Backstreet Boys Celebrity Tequila Brand
Backstreet's definitely back—though any true 90s child could tell you they never really left. And like many relics of the boy band era, they've gotten even better with age, which is fitting given their collective obsession with something that certainly does the same ... within the confines of a barrel.
During a recent two-show performance at luxury resort Moon Palace in Cancun, BSB shared exclusive intel with us about their interest in tequila. It started with musings on aging preferences: "I like a good reposado or añejo," Kevin Richardson said. Nick Carter chimed in, "And that leads us into talking about our tequila venture that we'll be coming out with. [We] just need to find a partner here in Mexico."
The Backstreet Boys' announcement of their imminent foray into the spirits business is big news, certainly for the liquor world as a whole, but more specifically for the local market. Tequila is a regulated spirit that can be produced only in Mexico's state of Jalisco (with the exception of several municipalities in surrounding states), thus any and all celebrity endorsement of or involvement in a brand would directly benefit the country's economy.
Justin Timberlake, Carlos Santana, Diddy, Sammy Hagar and Adam Levine have all been involved with different tequila brands in various capacities. Most notably, George Clooney's Casamigos brand was recently acquired by major spirits portfolio Diageo (Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff and CÎROC, to name a few) for a cool $1 billion, proving the immense potential value of this sort of venture when the cards are played right.
It's unclear (and tough to predict) whether the band will opt for a large-scale brand or a smaller producer, or what research and development has been done on their team's end thus far, but we're looking forward to future updates.
As for the group's Cancun visit, which doubled as a holiday vacation for the guys and their families, there was as much emphasis on the food as there was on the tequila. "I had the most amazing dinner at [one of the resort's] Mexican restaurants," AJ McLean shared. "I got to talk to the chef afterwards. The food's been great, and the people have been awesome here. We definitely want to come back [to Moon Palace]; that's for sure." In the meantime, we'll be awaiting their bottle release with bated breath and lime in hand.
Céline Bossart is a New York-based wine, spirits and travel writer born and bred in the 90s. Follow her on Instagram at @celineb0ss.