George Strait Officially Launches Tequila Line in Nashville
When you associate liquor with George Strait, you probably think of a glass of whiskey, but it turns out the King of Country is more of a tequila guy.
That was evident Wednesday night (May 10) in Nashville when Strait and company held an event at historic Studio A on Music Row, offering a private tasting of Codigo 1530, a new tequila brand in which Strait is a co-investor.
Launched in Nashville in 2016 — its first market — Codigo is a smooth tasting tequila with five impressions: Blanco, Rosa, Reposado, Anejo and Origen, which is a six-year aged extra Anejo. Strait's top choice is the Reposado, which is part of his favorite all-time drink, the "El Rey" Paloma, which includes Codigo Reposado tequila, club soda, a squeeze of lime and a splash of grapefruit juice.
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At the event, Strait talked about how he met Codigo’s co-founders, Ron Snyder and Federico Vaughan (who were also in attendance), at a golf course in Mexico.
“We would be out there playing and Feddy [Vaughan] would show up with this amazing tequila that nobody had ever tried before and it had no name," Strait said. "It was in a random bottle with no label. He said it was tequila. We trusted him and drank it," he added with a laugh.
"We [Strait and Snyder] were like, we have to have this in the States. We’ve got to get this back home so we can buy it at home. It wasn’t like we were sitting around one night trying to decide, 'Hey let’s come up with a tequila and go to the States and sell it.' It took a lot of talking to get this whole ball rolling. It took a lot of time and a lot of convincing."
Strait made it known how impressed he was with the tequila since day one, and Vaughan added that he was honored by Strait's stamp of approval.
"What you have in front of you today is a formula that has been improved by five generations," Vaughan said. "George, who doesn't put his name on many things, the reason he joined us is because he knows we're trying to make the best tequila."
Country music stars including Kix Brooks, Martina McBride and Chase Rice also showed up to Studio A, where Strait also recorded his first album, Strait Country, to support the King of Country's latest endeavor.
"It's just something that’s been fun for me," Strait said. "I was looking for something to have another career at. I’m plenty busy doing what I do, but it’s a fun thing for us."
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