Many celebrities have ventured into the spirits industry, so it’s no surprise that Elon Musk has done the same. His latest creation is Tesla Mezcal, available exclusively in the U.S. (and not even in every state) for a modest $450 per bottle.
Elon Musk and Agave Spirits
This isn’t Musk’s first foray into pairing electric cars with Mexican spirits. Back in 2020, Tesla launched a $250 Tesla Tequila, followed by a second edition priced at a staggering $1,000 per bottle.
In June 2024, the first Tesla Mezcal hit the market as a limited-edition release that quickly sold out. The new mezcal is still available—though only recently launched—but it’s worth noting that it can only be shipped to 35 of the 50 U.S. states. Alaska, Indiana, Hawaii, and others are excluded.
Behind Tesla’s tequila and mezcal lies the same producer: Nosotros, founded in 2017 by Carlos Soto and Michael Arbanas.
Tesla Mezcal
Tesla Mezcal is crafted from a blend of two native Oaxacan agaves: espadín and bicuishe. According to Nosotros, the production and distillation processes honor traditional methods. For instance, the agave hearts are crushed using a traditional tahona stone wheel made from volcanic rock.
As for the flavor profile, the official description promises a mezcal that’s “both delicate and spicy, with notes of citrus and green apple that give way to soft herbal nuances and a subtle smokiness that lingers on the palate. The finish hints at tuberose, jasmine, and chamomile.”
The Bottle Design
The bottle’s design immediately grabs attention: a lightning bolt—a nod to Tesla’s electric cars, but with little connection to traditional Mexican distillation, which, after all, doesn’t require electricity. Tesla’s website credits Mexican-born Javier Verdura, now part of Musk’s team, with the bottle’s design. The dark color is said to pay homage to the ancient ceramic style known as barro negro.
Barro negro dates back around 2,500 years to the Mixtec and Zapotec cultures of present-day Oaxaca. What makes it unique is a technique developed in the 1950s by Doña Rosa Real, which gave the ceramic a shiny black metallic finish instead of its traditional gray appearance.
Cultural Appropriation?
The connection between barro negro ceramics and the Tesla Mezcal bottle is plausible but feels a bit contrived, as Tesla’s signature style dominates the design. This detail, among others, has sparked controversy in the U.S.
Figures like Odilia Romero (an activist from Oaxaca), Bryant Orozco (an agave expert), and Brett Adams (curator of the Multnomah Whiskey Library in Portland) have openly criticized the project, calling it an act of cultural appropriation and exploitation of Mexico’s centuries-old traditions.
Images courtesy Tesla Mezcal
