Lightning In A Bottle: Did You Know Tesla Made Tequila?
Everyone knows Tesla. Elon Musk's company quickly became a titan in the world of electric vehicles, developing cars like the Model S, Model 3, and the Cybertruck. Naturally, Tesla also sells plenty of accessories to pair with your electric vehicle, like charging kits and solar panels, but did you know they also made tequila?
Albeit briefly, Tesla dipped their toes into the alcohol industry, offering customers the chance to purchase "Tesla Tequila." It started as an April Fool's joke, with Elon Musk's Twitter account tweeting that the billionaire was found unconscious, surrounded by "Teslaquilla" bottles. Then, a few months later, Musk returned to the social media site he would eventually own, teasing "Teslaquila coming soon ..." in a follow-up tweet. Although it took a few more years, Tesla Tequila became a real product in 2020, selling out almost instantly.
Tesla Tequila came in a unique, lightning-bolt-shaped bottle filled with 100% agave tequila sourced sustainably from Mexico. Unfortunately, it was far more expensive than your standard bottle, with Tesla selling the drink for a whopping $250 per bottle. Although Tesla Tequila is now a relic of the past, the company still sells other lifestyle goods, like backpacks, cups, and miniature figures of their popular electric vehicles.
Tesla Tequila had some legal issues
You may have realized Tesla's tequila underwent a bit of a name change. Initially, Elon Musk promised "Teslaquila" would come soon. However, when Tesla eventually released the alcohol two years later, the company marketed it as "Tesla Tequila." It was only a slight difference, but legal issues forced Musk to change the name.
Mexico wasn't thrilled about Musk's idea to sell "Teslaquila," as there are some strict regulations on the multi-billion dollar Mexican-based industry. One of those restrictions is that only members of Mexico's tequila agribusiness can use the word "tequila" for branding. Tesla, a known electric vehicle company, isn't an agave-based alcohol company in Central America, and the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT) denied Musk's request to trademark "Teslaquila." Since the proposed name was so close to tequila, the CRT deemed it would unnecessarily confuse, filing objections to Tesla's attempts to register the brand.
The legal process to register "Teslaquila" was a multi-year affair, causing a severe delay in Tesla's first alcoholic product. Eventually, the company abandoned the name, choosing to forgo the legal headache and name their tequila Tesla Tequila instead. Unfortunately, that may have been the reason we haven't seen more alcoholic products from Tesla, as they haven't restocked their tequila after instantly selling out years ago.