1800 Tequila Launches 12th Edition of Its ‘Essential Artist Series’ with Mexican Multimedia Artist Raúl de Nieves

The colorful six bottle collection features original stained-glass-inspired work from Raúl de Nieves

JERSEY CITY, NJ (January 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ )– 1800 Tequila, the world’s most awarded tequila1, announced today the 12th edition of its ‘Essential Artist Series,’ an artist-led limited-edition bottle collaboration program that pushes the boundaries of taste in tequila and in life. Founded as a means to showcase art in a non-traditional medium, each year the 1800 Tequila Essential Artist Series presents a new discussion around the crucial link between art and culture. This news collection features six original works of art from Mexican multimedia artist, Raúl de Nieves celebrates the multi-facets of de Nieves’ Mexican heritage and identity.

For its Essential Artist Series 12, 1800 Tequila selected Raúl de Nieves as their hero creator for their shared Mexican roots and desire to champion Mexican culture through their respective crafts. The brand’s continuous support of established and emerging Mexican artists finds likeness in de Nieves’ fusion of traditional Mexican craft and storytelling within his artwork. The collection includes six exclusive bottles showcasing original artwork by de Nieves, an extension of his “A window to the see, a spirit star chiming in the wind of wonder…” installation in the Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington. The collection symbolizes the relationship between the earth realm and the ancestral one through a celestial landscape of infinite possibilities with each design representing a character on a journey of self-discovery. At the neck of the 1800 Tequila bottle lays the ‘Sagrado Corazón,’ the heart of hours, days, and memories that come with life.

“Being Mexican has always been at the forefront of my identity, so I am incredibly honored for 1800 Tequila, a brand that makes it a priority to spotlight Mexican voices, to have selected me as this year’s Essential Artist,” said Raúl de Nieves. “Similar to 1800 Tequila, my culture is my craft. I am beyond excited to unveil this collaboration to the world and bring Mexican culture to a global stage through this partnership.”

1800 Tequila and Raúl de Nieves exclusively previewed the Essential Artist Series 12 at the contemporary art triennial in New Orleans, Prospect.6 on Día de los Muertos – a Mexican holiday to remember the life of those who’ve passed on from the physical world. As an extension of their partnership, 1800 Tequila was the exclusive benefactor of the Raúl de Nieves “Un Corazón Sagrado” sculpture, now on display in New Orleans at the Harmony Circle, and the Official Tequila for the Prospect.6 Artist Party and Gala.

The 12th iteration of the Essential Artist Series furthers the brand’s ongoing commitment to support emerging and established artists who have heavily impacted the artist community. 1800 Tequila has partnered with renowned artists such as Dustin Yellin, Okuda San Miguel, Shantell Martin, Enoc Perez, and the Basquiat and Haring estates for over ten decades. Through these collaborations, 1800 Tequila provided creators with an alternative canvas, ultimately creating numerous sought-after collectibles featuring one-of-a-kind artwork.

“As the tequila category grows, 1800 Tequila continues to maintain its leadership as the world’s most awarded tequila, and historic Mexican brand that prioritizes taste across both tequila and culture. This decade-long art project has produced accessible art collectibles for our fans, in collaboration with some of the world’s most notable artists,” said Lander Otegui, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Proximo Spirits. “We are proud to have an Essential Artist such as Raúl de Nieves join us this year to explore and introduce our multi-faceted and colorful Mexican culture to a U.S. audience.”

The 1800 Tequila Essential Artist Series 12 featuring Raúl de Nieves’ bespoke bottle collection is now available at 1800Tequila.com and in limited quantities in-store nationwide.

About 1800® Tequila
1800 Tequila, the world’s most awarded tequila and the #1 super premium tequila brand in the U.S., is made with 100% blue Weber agave harvested at its peak in Tequila, Mexico. Named after the year of origin, 1800 Tequila has never wavered from its original formula and distillation process. Now, as the best taste in tequila, 1800 Tequila has reached category leadership through its liquid superiority, deep-rooted Mexican heritage and culture-driving collaborations with musicians and artists. The iconic bottle is also recognized for its trapezoidal shape, reminiscent of the centuries-old Mayan stone pyramids found throughout Mexico. Please visit 1800Tequila.com and on Instagram @1800tequila to learn more about the 1800 Tequila portfolio.

1800® Tequila. 40% Alc./Vol. (80 proof). Trademarks owned by JC Master Distribution Limited. ©2024 Proximo, Jersey City, NJ. Please drink responsibly.

¹Source: Based on awards received by 1800 from Academia Mexicana del Tequila, A.C., Diosa Mayahual, SFWSC, and IWSC between 2001 and 2023

About Raúl de Nieves
Recent solo institutional exhibitions include and imagine you are here, Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD (2023); A window to the see, a spirit star chiming in the wind of wonder…, Henry Art Gallery, Seattle, WA (2023); The Treasure House of Memory, ICA Boston, Boston, MA (2021); Eternal Return & the Obsidian Heart, Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami, Miami, FL (2021); and Reemerge the Zero Begins Your Life, Eternal is Your Light, SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah, GA (2020). De Nieves has participated in numerous group exhibitions including those at Hauser & Wirth, The Highline, MoMA PS1, the 2017 Whitney Biennial, K11 Foundation, Documenta 14, Performa 13, ICA Philadelphia, The Watermill Center, The Kitchen, Artist’s Space and numerous other venues. His work is included in public collections at the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. De Nieves was born in 1983, in Michoacan, Mexico and currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.