The word Cincoro means “Five Gold” in Spanish. And just as the name suggests, Michael Jordan joined four other big names from the basketball industry to build Cincoro, a top tequila brand. Back in 2016, the Chicago Bulls legend was in a meeting with four NBA team owners. They were Jeanie Buss, Wes Edens, Wyc Grousbeck, and Emilia Fazzalari. Although the scheduled meeting didn’t occur, the five bonded over their mutual love for tequila during dinner, leading to the brand’s inception. Now, nine years after that encounter, the five owners are all set to expand the brand’s expertise in South Africa.

Entering South Africa’s $62 billion (as per SAJEMS) alcohol industry marks a bold new chapter for Cincoro. It was introduced at an exclusive launch event in Cape Town back in March. A pair of Jordan’s limited-edition shoes were also featured at the event. Joao Paulo De Saude, Rolo Rozay, Bubble Koppe founder Justin Ronné, and several of South Africa’s top tastemakers and connoisseurs attended the launch.

As a nod to Jordan’s jersey number 23, the event also welcomed 23 notable members. “South Africans appreciate luxury and craft, and Cincoro brings both in a way we’ve never seen before,” Nicola Hickman, KWV Brand Manager said.

Jordan and the other co-founders have come across some of the best tequilas in the world. So, what were they looking for in their new brand? The co-founders wanted a more unique and special drink and thus decided to bring a taste of Jalisco, Mexico, where the world’s best agave is grown, to people and tequila enthusiasts like themselves all around the world. 

Michael Jordan once reflected on the inception of Cincoro Tequila on the Today Show. He stated, “We decided to do our own tequila. If we sell it, we sell it. If not, at least we got enough to drink.”

Recently, the company added new elite co-owners to its roster. Derek Jeter, Serena Williams, Dustin Johnson, Keegan Bradley, Michael Strahan, and more have joined as co-owners. And it’s not just limited to South Africa, the brand has made an impactful presence in Australia.

Who designed Michael Jordan’s Cincoro bottle? 

The design of Cincoro Tequila’s distinctive bottle was entrusted to Mark Smith. Smith is the Vice President of Innovation Special Projects at Nike and a longtime collaborator of Michael Jordan. Jordan envisioned a bottle that was “sleek, contemporary and unique,” and Smith brought this vision to life by working with artisanal glassmakers in Mexico over a three-year period to perfect the design.

It’s a five-sided bottle that represents the five owners. The bottom and stopper are angled at 23 degrees. That’s a nod to the iconic jersey number the Chicago Bulls legend wore during his NBA career. Next up, the designer made history. When 23 bottles are placed on the ground together, they form a perfect circle matching the diameter of the NBA tip-off circle. We didn’t expect anything less. And a nod such as this to the sport makes it more intriguing. 

Keeping up with competitors, Cincoro has had meaningful collaborations in the last few years. He also collaborated with visual artist Joshua Vides. Nearly 150 bottles of Añejo were launched at Miami Art Basel. In the last few years, the company also won “Best Añejo Tequila” at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, as well as over 29 awards in other spirits competitions. Cincoro is already making waves globally!