Jose Cuervo Is Giving One Fan $100k, But There's A Catch

Amateur bartenders have the chance to cash in on a huge tequila-fueled payday thanks to a buzzy new sweepstakes from one of the world's top tequila brands.

In a press release sent to Mashed, Jose Cuervo announced a new mixology-themed contest that will reward one talented tequila enthusiast with $100,000 in cash. The "world's oldest tequila brand" — which was founded in the late 1700s — is now embracing modern-day drinking trends, citing Google Trends data on Axios that shows an uptick in cocktail-related searches throughout the pandemic. This information has served as fuel for the brand's latest contest.

Inspired by the recent rise in at-home mixology, Jose Cuervo is encouraging fans to design the ultimate margarita for the chance to win big. To enter, bartending aficionados simply have to visit the Margarita Shake Up website now through June 30 and design their ideal margarita flavor. 

After the deadline has passed, 12 finalists will be selected by a mysterious panel of judges, dubbed the very official-sounding "Margarita Committee" — We wonder if it's related to Jose Cuervo's tequila cabinet? Entries will be evaluated based on four criteria: "potential taste and visual appeal," "creativity pertaining to name and flavor mix," "uniqueness of flavor," and how doable it would be to produce the flavor on a national scale (per the official rules).

Aspiring mixologists seeking to win $100k will build their potentially prize-winning cocktail in four steps, starting with a choice between six Jose Cuervo bases: classic margarita, strawberry lime, pink lemonade, raspberry, mango, and watermelon (via Margarita Shake Up). Then, entrants will select up to four additional ingredients from a list of 30 trending cocktail additions, like dragon fruit, pomegranate, tamarind, and lavender.

After selecting from the pre-set list of ingredients, entrants will have the chance to add a personal twist with one fill-in-the-blank "wildcard ingredient." Once they've fine-tuned their perfect Cuervo margarita, the final step is to give the drink a "buzzy name." In the release, the tequila company urged entrants to "pick wisely as the name of your new margarita will be ready for the whole nation to see if you're selected as the winner."

After the official judging panel whittles the competition down to 12 finalists, the public will get their say in the ultimate margarita flavor. From June 20–30, fans can visit the Margarita Shake Up website to participate in a public poll of the finalists' flavors to determine the winner.

The grand prize winner will take home a hefty $100K cash prize, while the other finalists will receive a $1,000 Visa gift card to help fund future margarita-making endeavors. The Jose Cuervo Margarita Shake Up contest is only open to U.S. residents who are over the age of 21 at the time of entry.