Tequila Brand Investment Explained: Tequila Stocks, Brand Equity and Barrels

Tequila has been one of the fastest-growing spirits categories of the past decade, and celebrity brands have made headlines with big sale prices. Many investors who search for “tequila stocks” or “tequila companies to invest in” are really asking how to get a share of that growth. This guide explains the options, what you actually own in each case, how you would get your money back, and the risks.

In this guide:

1. The three ways to invest in tequila, at a glance

2. Can you buy tequila stocks?

3. Investing in a private tequila brand

4. Can you invest in Teremana, Espanita or OTACA?

5. Owning a tequila barrel

6. Who buys aged tequila barrels?

7. Which route suits which investor?

8. The risks of each route

The three ways to invest in tequila, at a glance

🔑 Tequila brand investment: key facts

• About US$912.6m: raised by Becle, maker of Jose Cuervo, when it listed in Mexico in 2017 (El Universal).

• $700m upfront, up to $1bn in total: what Diageo agreed to pay for Casamigos in 2017 (Diageo).

• About −21%: the fall in Diageo’s US tequila sales in its 2026 financial year, as the category cooled (MarketBeat, August 2026).

• Not FCA-regulated: buying physical tequila barrels is not a regulated investment in the UK.

Sources: El Universal (9 February 2017); Diageo (21 June 2017); MarketBeat via Nasdaq (6 August 2026); Bevnet (31 March 2023); Tequila Reserve Approved Collateral. Checked 22 October 2026.

Can you buy tequila stocks?

There are no pure “tequila stocks” on the London or New York exchanges, but you can buy shares in drinks groups that own major tequila brands. In each case tequila is one part of a much larger business, so the share price reflects everything the company does.

Checked 22 October 2026. The brand lists are not exhaustive.

These deals show how valuable a successful tequila brand can be. They also show the limits of investing through shares: when Diageo bought Casamigos, the gain went to the founders and early backers, while Diageo shareholders took on the cost.

How tequila stocks have performed recently

The past two years have been harder for tequila companies, particularly in the US:

• Diageo: US tequila sales fell roughly 21% in the 2026 financial year, a major driver of an 8.4% organic sales decline in North America. Its finance director said Don Julio and Casamigos were both affected as consumers traded down (MarketBeat via Nasdaq, 6 August 2026).

• Becle: net sales fell 13.9% in the second quarter of 2026 (5.8% at constant currency), with US and Canada volumes down 8.7%, as the company reorganised its US distribution (The Spirits Business, July 2026). Its shares were down almost 14% in early 2026 (Bloomberg, February 2026).

For a shareholder, that is the point: a listed drinks group’s share price moves with its whole portfolio of brands, its distribution deals and the strength of the peso or pound, not just with the value of aged tequila.

Investing in a private tequila brand

Most tequila brands, including many celebrity-backed ones, are privately owned. Investors usually reach them in one of three ways:

• Equity crowdfunding. Smaller brands raise money from the public through platforms such as Wefunder and StartEngine in the US, or Crowdcube in the UK. For example, Yéyo Tequila launched a StartEngine campaign in 2023 with a $250 minimum investment (Bevnet, 31 March 2023).

• Angel and private rounds. Larger stakes are usually offered privately to angel investors, family offices and drinks companies.

• Strategic investment. Established drinks groups sometimes take a stake in a growing brand, often alongside a distribution deal.

What you own is a small share of a young business. Your return depends on the brand growing and, usually, on it being sold to a larger company or listing on a stock market. Until then there is rarely a way to sell, new funding rounds can dilute your stake, and many young drinks brands never reach a sale.

Can you invest in Teremana, Espanita or OTACA?

These three brands appear in searches from investors, so here is what is publicly known. We found no current public offer to invest in any of them as of 22 October 2026.

Teremana

Teremana was co-founded by Dwayne Johnson with Dany Garcia, Jenna Fagnan and Ken Austin, and the Lopez family, which produces the tequila at its Jalisco distillery, also holds a stake. In February 2022 its distributor, Mast-Jägermeister, took a stake for an undisclosed sum (The Spirits Business, 2 February 2022). Teremana is privately held, so there are no Teremana shares for the public to buy.

Espanita

Espanita Tequila Company raised $812,480 from 849 investors on the crowdfunding platform Wefunder; the listing shows it was last funded in December 2023 (Wefunder, checked 22 October 2026). The listing does not say whether the offer is still open.

OTACA

OTACA Tequila, a 100% Blue Weber agave brand founded in 2021 and based in Aliso Viejo, California, has raised about $700,000 in total, according to CB Insights, which lists StartEngine among its investors. We could not find details of a current public offer.

If you are considering a crowdfunding investment in any drinks brand, read the offer documents carefully, check what type of security you are buying, and assume you may not be able to sell it for many years.

