Let’s face it, alcohol and popular culture collaborations are big business. You only have to look at the series of Whiskies that Diageo released that was inspired by HBO’s “Game of Thrones.”
So we really shouldn’t be surprised that Diageo and HBO are at it again. What is surprising is how they have done it.
Diageo, the spirits conglomerate that owns Casamigos, founded by George Clooney and Rande Gerber, haave launched a tequila from another “celebrity”: fictional billionaire Russ Hanneman (played by Chris Diamantopoulos) on the HBO comedy.
Yes,, Hanneman’s Tres Comas Añejo Tequila, a drink created on the network’s comedy series “Silicon Valley” is about to be in a bottle shop near you.
And in keeping with the hit HBO show’s satirical depiction of cash-hungry entrepreneurs in the San Francisco Bay Area, the fictional character-turned-booze brand founder described his new product in extraordinarily douchey fashion.
“Tres Comas is literally the best tequila on the market. I drink it, so that’s how you know,” Hanneman said. “I love it! I’ll buy a round for everyone! I can do that because I’m a billionaire. I’ll also buy everyone a safe ride home though, can’t let anything happen to my baby. And by my baby, I mean my precious and really expensive sportscar.”
Now if this all sounds as if everyone is taking fiction a little too seriously and blurring the lines between reality and imagination to gain a few bucks, then you’ve hit the blue agave on the head.
The (hilarious) news release from Diageo was written as if Hanneman were a real person who has created the “only acceptable tequila for billionaires.”
“Without risk, there can be no reward. Without reward, there can be no billionaires. There is only one tequila created for the very rich, and those on the cusp of greatness. A tequila that was imagined by a visionary and raised by boldness. Tres Comas. Finally, a tequila crafted just for those mavericks ready to crush their third comma,” the release said.
The name is a nod to the three commas club drom the series, a “club” Hanneman has been obsessed with belonging to — it stands for the three commas needed to separate all the zeros in $1 billion.
And it is through that obsession that Russ Hanneman is launched the tequila to “re-billionize his bank account.” After all, every billionaire needs pet projects to appease their founder syndrome, right? The man put radio on the internet for crying out loud, so clearly, he’s an expert in the meticulous process of crafting a premium tequila.
Hyperbole aside, the 100-percent Blue Weber agave tequila was aged in American Oak barrels for over a year for a rich, toasted oak finish. Its flavour profile includes notes of vanilla and spice, according to Diageo, the alcoholic beverages giant under which Tres Comas is being launched.
It can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks, or in a cocktail like the “Re-Billionizer,” “Russ Fest,” or “three commas,”- see below for recipes.
Tres Comas Añejo Tequila is on shelves now, available nationally in the U.S. where spirits are sold while supplies last for an SRP of $44.99.
The Re-Billionizer
Ingredients\
1.5oz Tres Comas Añejo Tequila
0.75oz Lime Juice
0.5oz Agave Nectar
Garnish
Passionfruit Caviar Pearls on a caviar spoon
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass and garnish.
Russ Fest
Ingredients
1.25oz Tres Comas Añejo Tequila
0.25oz Orange Liqueur
0.25oz Royal Honey Syrup
3 dash Peychaud’s Bitters
3 dash Angostura Bitters
Top with Champagne Brut
Garnish
Edible gold flakes for the glass rim
Instructions
Combine all ingredients (except the champagne) into a mixing glass with ice and stir well. Strain into a coupe glass with edible gold flakes
‘Three Comas”
Ingredients
1.5oz Tres Comas Añejo Tequila
1 barspoon Agave Nectar
2 dash Chocolate Bitters
1 dash Angostura Bitters
Garnish
Orange essence and edible gold
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in an ice-filled mixing glass and gently stir. Strain into a rocks glass over a large diamond-shaped piece of ice Twist Orange peel over drink and then discard. Top with edible gold flakes.
