George Clooney’s Casamigos Unveils First Canned Margarita Cocktails

(Photo: Casamigos)

Over a decade after it catapulted celebrity tequila to never-before-seen heights, Casamigos is back with a quartet of canned cocktails slated to roll out nationwide in the coming months.

On Monday, the brand unveiled Casamigos Margaritas, each of which is reportedly made with tequila, natural flavors, triple sec liqueur and real juice. Rather than go for a large-format, hard seltzer approach, Casamigos has opted for a stripped-down concept that’s theoretically akin to what you’d find poured at a bar. Each of the flavors — Passionfruit & Prickly Pear, Guava & Hibiscus, Strawberry & Colima Lime and Classic Lime — comes in a stout 200-milliliter package canned at 10% ABV. The tagline of the launch simply reads, “no mixologist required.”

“The spirit of friendship has always been at the core of Casamigos – from its inception to its name, which means house of friends,” Roderick Blaylock, VP of marketing at Casamigos, said in a news release. “With that spirit in mind, we’re bringing a twist on the best-selling tequila cocktail in a ready to drink can, to be enjoyed with anyone, anytime, anywhere. The new Casamigos Margaritas are an invitation to savor effortless moments of connection with friends.”

The brand has come a long way since its launch in the early 2010s. Conceived by actor George Clooney and businessman Rande Gerber, Casamigos was at the time a relatively unnoteworthy venture in a category yet to take off with consumers. All of that changed in 2017 when the tequila was acquired by British spirits conglomerate Diageo for a reported $1 billion. That 10-digit sales figure set off the celebrity-owned tequila craze as we know it today, paving the way for myriad brands backed by the likes of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Kendall Jenner and Kevin Hart.

Though A-list agave spirits remain as popular as ever, trends have slowly shifted in other arenas. One of the biggest successes of the past few years has proven to be pre-mixed cocktails made with real tequila, vodka and whiskey. Unsurprisingly, celebrities have moved in fast. From Lil Yachty to Jennifer Lopez, ready-to-drink tequila beverages have emerged as the next frontier for savvy investors — paradoxically making Casamigos Margaritas a new contender in a cateogry that the very same brand helped jumpstart.

“Tequila-based ready-to-drink cocktails are driving the next wave of growth in the category, and consumers are looking for trusted brands that deliver both quality and convenience,” added Jamie Young, VP of Ready to Drink and Ready to Serve at Diageo. “With Casamigos Margaritas, we’re bringing a premium experience into the can—backed by the cultural credibility that set this brand apart.”

Time will tell if Casamigos’ cocktail offering can stand out from the crowd. Earlier this year, parent company Diageo announced that sales of the George Clooney-backed brand dipped by 21% in the latter half of 2024. CEO Debra Crew said the company was “making progress on a turnaround,” hinting that the brand was preparing for a “back to basics” marketing push sometime in 2025.

Casamigos Margaritas appear to be part of that push. In a press release announcing the cocktails, the brand reemphasized its “Anything Goes with my Casamigos” marketing campaign that launched in May, adding that the brand was a proud partner of the “Las Culturistas Culture Awards” airing August 5 on Bravo.