Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s Teremana Tequila Accused of Misleading Consumers in Class Action Lawsuit

(Photo: Teremana)

A class action lawsuit filed against Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Teremana Tequila alleges that the brand falsely markets itself as “100% agave,” “small batch” and “handcrafted.” It’s one of nearly a dozen lawsuits filed against industry heavy hitters like Don Julio, Casamigos and Cincoro, all of which stand accused of adulterating their spirits with non-agave alcohol.

On April 3, plaintiff Andrei Tomescu filed a lawsuit against Teremana parent company Siete Bucks Spirits in Illinois federal court. Tomescu claims to have bought a bottle of Johnson’s tequila earlier in the year, believing that it was made exclusively with Blue Weber agave, as stated on the label. According to the filing, independent lab testing later revealed that the bottle was diluted with at least 10% of either cane- or corn-derived ethanol — the very same used to make rum or bourbon, respectively.

Tomescu also took issue with Teremana’s “small batch” and “handcrafted” marketing claims, reminding the court that the brand is capable of producing at least 12 million bottles annually.

“The product Tomescu purchased is industrially manufactured mixed tequila so he didn’t purchase a small-batch, high-value spirit, but rather a generic spirit with an overinflated price,” the lawsuit reads.

Johnson launched Teremana in early 2020, and it has since become one of the best-known names in the lucrative, though increasingly crowded, celebrity-owned spirits space. If Tomescu’s suit is successful, it will pay out a small sum to all consumers who purchased the brand between March 2020 and April 2026.

Some of the accusations laid out in the filing are likely to be dead on arrival in court. Though a handful of third parties have created their own criteria, there is no legal definition for “small-batch” or “craft” spirits in the United States (Tito’s, one of the largest vodka brands in the world, is famously not only “small batch,” but also “handcrafted”).

The adulteration allegations are another story. Or, to put it more accurately, they’re part of a much larger story.

In March 2025, a blockbuster lawsuit accused Don Julio and Casamigos of containing “significant” amounts of non-agave alcohol. It was the first of many suits to come. Kirkland Tequila, Gran Centenario, Lunazul, Michael Jordan’s Cincoro and Kendall Jenner’s 818 have all been hit with separate class actions, each claiming that their 100% agave labeling doesn’t hold up under scrutiny.

Some filings have been light on details; others have dived headfirst into the alleged specifics. The RICO case lodged against Costco claimed that its flagship Kirkland Blanco contains between 60% and 80% agave-derived ethanol, while its Kirkland Reposado contains a mere 5% to 25%.

All of the filings have relied on carbon isotope analysis to substantiate their claims. The lab testing method is purportedly capable of identifying the plant origin of ethanol in spirits, in some cases, down to the exact percentage points. Since none of the lawsuits have progressed to a ruling, it’s still unclear if the technique will hold weight in court.

The Tequila Regulatory Council, the Mexican Chamber of the Tequila Industry and several of the accused brands have denied the veracity of the lawsuits and cast doubts on the testing methods. In a motion to dismiss, Don Julio owner Diageo said that carbon isotopic tests have “no scientifically proven or even demonstrated applicability to tequila.”