Ghost Tequila is one of the fastest-growing tequila brands in the spirits industry. With the appointment of John McDonnell as Executive Chairman of the Board at the beginning of the year, the Boston-based company has set its sights even higher, focusing on growing the brand in new markets around the world.
McDonnell has a strong track record of working with some brands that have been extremely successful. Until recently, McDonnell served as Managing Director, International, at Tito’s Handmade Vodka where over his 12-year tenure he led the expansion of the brand from a handful of North American markets to nearly 150 countries and islands worldwide and distribution in more than 700 duty free outlets across the globe. Before joining Tito’s, McDonnell was President, International and Chief Operating Officer at Patrón Tequila, and prior to that, he spent 20 years in global leadership positions at Seagram’s.
McDonnell tells TMI’s Michael Pasternak that he sees strong potential for Ghost. Ghost Tequila is a 100% Weber Blue Agave tequila infused with a pinch of ghost pepper.
“I’ve been fortunate to be associated with a lot of great brands over the course of my career, each of them with a unique selling proposition. That’s what we have with Ghost Tequila, it’s unique because it’s spicy, and it solves a bartender problem – it helps bartenders (and at-home bartenders) effortlessly create spicy cocktails that not only taste great but are always consistent,” he says.
The ghost pepper in Ghost Tequila is a unique point of difference, setting it apart from other tequilas on the market, says McDonnell.
“Ghost Tequila is a high-quality 100% agave spicy tequila. The heat comes from a pinch of ghost pepper, but heat isn’t just a flavor, it’s a personality. We have consumer research that shows that 62% of people are more likely to buy a food or beverage when it’s advertised as spicy, and 95% of restaurant menus now feature a spicy food option. And spicy margaritas on menus have grown by +42% as heat trends cross into cocktails. Clearly, there’s huge consumer interest in spicy, not only in the U.S., but around the world.”
Ghost Tequila is distributed in all 50 U.S. states, in several Caribbean markets, and recently opened in a number of countries in Europe and Asia-Pacific.
“In the U.S., we’re particularly strong in the Northeast, especially our home market of Massachusetts (as a 100% agave tequila, Ghost is produced and bottled, of course, in Mexico, but we’re based in Boston). Internationally, we’re gaining good traction in markets like Ireland and Italy, and the Philippines,” he says.
McDonnell attended Seatrade’s F&B@Sea show in Miami in April, with cruise and travel retail both target markets.
“We’re also on Celebrity Cruise Line, and we’re looking at more. We’ll start focusing very soon on travel retail – as a matter of fact, we’re opening Fiji duty free this month,” says McDonnell.
“Our short-term goals are to grow our business in the cruise channel, and secure more national on-premise beverage menus (we recently kicked off with Buffalo Wild Wings, Legal Seafoods/Smith & Wollensky, and Marriott Vacation Club properties, for example.) Long term, we look to continue to expand globally, and especially in travel retail.”
