Kimo Sabe Mezcal

Kimo Sabe, the new face of mezcal, has signed a three-year deal to become the official and exclusive mezcal sponsor of SXSW. The deal commences with this year's South By Southwest® Conference, where Kimo Sabe will hold numerous high-profile activations, including hosting numerous happy hour parties at the Trusted Friends Lounge inside the Austin Convention Center, a sampling exhibit at the Lady Bird Lake Outdoor Stage at live music events, as well as many other surprise pop-up activations throughout the festival. With mezcal being the fastest-growing spirit category in the world — and Kimo Sabe the fastest growing mezcal in the US — planting their flag at SXSW is another major step for Kimo Sabe in creating brand distinction in the burgeoning category. The deal was announced today by Jim Walsh, CEO and co-founder of Kimo Sabe, Ashely Walsh Kvamme, COO and co-founder of Kimo Sabe and Scott McNearney, Director of Global Sponsorship at SXSW.

To meet the growing demand for the spirit, a press conference with Kimo Sabe and the governor of Zacatecas, Mexico, announced last week a ground-breaking partnership that will create sustainable, organic ecosystems for the cultivation of varietal agaves, generating up to 100 new agave farms and creating over 1000 new jobs in the state. The move is part of Kimo Sabe's plan to build bridges with Mexico when others are suggesting walls.  

Since its launch in 2015, Kimo Sabe — which translates to Trusted Friend in Sonoran Indian — has racked up a number of prestigious awards including becoming the first mezcal to win top American Distilling Institute (ADI) honor "Best In Class International Specialty Spirit" for 2016, which judged Kimo Sabe against all mezcals and tequilas.  

Not only is mezcal the fastest growing spirits category, it is also the second most trending alcohol on social media, appealing to people who love tequila but who are seeking a superior alternative to call their own. Kimo Sabe's mission is to turn traditional tequila and whiskey drinkers onto the more refined and flavorful world of mezcals. SXSW attendees will have ample opportunity to take the taste test for themselves as the agreement calls for Kimo Sabe to have a major presence at SXSW with many activations.   

The SXSW sponsorship agreement fits seamlessly into Kimo Sabe's bold and successful rollout strategy, which has set a bullseye on the top tequila markets in the US. In just a short time, Kimo Sabe has seen double-digit gains of tequila market share in California, Nevada, New Jersey and Arizona. Kimo Sabe has also recently launched in Texas, Minnesota, Colorado, and Tennessee, with plans to expand to Illinois, Florida, and New York this spring, and Wisconsin and Georgia this summer.

QUOTE FROM KIMO SABE

"SXSW celebrates the expression of passionate, creative talent, inside the biggest party of the year — a perfect place to experience Kimo Sabe Mezcal and keep the party going with Trusted Friends," said Jim Walsh and Ashley Walsh Kvamme.