"It’s not bad to drink, it's bad to drink bad." That's the toast the "godfather of tequila" Master Distiller Arturo Fuentes ended a tasting of Villa One's new tequilas with this week. The brand—which will roll out this fall with three varieties, silver, añejo, and reposado—is the brainchild of singer and actor Nick Jonas (have you heard of him?), fashion designer John Varvatos, and Arturo, who runs Stoli Group's Fabrica de Tequilas Finos distillery in Jalisco, Mexico.
It sounds like a lot of moving parts, but at the core of the launch was Nick and John's desire to work on another project together—and their shared love of tequila. The unlikely duo worked on a clothing line, two fragrances, and the Jonas Brothers' documentary, Happiness Begins, together.
During a vacation in Mexico with their family and friends, the idea for a tequila brand started to take shape. After a long night of drinking, Nick and John recall Nick saying, "this is life as it should be," and the tagline was born. The place they were staying, Villa One, became the brand's name. If it sounds a little too good to be true, they get it—but sometimes, things just fall into place.
Delish attended the aforementioned tasting on the same day the brand was announced. In an Instagram post, Nick told fans "We're incredibly proud of this product we've worked so hard on and hope you guys love it too." They converted me, for one. All three tequilas are far from what anyone averse to the alcohol is used to...the smell will not make you cringe and there's no hint of that post-sip burn associated with lower-quality tequilas, even when drunk straight (Villa One bottles will sell for between $45 and $60).
The silver is best to sip or shoot and has a clean, slightly fruity taste. The reposado has notes of butterscotch, cinnamon, and oak (it's aged in American oak barrels), while the añejo has hints of caramel, vanilla, and dark chocolate. I know, I know, the word "notes" makes most roll their eyes, but I kid you not, I could actually smell each of the flavors Arturo mentioned during the tasting.
Naturally, making sure the taste was enjoyable was the number one priority, Nick and John said. Especially since neither of their names are on the bottle, which the two designed together. "You got one shot, it's gotta be amazing," John said of launching strong: "Someone's gonna buy a bottle or be served it at a bar and they're either gonna love it and want another one or they’re not."
Getting to the final product took roughly 18 months with plenty of variations along the way. Nick and John shared samples with family and friends throughout that process; per Nick, his family was honest "to the point of being painful" during tastings. All's well now—his wife Priyanka's favorite is the reposado, while his brothers enjoy the reposado and añejo.
As for choosing tequila over, say, vodka or rum, both Nick, John, and Arturo, who has been in the spirits business for 30+ years, like the celebratory nature of the drink. Nick said this of the liquor:
Tequila, in my experience, has been a lot like champagne. It seems I share it with friends when I'm celebrating and it's always a good memory attached to it. We wanted to bring that kind of experience to Villa One as a brand and specifically as a tequila brand.
One of those memories happened this week while the Jonas Brothers were on their way to the VMAs. It may have converted Kevin into a tequila fan. "My oldest brother, he had one apparently bad night in his early twenties with tequila," Nick said. After they drank a little añejo to calm their nerves, "he said, 'you’ve converted me, I'm ok now, I've set my bad experience right.'"
For those looking to taste the 80-proof tequila, all three varieties will start to appear in stores this fall, rolling out in New York in September then loosely following the brothers' tour throughout the fall before launching nationwide in early 2020. Visitors to the Villa One Lounge, an invite-only space that pops up at every Jonas Brothers concert, will be able to drink the new tequila during shows. Nick says he hopes to create fan experiences around the product on tour as well.
