tequila Launch on January 8, 2013
Rande Gerber & Bruce Weber at DuJour Magazine Honors Marc Quinn at Delano on December 4, 2013
WRE: You’re a legendary fixture in Miami, how do you think Miami has changed?
RG: I opened The Whiskey in 1991 when South Beach was a very different place. It had many vacant buildings, an exiting gay community, models trickling in from NY for photo shoots and retirees sitting on the porch watching the the new generation walk by. There weren’t many nightclubs or restaurants and bars so when I opened The Whiskey at the vacant Carlyle Hotel on Ocean, I turned the lobby into a lounge that transformed into a club late night. I remember opening night, I was up on a ladder hanging curtains and I looked outside and there were a few hundred people waiting to get in. It was incredible. I took a vacant building, went to Goodwill and bought used firniture, picked out fabrics and had them slipcovered, built a big bar and went to Crazy Eddies and bought the biggest most expensive sound system they had. I acually bought 3 of them. The Whiskey was packed every night and my liquor license allowed me to serve until 5am which meant I was working and playing all day and night. Fortunately the beautiful beach was the perfect place to recuperate and get ready to do it all over again. I definitely miss those days and wish my kids could experience what it was like when people were having pure fun without the distraction or worry of smartphones or social media. Overall things have changed, there are a vast array of restaurants and bars now and the overall vibe is a little different. Miami is still one of my favorite cities and a great place to be.
Rande Gerber & Cindy Crawford at Art Basel Miami Beach Collector’s Preview on December 4, 2013
WRE: For your home bar – what are your must-have items?
RG: Casamigos is number one. It is always good to have a few good wines, some good crushed ice, soda, lemon, lime, and shakers. Of course, different glasses for different drinks. Tequila just doesn’t work in a taller glass, it feels wrong. We prefer rocks or shot glasses. Also, a good bottle of champagne.
WRE: We understand you love the new 1 Hotel South Beach, what are some of your other favorite spots?
RG: If Barry Sternleicht is involved, I know I’m not going to be disappointed. I worked with Barry when he created the W hotels and I owned the Whiskey and other bars in some of his properties. Barry has always been the best at creating cool, chic hotels that know how to take care of their guests.
Rande Gerber, Cindy Crawford, & George Clooney at 1 Hotel & Homes South Beach on February 15, 2016
