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Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila says it is on pace for its biggest sales year since launching in 2021, about four months after Sazerac took a minority stake and exclusive U.S. sales and distribution rights. Company-cited NielsenIQ data showed 818 volume sales up 73% in the four weeks ending Sept. 5, while tequila priced above $25 declined 0.4%.
Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila says it is on pace for its largest sales year since its 2021 launch, about four months after Sazerac took a minority stake in the brand and assumed exclusive U.S. sales and distribution. The update points to an early commercial gain from the partnership as the tequila label seeks to expand its reach, including among younger consumers.
In the four weeks ending Sept. 5, 818’s volume sales increased 73%, according to NielsenIQ data cited by the company. The report said the tequila category priced above $25 declined 0.4% over the same period. Those figures describe one four-week window, not the brand’s full-year performance; 818’s claim that it is on track for its biggest year is a separate company outlook.
818 President Lanay Jacobs credited improved distribution with helping drive the increase. The partnership has also allowed the brand to add more retail displays, while 818 has promoted itself through events including Coachella and college tailgates, Jacobs told Food Dive. The company has not disclosed sales totals or a forecast for the year in the material provided.
Jacobs said 66% of 818 consumers last quarter came from outside the tequila category, often from vodka or whiskey. The brand sells 750-milliliter, 375-milliliter and 50-milliliter bottles. Jacobs said the smaller formats can give consumers a lower-cost way to try the product, though the report did not provide sales figures by bottle size or consumer age.
Sazerac Adds Reach to 818
The deal links a celebrity-founded brand seeking wider distribution with a major spirits company that can place products across a broad U.S. sales network. For 818, the reported growth offers an early sign that expanded availability may be helping the brand compete in a category where the premium-price segment was down during the cited period.
The company’s focus on people entering tequila from other spirits also matters commercially. Jacobs said a large share of 818’s recent consumers came from outside the category. A 2026 Tequila Report survey cited by Food Dive found that 90% of engaged tequila drinkers keep a single go-to favorite. That survey finding suggests brands may have an incentive to attract consumers early, but it does not establish that 818 will retain its new customers.
The reported figures are a snapshot, rather than proof of sustained growth. Distribution, promotional displays and event marketing are all part of the brand’s approach, but the available information does not separate their individual effects or show whether increased sales will continue.
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From Brand Building to Scale
818 launched in 2021 and is named for the area code associated with Jenner’s hometown. The brand’s first five years focused on awareness and cultural presence, Jacobs said. She described the Sazerac relationship as a move toward scaling, rather than simply continuing the earlier brand-building phase.
In June 2026, Sazerac bought a minority stake and received exclusive U.S. sales and distribution rights. Sazerac owns brands including Fireball and Buffalo Trace. Food Dive reported that the company has also expanded its portfolio through acquisitions and investments in ready-to-drink products such as BuzzBallz, Dirty Shirley and SipMargs, alongside spirits brands including Svedka Vodka.
That portfolio strategy provides context for the partnership: Sazerac has been adding products aimed at younger consumers while also broadening its spirits offerings. The report does not provide the financial terms of its 818 investment or detail how the companies will divide control over the brand.
Sales Outlook Still Unquantified
The reported 73% volume increase covers only the four weeks ending Sept. 5, and the cited material does not state the comparison period or provide underlying unit totals. NielsenIQ data was cited by the company; the article does not include the full dataset or explain the measurement details. The figures should not be read as a full-year growth rate.
It is also unclear how much of the increase came from wider distribution, in-store displays, events or other factors. 818 has not published revenue, profit, repeat-purchase rates or a numerical full-year sales projection in the report. The company’s description of its consumers as coming from outside tequila is attributed to Jacobs, and no age breakdown is provided to substantiate the brand’s focus on Gen Z.
The deal’s financial terms remain undisclosed in the source material, as do any targets Sazerac and 818 have set for distribution or sales. The reported period is early in the relationship, so its longer-term effect cannot yet be assessed.
Tracking the First Full Year
The next meaningful test will be whether 818 sustains growth as Sazerac’s distribution and the brand’s promotional activity continue. The company says it is on pace for its largest year since launch, but no final annual results or reporting date were included in the source material.
Future sales reports could clarify whether the rise extends beyond the four-week period, whether it reflects broader availability or stronger demand at existing outlets, and whether consumers new to tequila return to the brand. More detail on sales by market, bottle size and consumer group would also help assess how the strategy is working.
Key Questions
What is the Sazerac deal with 818 Tequila?
In June 2026, Sazerac bought a minority stake in 818 and received exclusive U.S. sales and distribution rights. The financial terms were not included in the report.
How much did 818 Tequila sales grow?
Company-cited NielsenIQ data showed volume sales rose 73% in the four weeks ending Sept. 5. The source does not provide unit totals or the comparison baseline, so this should not be treated as an annual growth rate.
Is 818 Tequila on track for a record year?
818 Spirits President Lanay Jacobs said the brand is on pace for its largest sales year since its 2021 launch. The report did not include final annual figures or a numerical forecast.
Is 818 Tequila specifically targeting Gen Z?
The report describes the brand as seeking younger consumers and details marketing at events including Coachella and college tailgates. It does not provide an age breakdown for buyers or establish what share of customers are Gen Z.
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