Minority-Owned Geneba Tequila’s Rapid Rise to Fame

IngridLaVon, a 25-year corporate executive based in Chicago, IL, was on the hunt for clean tequila to add to her diet ─ and one that she actually enjoys. Not finding tequila favorable in her 20’s, she tried a few different brands but found them all very expensive.

Due to these frustrations, about seven years ago, Ingrid decided to make her own tequila.

Officially launching in February 2025, Geneba Tequila is one of the few tequilas created by an African American woman and distilled with women in mind. Through the brand’s GenebaCares Foundation, Geneba Tequila supports women’s empowerment and personal and professional development, accessible via a QR code on every bottle.

“Geneba Tequila is named after my late mother Geneva,” says Ingrid. “It took us about two and a half years to bring it to market, and I always knew the name I wanted during that time frame. I was creating this tequila for me and for women like me.”

Handcrafted in the heart of Jalisco-Degollado, Mexico, Geneba Tequila is made using 100% Blue Weber agave, slow-cooked in traditional ovens and double distilled in small batches to ensure clean, purity and flavor integrity. Developed with notes of vanilla, light pepper and red apple, this spirit is ideal for sipping neat or mixing into cocktails.

Geneba Tequila Climbs the Ranks

Since launching earlier this year, Geneba Tequila has gained rapid momentum, selling more than 150 bottles within the first 48 hours, earning recognition as a “10 Black-Owned Brand to Watch” by The Spirits Business and serving as the tequila of choice for the 2025 Academy Awards at this year’s signature gifting lounge.  

With Ingrid’s corporate background, her and her husband had the knowledge and experience to be able to fully fund this venture and bring Geneba Tequila to life.

“I did a lot of reading and asked a ton of questions, talking to folks both within the distribution world and hospitality industry, to truly get an understanding of everything I needed to know,” Ingrid explains. “So, while there were mistakes made along the way, I leaned into the part of me that I was very confident and comfortable in, which helped offset me not knowing the industry.”

Due to Ingrid’s hard work, Geneba Tequila is making a rapid rise to fame, having just recently partnered with Illinois retailer, Binny’s Beverage Depot. Now, the tequila is available at 15 locations across select Binny’s Depot stores statewide. The spirit is also available for purchase in 39 states on their website.

“This is a defining moment for Geneba,” Ingrid says. “Our mission has always been to bring women together through exceptional tequila that empowers us to gather and grow while creating the lives we deserve. Being on shelves at Binny’s allows us to connect with even more of our community across Illinois.”

Standing Out on the Shelf

While tequila is a high performing category in beverage alcohol, it’s also an extremely saturated category. And when you’re competing against so many other brands with limited shelf space, you need to have a solid marketing strategy.

For Ingrid, that means selling something you 100% believe in and stand behind.

“I’m not a big proponent of selling something that I don’t believe in. I needed my brand to be empowering, and with my background in corporate and being mentored by other women, I wanted our brand to be able to do that, as well,” she explains. “Everything about the spirit was created with women in mind, from the packaging and labeling to the bottle itself.”

Geneba Tequila is also one of the few brands on the market to be approved by the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT), which allows Geneba to include a QR code on their label so customers can access the brand’s tequila ecosystem.

“This allows consumers to be able to look into and take some of our classes,” Ingrid says. “We did our first class in April called Dreams to Dollars that discussed my journey along with seven methodical steps so consumers can learn how to take something that they’ve always had in their heart and manifest it into revenue.”

Geneba Tequila’s Future Growth

Even though the partnership with Binny’s Beverage Depot just began, Ingrid says she has future expansion plans for her tequila brand.

“We will be introducing Geneba Tequila to Connecticut in May, both in stores as well as online,” she says. “We’re super excited about expanding our footprint into retail stores in Connecticut, but the goal is to always dominate where you live. We have our flag planted in Illinois, so we’re going to be successful in our backyard first.”

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