Rikki Kelly, a 26-yearold African American has open the first black owned and operated tequila brand in Texas.
According to travelnoire.com Rikki Kelly says she launched Ego Tequila to introduce more drinkers to tequila.
“I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur and create a brand that people could relate to,” she told Dallas News. “Since I enjoy tequila, I decided to bring a good one to market for other people to enjoy.”
After experiencing tequila for the first time at the age of 21, she quickly realized that there was so much variety with the spirit that she wanted to explore. Three years after her first drink, Kelly started the process of becoming an entrepreneur and developing her own.
Kelly is reportedly the third Black woman in the country to launch a tequila brand.
READ: News: All you need to know about Tequila and Why it can only be made in Mexico
“You don’t see a lot of minority, female-owned liquor brands,” said Kelly, who adds that she did most of the research on her own and funded her businesses with her own money and some help from her mom.
Ego Tequila is produced by Casa Maestri in Mexico and is made from 100% blue agave.
“Ego is distilled in the heart of Jalisco, Mexico using natural spring water from a local inactive volcano, agave in lowland & highland regions, and is distilled using Aldehyde Separation to guarantee no headaches,” a statement reads on the company website. “Our mission with Ego Tequila is to do away with the stigma of ‘bad tequila’, and spark mixology exploration with consumers.”
Kelly says she named the brand Ego because of the way it makes a person feels when drinking her the spirit.
“When I created Ego, my goals were to make sure it was smooth in quality, approachable for newcomers and tequila loyalists, and out of the ordinary. I believe I understood the assignment.”
