Comedy actor and producer Danny McBride is rearranging liquor store shelves to yield real estate for the latest celebrity-endorsed tequila brand to hit the market and targeting a unique but inspired audience.
Don Gato, an additive-free 100% blue weber agave tequila, is equally captivating to both cat and wrestling lovers, and despite an overly saturated market, McBride is leaning into an untapped marketing strategy to advertise “good times”.
“To me, it felt like, if I feel uncomfortable being a spokesman for a brand, why don’t I create the perfect spokesman,” McBride told FOX Business during a video interview.
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Beyond crafting an unrefined tequila, the “Pineapple Express” actor is inviting fans to follow Don Gato’s journey regaled through quirky video installations posted to the website and social media accounts.
“I put all my energy into creating this Don Gato character,” McBride said.
Don Gato is inspired by the fictional cat-loving Mexican luchador, though his story is slightly rewritten to include a golden opportunity inside a pyramid scheme and a trip to Las Vegas. Roused by the taste of agave nectar, the retired wrestler’s arm, leg and ab muscles grew back, and he used his Las Vegas winnings to purchase an agave field.
“Tequila has always been a passion of mine,” McBride said.
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“Some people think it would be weird to launch a new brand two weeks before a presidential election,” McBride said. “I personally feel like there’s never a better time to drink tequila than two weeks before a presidential election.”
The “Eastbound & Down” star said he and his wife, Gia Ruiz, a Mexican art director, heard the whispers to join the tequila business as the liquor has been a centerpiece to their love story.
McBride told FOX Business he wrote all the ad campaigns himself and crewed costume production, production designers and a cinematographer as he does for a TV show. The team collaborated with Cobra Films in Guadalajara to produce colorful and on-brand promotional video content.
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“We went down there for a week and shot all of this stuff and just had an absolute blast,” McBride said. “There was nobody from corporate giving us notes on how to hold the bottle. We were able to kind of just make what we thought would be entertaining and what would be fun.”
He added, “It’s been a fun experience for sure, and I’m excited to share it with everyone.”
McBride said audiences can expect more videos and “Tomfoolery” as the brand introduces itself to consumers through recordings starring McBride’s “Eastbound & Down” co-star Steve Little, fur balls and bloody accidents.
“It’s priced to enjoy as well,” McBride said. “We’re not interested in kind of creating some pretentious brand that is $100 for a taste of it.”
“To me, tequila represents something that is fun and vibrant and light and good times,” he said. “It’s funny that you don’t see that reflected in a lot of these brands.”
The “Vice Principals” star said consumers can expect more expressions in the future but, for now, Don Gato blanco and reposado can be enjoyed any way that furthers “good times”.
“You really kind of taste the earth and you taste where it was made,” McBride said. “I do feel like it has an earthy taste to it. When you can taste a good wine, and you can kind of taste the soil, I feel that in there. Not to say it tastes like dirt. There’s something just natural about it.”
McBride said he prefers Don Gato tequila straight or mixed into a Batanga; Mexican Coca-Cola, lime and a salted rim.
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As for meal flavor pairings, McBride cites a heavy protein as an ideal option, as it is vital to maintain Don Gato’s athletic physique.
“You could actually mix the tequila with food,” he said. “You could smash food into your drinks, and it still works. It still tastes good. It still gets you buzzed.”
Don Gato tequila is available online and in stores in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.
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