Australians can now join the 818 Tequila party, as the Kendall Jenner-owned brand announced that after two years of success in the US and UK, it’ll now also be stocked Down Under — available at Liquorland and First Choice Liquor Market from September 6.
“We are thrilled to be launching 818 Tequila in Australia and we hope that 818 will find success here as it has all over the world,” said Jenner in a statement. “818 is all about a sense of community and bringing people together, and we think our ethos aligns perfectly with the Australian consumer.”
Jenner launched 818 Tequila in the US in May 2021 with three tequila flavours available: Blanco, Resposado and Añejo. In May 2023, the 27-year-old model and reality star announced the brand would also be stocked in the UK. Available at high-end department store chain Selfridges, it sold 150% above predicted levels within 12 days of launching in the UK, according to The Spirits Business.
818 Tequila Blanco is an ultra-smooth blend with a crisp citrus finish, and notes of almond, key lime pie and toasted coconut. Reposado, meanwhile, has a caramel finish, with bolder notes of cooked agave and pecan pie. Finally, Añejo is deep and complex, with notes of orange peel, chocolate and toffee.
A premium Eight Reserve will also be available in Australia — it’s a blend of Añejos aged up to eight years in French and American barrels, bottled in a hand-crafted ceramic, 8-shaped decanter you can reuse after drinking.
818 Tequila prides itself on traditional practices with a modern lens, a practice that’s seen it earn over 43 international tasting awards since it launched.
For all flavours, the brand harvests its agave plants at peak maturity, after 6-7 years, before slow-cooking each batch in traditional ovens for roughly 30 hours. Following traditional tahona wheel extraction, the spirit is naturally fermented before being distilled inside alembic copper pot stills, and finally aged in American and French oak barrels.
“We want to keep as classic a profile as possible, this was very important for our team, Kendall included,” said David Yan Gonzalez, 818’s Director of Tequila Operations.
“We’re celebrating the tradition of this centuries-old industry and doing something really special for the heritage of Mexico. Tequila is such a huge part of our festivities and sharing our better moments as people, as family, as friends.”
The brand also strives for sustainability, from the agaves it grows, to the production and labelling of the bottles. Its distillery runs on biomass and solar power, its bottles are made with recycled glass and its paper products are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. 818 became B-Corp certified in March 2023.
818 Tequila is now available at select Liquorland and First Choice Liquor Market stores, starting at $100. It’ll be available at all retailers across Australia from October 4, 2023.
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