Kevin Hart on how he built his successful tequila brand, Gran Coramino

Grant Carmino Tequila: Disrupting the Spirits Industry – A Deep Dive with Kevin Hart & James Morsy

Key Concepts:

• Premiumization: Consumer shift towards higher-quality spirits, even with reduced overall consumption.
• Celebrity Brand Strategy: Leveraging celebrity influence for brand building, but emphasizing product quality and authentic partnership.
• Authentic Partnership: The importance of genuine collaboration between celebrity founders and industry experts.
• Long-Term Brand Building: Focusing on sustainable growth through distribution, trade relationships, and product quality.
• Entrepreneurial Spirit: The drive and dedication required for successful brand development.

1. Industry Context & Market Trends

The US spirits market experienced a 2.2% decline in sales in 2025, reaching $36.4 billion (according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the US). This decrease is occurring amidst a broader trend of consumers adopting healthier lifestyles, leading to a prioritization of quality over quantity in alcohol consumption. Despite this industry-wide trend, Grant Carmino tequila is demonstrating significant growth, bucking the “sobering” trend.

2. Grant Carmino’s Rapid Growth & Market Position

In just three years, Grant Carmino has sold nearly 300,000 9-liter cases, with over half of this growth occurring in the past year. The brand climbed from the 31st to the 22nd position in total tequila sales between 2024 and 2025. The brand achieved approximately $2 million in weekly retail sales in 2025, representing a 100% volume growth compared to 2024, while the overall industry remained flat or declined. Total retail sales since launch have reached $200 million.

3. The Kevin Hart & James Morsy Partnership

Kevin Hart, comedian and entrepreneur, co-founded Grant Carmino with James Morsy, President & CEO of Global Brand Equities. Hart emphasizes the importance of a superior “liquid” (the tequila itself) as the foundation for the brand’s success, stating, “If you have something that people are responding to, um and that they love they’ll keep coming back and I think our growth is a testament to to simply that.” Morsy, described as a “power player” in the liquor industry, has a proven track record of brand development, including successes with Rosé wine (Post Malone’s brand).

4. Key Strategies for Brand Development

Morsy highlights the core strategy behind Grant Carmino’s success: “authentic partnership.” This includes collaboration with industry experts like Juan Domingo Beckman, CEO and President of Beckley and Quervo (an 11th-generation tequila maker with a historical license from the King of Spain). Key strategies include:

• Product Quality: Focus on creating an “ultra-premium” tequila.
• Strategic Partnerships: Alignments with sports teams like the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Hawks to increase brand visibility and conversation.
• Product Expansion: Launching new expressions, such as the reposado, to drive further growth.
• Direct Engagement: Morsy emphasizes the importance of “meeting the distributors, going around the country, shaking hands with our trade partners” to build long-term relationships.
• Leveraging Kevin Hart’s Influence: Utilizing Hart’s platform to secure “the right rooms” for conversations and partnerships.

5. Addressing the “Celebrity Liquor Brand” Perception

Morsy directly addresses the skepticism surrounding celebrity-owned liquor brands, stating, “This is a best-in-class ultra premium tequila product which happens to be owned by one of the world's greatest entertainers.” He clarifies that Grant Carmino is not primarily a “celebrity brand,” but a high-quality product benefiting from Hart’s visibility.

6. Future Growth & Expansion Plans

Grant Carmino has “aggressive targets” for future growth, aiming to reach $500 million in total retail sales. Plans include:

• Super Bowl Activation: Brand activation during Super Bowl weekend in San Francisco.
• National Tour: Continued engagement with trade partners across multiple cities.
• Brand Independence: Developing the brand to a point where it can stand on its own merit, independent of constant reliance on Kevin Hart’s personal appearances.

7. Entrepreneurial Advice from Kevin Hart

Hart offers advice to aspiring entrepreneurs:

• Passion is Key: “You have to do things that you love.”
• Authenticity: Align brand development with personal interests.
• Ownership: Focus on building long-term, sustainable assets.
• Action & Execution: “Ideas are just ideas until you actually put them into…real turnover.”
• Surround Yourself with Doers: “You become a product of your circle.”
• Continuous Improvement: Maintain a mindset of constant growth and ambition. As Hart stated, “If you think it, you can do it. Uh there's nothing that is too far out of arms reach if you continue to put the best foot forward to get the things that you want.”

8. Competitive Landscape & Industry Dynamics

Hart acknowledges a friendly relationship with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who also owns a tequila brand, emphasizing a lack of competition and mutual support. He believes there is room for both brands to succeed.

Technical Terms:

• 9-Liter Case: A standard unit of measurement in the spirits industry, containing nine 750ml bottles.
• Reposado: A type of tequila aged in oak barrels for a period of two months to a year, imparting a smoother flavor profile.
• Proximo Spirits: A leading spirits company responsible for the distribution of Grant Carmino.
• Beckley and Quervo: A tequila producer with a long history and expertise in tequila production.

Conclusion:

Grant Carmino’s success story demonstrates the power of combining a high-quality product with a strategic celebrity partnership and a dedicated team focused on long-term brand building. The brand’s ability to thrive in a declining spirits market highlights the growing consumer demand for premiumization and authentic experiences. The emphasis on product quality, strategic partnerships, and direct engagement with industry stakeholders positions Grant Carmino for continued growth and potential global expansion.