Tesla Mezcal Started as a Joke — But Now Elon Musk Is Laughing His Way to the Bank

Elon Musk's habits regarding substances are complex. One of the world's wealthiest individuals, Musk has referred to alcohol as " poison " on his social platform, X. On the other hand, he has said he dislikes most alcohol but is partial to the occasional glass of scotch or red wine. Yet, the California sober serial entrepreneur understands the value of a dollar and has dipped his toe into the liquor pool three times now — and has made quite the profit. In June , Musk unveiled Tesla Mezcal, a $450 release distilled from Espadin and Bicuishe agave plants in collaboration with Nosotros Tequila. Musk and Tesla fans alike snatched up as many bottles as they could of the stuff, and it sold out within days of its release on the brand's website . Since its release, the cost of a bottle of Tesla Mezcal has skyrocketed to an eye-watering $5,000, according to Chron . The spirit is housed in a lightning bolt-shaped bottle that is meant to be a nod to the oh-so-popular vehicle brand, yet from a stylistic standpoint is giving more dystopian Harry Potter. Technology YouTuber Richard Lau reviewed the mezcal and shared that the bottle design wasn't exactly the most practical and that when placed on its snazzy custom stand it can easily tip over.

"As long as you don't really touch it, it should be fine," Lau expressed after delicately placing the black lightning bolt bottle on the stand.

[caption id="attachment_82178" align="aligncenter" width="600"] (Photo: Tesla North America/X)[/caption] Regardless of its design issues ( Tesla products and design issues? Shocking! ), demand for Tesla Mezcal and its price increase on the secondary market have placed it well within the realm of a collector's item. Clocking in at 43% ABV, the mezcal is described as "smoky and floral with a smooth finish." The spirit offers up citrus and green apple notes while finishing with "notes of tuberose." The limited release is part of a collaboration with Nostros Mezcal, and Nostros sells its Joven Mezcal for approximately $40 on ReserveBar. According to the brand's website, it hosts a suggested retail price of $70. When Lau tasted the mezcal, he referred to it as pleasant and described it as tasting "like a plank of plywood."

"Some people might think this is really harsh on their throat, but yeah, it's not too bad," Lau concluded.

Tesla Mezcal Is Not Elon Musk's First Agave Rodeo

Nosotros Tequila is no stranger to partnering with Tesla, which unveiled its inaugural agave release, Tesla Tequila, in 2022. The tequila's release — in true Musk fashion — was initially a joke. On April 1, 2018, the entrepreneur posted a photo of himself to Twitter — before he purchased the platform. In the photo, he was passed out on one of his Teslas. The caption — referring to himself in the third person , of course — claimed that he was "found passed out against a Tesla Model 3, surrounded by 'Teslaquilla' bottles, the tracks of dried tears still visible on his cheeks." Lo and behold, a lucrative idea was born — from a Twitter joke. Musk filed a trademark on "Teslaquila," which coincidentally provoked the ire of the Tequila Regulatory Council over the use of the term. Musk eventually caved and changed the name to Tesla Tequila. He tapped the folks at Nostros Tequila for the first collaboration. Nosotros añejo tequila hosts a suggested retail price of $100. Musk rolled out his Tesla Tequila bottles for $450 a pop. Within four hours, the run of 20,000 Tesla Tequila Bottles sold out, yielding a $9 million gross profit.

Cyber Beer & GigaBier: Two More Alcoholic Launches from Tesla

[caption id="attachment_45460" align="aligncenter" width="600"] (Photo: Tesla)[/caption] Musk entered the beer space in March 2023 with GigaBier. This liquid launch was inspired by the launch of the Gigafactory in Berlin, according to Electrek . A 3-pack of beer sold for €89 ($99), but it was only available in parts of Europe, according to the outlet. Now a collector's item, GigaBier can be purchased for anywhere from $300 to $500. Yet, American fans of the Tesla brand wanted their taste of the stuff as well, and Musk answered their prayers. In October , the billionaire launched CyberBeer, a beer released in anticipation of the much-hyped Cyber Truck. The limited release was brewed in collaboration with Buzzrock, a California Brewery based in Torrance. The beer and stein set cost $150 and once again sold out within days. Like Musk's other alcoholic ventures, Cyber Beer and GigaBier both featured a brutalist design from a packaging standpoint. Reception for Tesla's Cyber Beer was mixed, to say the least. In November, one customer took to X and referred to the brew as " hot garbage. "Others defended the brew, referring to it as "tolerable" despite being a "bit hoppy."

Tech's Relationship With Alcohol May Have Influenced Elon Musk

Despite these unconventional spirits launches rapidly becoming collector's items, something doesn't quite add up about Tesla's alcoholic products. Musk has referred to alcohol as "poison" and claimed he wasn't a fan of the stuff — so what gives? Why would he go through the trouble to create Tesla Tequila, Cyber Beer and Tesla Mezcal? Perhaps Musk's inconsistency is informed by the culture of the industry he works in: the tech industry. Tech has a very complex relationship with alcohol that is a shifting pendulum of extremes, and the work-hard, play-hard culture takes a toll. In 2016, Wired reported that the tech world has a highly booze-soaked culture, filled with parties, corporate offices stocked with full bars and events flowing with liquor. Cases of substance abuse among tech executives are plentiful, who suffer from burnout and pressure to work long hours. Yet, in recent years, the narratives in favor of drinking have shifted to a more sober mindset — with a caveat. Instead of indulging in liquor, ketamine, LSD and shrooms are the crowd favorites, according to Vox . Musk has been open about his ketamine use and claimed on X he has a prescription for the stuff to help him through occasions when his "brain chemistry goes super negative." CNN reported in March that Musk claimed he was "'almost always' sober" when posting on X. The outlet reported that Musk claimed he doesn't drink and "doesn't know how to smoke pot," — despite that one time on "The Joe Rogan Experience." Musk was open about his struggles with depression during an interview with Don Lemon.

"There are times when I have sort of a... negative chemical state in my brain, like depression I guess, or depression that's not linked to any negative news, and ketamine is helpful for getting one out of a negative frame of mind."

It would make sense for the entrepreneur to avoid alcohol, a depressant known to aggravate depression and anxiety, according to the Mental Health Foundation . And truthfully? There's nothing inherently wrong about a sober celeb-praneur launching an alcohol line. It happens from time to time ( looking at you, Blake Lively ). Yet, to launch products with such a significant markup and sell them in a series of sneaker-ified drops seems a bit... well... It's a clever way to turn a profit. Chron reported that members of the Teslarati even admitted the purchases were "a complete waste of money," and they knew they were being had — yet they bought them anyway. Tesla's foray into the alcohol business began with a joke and the automobile company's alcohol releases appear to be doing well, selling out within days of each release. Yet, after knowing the cost of the juice inside each bottle? Perhaps the joke is on us. [newsletter-promo]