Swish & Sip with Cincoro: The Magic of Michael Jordan Tequila
Written by Emma C | Updated July 2024
If you’re both a tequila and basketball fan, you may be well aware of the Michael Jordan tequila brand, Cincoro. Whether you're a connoisseur or a curious novice, Cincoro Tequila invites you to savor life's most joyful moments. It's the perfect companion for celebrations, laughter-filled nights with friends, and those well-deserved moments of self-indulgence. Raise your glass and join us as we uncover the secrets and stories of Cincoro’s legendary collaboration and what makes this tequila a truly remarkable spirit.
The Cincoro bottle: An ode to Air Jordan
The ultra-premium Cincoro brand is known for its sleek, slim bottles. In fact, designing the perfect bottle to reflect the brand’s modern, unique personality was key to standing out in the huge tequila market.
Jordan’s vision came to life after three years, thanks to his collaboration with Mark Smith, Nike’s vice president of innovation special projects, and the handiwork of Mexican artisanal glassmakers. The bottle’s five sides are shaped like an agave leaf, and the base tilts to 23 degrees – Jordan’s famous jersey number. The stopper is cast in crystal, and the extra añejo bottle is extra special, made with hand-polished black crystal and gold.
Cincoro’s team
Cincoro was founded by Jordan and four other NBA owners (Wes Edens, Jeannie Buss, Wyc Grousbeck, and Emilia Fazzalari), a power team that sets the brand apart from the saturated, celebrity-owned tequila market.
Michael Jordan, Co-founder
Michael Jordan is thought to be one of the greatest basketball players in history. Drafted in 1984 by the Chicago Bulls, he became an amazing guard and led the team to six NBA championships. His nickname “Air Jordan” was adopted because of his sharp agility and leaping ability to unreached heights. The athlete became a mega-star, earning millions from endorsements – especially his Nike basketball shoes, aptly named Air Jordan.
In 1996, Jordan was named one of the 50 greatest basketball players of all time by the NBA and, 13 years later, was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. A few years post his 2003 retirement, Jordan became minority owner and general manager of what’s known today as the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets. In 2010, he became the first former NBA player to become a majority owner of a league franchise. Then, earlier this year, Jordan agreed to sell his ownership of the Hornets for $3 billion.
Emilia Fazzalari, CEO & Co-founder
Emilia Fazzalari, CEO and co-founder of Cincoro, graduated from the University of Michigan and worked for over 20 years in New York City as a Financial Product and Media Analyst for Bloomberg LP. Fazzalari and her husband Wyc Grousbeck (also a Cincoro co-founder) are two Boston Celtics co-owners.
Jordan helped Fazzalari when the company was enduring tough times. He encouraged her to take a step back, relax, and enjoy the process and the present moment. He reminded her that it’s all too easy to get caught up in running a business, and you need to take time to appreciate accomplishments and learning opportunities.
The Cincoro brand
Cincoro was founded in 2016 and launched in 2019 to create a tequila that tastes great. This was so imperative that when creating its blend, the team tested over 1,000 tequilas, taking plenty of time before landing on the flavor profile that Jordan and Fazzalari envisioned. This paid off well, as Cincoro has won several awards and was a top-three finalist for the Best Tequila Reposado at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Cincoro tequilas are made with top-quality 100% Weber Blue agave handpicked from both of Jalisco, Mexico’s highland and lowland regions. Typically, the agave is 6-8 years old at harvest and cooked for 35 hours. The brand stands out by aging its tequilas for longer than the standard and what many other brands tend to do.
As for what’s next for Cincoro, the team will continue innovating as it grows domestically. Then, it plans to expand its market reach to Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia, Brazil, Germany, and the UK.
Cincoro Expressions Available In Our Bottle Shop
Blanco
This crystal clear, smooth yet complex, approachable blanco offers aromas of fresh, cooked agave, with a bit of sweet vanilla. You’ll taste similar notes along with citrus fruits, with some added pepper on the finish.
Region Jaslisco | Tasting Notes: Cooked Agave, Light Vanilla,Citrus | ABV 40%
Reposado
Cincoro’s Reposado is aged for 8-10 months in barrels originally used to age Tennessee whiskey. This helps to bring out the tequila’s smoothness with wood notes. On the nose, you’ll enjoy toasted oak, vanilla, and baking spice notes, followed by smooth flavors of sweet cooked agave, caramel, and white chocolate. The spirit finishes quite long with similar flavors.
Region Jaslisco | Tasting Notes: Light Vanilla,Baking Spices,Toasted Oak | ABV 40%
Añejo
Like its reposado, Cincoro’s añejo is aged in ex-Tennessee whiskey barrels, this time for 24-28 months. This brings out the wood notes and extra smoothness of the spirit. You’ll get slight maple and toasted oak aromas, baking spice, butterscotch, and sweet cooked agave notes on the palate, and an extra-long finish with dark chocolate flavor.
Region Jaslisco | Tasting Notes: Orange, Fig And Date | ABV 40%
Gold
Cincoro Gold is a smooth blend of the brand’s blanco, reposado, añejo, and extra añejo expressions, delivering intense aromas and flavors of toasted oak, cinnamon, sweet honey, dried fruits, and vanilla. The finish is similar, along with cooked agave, almond, and white chocolate flavors.
Region Jaslisco | Tasting Notes: Sweet Honey, Toasted Oak, Vanilla,Dried Fruits | ABV 40%
Extra Añejo
Like Cincoro’s younger expressions, its rare extra añejo is matured in ex-Tennessee whiskey barrels – this time for 40-44 months. The process helps to bring out its smoothness and wood notes. You’ll also notice spice and cooked agave aromas, followed by complex caramel, sweet agave, oak, and vanilla tasting notes and an extra-long finish akin to a fine cognac.
Region Jaslisco | Tasting Notes: Wood, Raisin, Fig, Light Coffee, Dark Chocolate | ABV 40%
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