Owning a tequila barrel

The third route skips the brand altogether. Instead of a share in a business, you own a barrel of tequila while it matures. Tequila can only be made in a designated region of Mexico from 100% Blue Weber agave, a plant that takes 6 to 8 years to mature, and it moves up in value as it ages, from blanco through reposado and añejo to extra añejo, which needs at least three years in oak. Once bottled, the ageing stops. Our guide to how tequila barrel investment works explains the process step by step, and tequila barrels vs bottles explains why barrels and bottles behave differently.

Tequila Reserve by WineFi offers multiple tequila barrel investment programmes. Prices range between £1,000–£6,000 dependent on production methods, age and distillery. Across our programmes:

• Everything is included for three years: the purchase price covers all fees, insurance and storage for the first three years, the recommended hold for the tequila to become extra añejo.

• Ownership is documented: each barrel is held in a CRT-authorised warehouse at the distillery in Mexico, registered with its own serial number from the Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT), and you receive a certificate of ownership.

• You choose the exit: after three years you can keep ageing the barrel to five, seven or ten years, bottle it under your own label with our bottling partners, or sell it.

Barrels, prices and exit options vary by programme. Other companies offer tequila barrels too, on different terms; we compare them in tequila investment companies compared.

Who buys aged tequila barrels?

A barrel’s value depends on someone wanting to buy aged tequila when you sell. The model is designed around that demand: distillers get working capital today by selling young tequila in the barrel, collectors own the maturing tequila, and brands, bottlers and distillers receive future aged stock.

Brands. A brand building an extra añejo range may buy a whole aged barrel rather than wait years to age its own. Brands scrutinise provenance, so the producer’s NOM number, the quality of the barrel, the CRT-registered serial number and a verified storage history all matter. Our guide to what makes a tequila barrel valuable explains these factors.

Independent bottlers. Bottlers buy aged liquid to create limited releases under their own labels. They tend to look for distinctive, well-documented barrels, such as tequila aged in ex-bourbon casks with a clear flavour profile.

For a collector, a sale to a brand or bottler is a private sale. Collectors can organise a private sale themselves or ask WineFi to broker it for a commission, subject to market demand. Tequila Reserve offers multiple tequila barrel investment programmes, so exit terms may vary by programme. Exit prices cannot be guaranteed or locked in.

Which route suits which investor?

Some investors combine routes. Whichever you choose, keep the amount to a share of your portfolio you could leave untouched for years.

The risks of each route

Each route has its own trade-offs, and none is guaranteed:

• Tequila stocks: share prices can fall, and they reflect the whole company, including other spirits, debt, currency moves and management decisions. Recent results show how quickly a slowdown in one market can hit sales.

• Private brand equity: most young brands need several funding rounds, your stake can be diluted, and you may not be able to sell until the brand is bought or lists, which may never happen. Crowdfunding investments carry a high risk of losing your money.

• Tequila barrels: barrels are not an FCA-regulated investment and are not covered by the FSCS. They are illiquid, values can fall as well as rise, and there is no guarantee of a buyer, or of a particular price, when you want to sell. Tequila’s secondary market is young, and some liquid evaporates as it ages. Read the full risks of investing in tequila barrels.

Take independent advice before investing in any of them.

FAQs about investing in tequila brands

Can you buy tequila stocks?

There are no pure tequila stocks on the main UK or US exchanges. You can buy shares in drinks groups that own tequila brands, such as Diageo (Don Julio, Casamigos), Brown-Forman (Herradura, el Jimador) or Becle (Jose Cuervo), which is listed in Mexico.

What tequila companies can you invest in?

Listed groups such as Diageo, Brown-Forman and Becle own major tequila brands. Smaller private brands sometimes raise money through crowdfunding platforms. You can also own the tequila itself by buying a barrel through a specialist company.

Can I invest in Teremana tequila?

Not publicly. Teremana is privately held. Its owners include its co-founders, among them Dwayne Johnson, the Lopez family that produces the tequila, and Mast-Jägermeister, which took a stake in 2022. We found no public offer to invest in it as of October 2026.

Can I invest in Espanita tequila?

Espanita raised $812,480 from 849 investors on Wefunder, last funded in December 2023, according to its listing. The listing does not say whether the offer is still open, so check Wefunder directly.

Is it better to invest in a tequila brand or a tequila barrel?

They are different bets. Brand equity depends on one business growing and being sold. A barrel depends on the value of the aged tequila itself and demand from brands and bottlers. Both are illiquid and carry risk.

How do celebrity tequila brands make money for investors?

Usually through a sale. Casamigos, co-founded by George Clooney, Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman, was bought by Diageo in 2017 for up to $1 billion. Most brands never reach a sale like that, so early investors take a high risk.