The Making of Cindy Crawford’s Casamigas Jalapeño Tequila

A world-famous model, beauty-brand founder, furniture designer and all-around entrepreneur, Cindy Crawford is a force with multiple talents. In an impressive trajectory, she has established herself as a successful businesswoman with numerous ventures as well as a blockbuster modeling career.

Discovered by a photographer when she was a student at DeKalb High School in Illinois, Crawford participated in her first fashion shoot as a teen. Staying in school, however, was a priority, and she graduated as valedictorian of her class before signing with Elite Model Management and moving to New York.

Throughout the ’80s and ’90s, Crawford was the face of Revlon and a mainstay on runways and magazine covers. Campaigns for labels such as Hermès, Valentino and Escada were a regular part of her days, as was a hosting gig on MTV’s House of Style, all contributing to her status as one of the original pack of supermodels. Crawford’s entrepreneurial life was devoted to her skincare line, Meaningful Beauty, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the furniture collection Cindy Crawford Home and her brand-ambassador role for the luxury watch company Omega.

Now comes her latest act: Casamigas Jalapeño tequila, a spicy spirit that joins the Casamigos portfolio in a collaboration with her husband and Casamigos cofounder, Rande Gerber. “I’m not looking to take on more projects,” Crawford says. “I’m at the point in my life that if something seems fun, great, but otherwise I don’t need to fill up every minute of my time.” Crawford is also adamant that she’s hands-on with anything her name is attached to and won’t back projects she doesn’t believe in.

Launching Casamigas

Rande Gerber and Cindy Crawford in a Casamigas Jalapeño promotion / Photo: Courtesy of Ryan Lumley

Crawford says that the idea for Casamigas predates the pandemic. “Rande and I have a lake house in Canada, and we were sitting on the dock and having a drink, watching the sunset and talking about work as we often do,” she recalls. “We were talking about how I like my Casamigos a little spicy, and I jokingly said I should make one and call it Casamigas.”

That conversation was the impetus for Gerber to help Crawford bring the idea to fruition. Sampling various expressions of a jalapeño-infused tequila came next. “I love very spicy things, but we toned down the spice for the final version,” she says.

Released last spring, the spirit is crafted with the same high-quality Blue Weber agave from Jalisco, Mexico, that has made Casamigos such a hit. It is naturally flavored with jalapeños.

The tequila has a kick but makes for a balanced drink with citrus hints, sweet agave notes and a smooth finish. “It’s for anyone who likes a little spice,” Crawford says.

Her favorite way to enjoy Casamigas is on the rocks with club soda. “It’s tasty and clean without added sugars, so I feel great the next day,” she says. The tequila’s bottle is part of its appeal: Designed by Gerber, it features an image of flames, a jalapeño and Crawford’s unmistakable lips and beauty mark alongside a red “a” crossing out the Casamigos “o.”

Crawford calls the label “cheeky” and “fun.” She points out that she has been involved in Casamigos since its inception, when she and Gerber owned a home in Mexico next door to cofounder and close friend George Clooney. They often bonded while drinking tequila together and eventually decided to create their own.

Crawford says that collaborating with her husband to put her stamp on the brand added a dimension to their marriage. “The fun part was brainstorming together and bouncing ideas off each other,” she says. But that doesn’t mean the couple always see eye-to-eye. “Rande is the expert on Casamigos, but I’m the expert on Cindy Crawford. I have an understanding of how I like to present myself,” she says. “There are times when he would have done things differently with respect to the ad campaign, but he ultimately trusts me.”

The Enduring Power of Meaningful Beauty

With her Meaningful Beauty line / Photo: Courtesy of Stewart Shining

In an industry saturated with beauty brands all touting their transformative benefits, Meaningful Beauty has enjoyed a 20-year run that shows no signs of abating. “When I started Meaningful Beauty, I had been with Revlon for 15 years. I was 38 years old. If I was going to do my own thing, this was the time,” Crawford says. “As a model, I had people doing my makeup, but I was responsible for my own skin.”

Crawford had trusted the Paris-based cosmetic specialist Jean-Louis Sebagh to help maintain her flawless complexion, so partnering with him for a skincare line was a natural fit and a logical stepping stone in her career. Formulated with melon super oxidations and comprised of skin and hair care products, Meaningful Beauty was introduced to the world through a 30-minute infomercial in which Crawford shared the story of meeting Dr. Sebagh and codeveloping the brand. The line immediately resonated with audiences and counts more than five million customers to date.

“Having a successful business is all about being authentic and delivering quality products,” Crawford says. “We also started as a direct-to-consumer brand, so when so many businesses had to pivot during the pandemic lockdowns, we were already well versed.” She says Meaningful Beauty constantly incorporates the latest technology into its formulas.

Meanwhile, Cindy Crawford Home was born when the affordable American furniture company Rooms to Go approached her about designing its high-end line. She calls the aesthetic classic and contemporary with an emphasis on “beautiful fabrics.” “It’s not modern,” she says. “I want everyone to use it to create a sanctuary for yourself and your family. Your house should make you smile when you walk in.”

Entrepreneurial Lessons

2004, for Esteban Cortázar; 1997, for Christian Dior; 1992, for Michael Kors / Photos: Matthew Peyton/Getty Images for Esteban Cortazar/Giovanni Giannoni/WWD/Penske Media Via Getty Images/Thomas Iannaccone/WWD/Penske Media Via Getty Images

Over the years, Crawford says Gerber has influenced how she approaches her own endeavors. “Even though running a business and creating a brand can be stressful, Rande is the king of cool,” she says. “I almost never see him stressed about work, and he remembers that fun—especially when you are selling a spirits brand—is an essential part of the story.”

But there’s more: “Rande trusts his gut,” she says. “He’s not trying to please the crowds. He’s trying to please himself. When I first met him, he was in nightclubs and didn’t care about what people thought. He thought about what he would like, put it out there and saw if it resonated.”

Crawford believes that being real is also important and is candid about her slipups when she was a fledgling businesswoman. “Rande and I look at every brand as a lifestyle brand. Understanding that consumers have many choices, we both try to create an authentic community around our products that people want to be a part of. The biggest mistakes I have made were in the beginning, when even though I was surrounded by an incredible team, I sometimes tried to do too much myself. It took time, but now I trust the people I work with to do what they do best, so I can do what I do well.”

A role model to many young women worldwide, Crawford says that she’s happy to share anything she has learned and imparts the advice she gives her children, Kaia and Presley Gerber, who both have modeling careers. “Always be on time and be prepared,” she says.

Priceless Advice

Today, at 58, Crawford has beautifully maintained her enviable figure and youthful looks. When I ask her how she does it, she says she has no secrets.

“I started exercising seriously when I was about 20 years old and never really stopped, although, of course, my workouts have changed and evolved along the way,” she says. Her current routine includes Pilates, strength training and walking or hiking with a friend. Crawford also says that she enjoys sauna sessions with Gerber and an occasional cold plunge. “I hate the idea of getting in that cold tub but feel great when I get out.”

And her seemingly ageless complexion? “Fortunately for me, I developed Meaningful Beauty to help me manage the signs of aging,” Crawford says. She has few regrets, but if she had to give advice to her younger self, she says it would be to “have more fun and realize that everyone feels like an outsider sometimes.”

“I was from a small town and ended up in New York. There were times when I let my insecurities keep me from different experiences,” she says. “I jokingly say that I wouldn’t go to a dinner because I was afraid that I wouldn’t know what fork to use. Then I realized that others out there don’t know what fork to use, either. So you go and learn and ask what the right fork is. People appreciate your transparency.”