Guy Fieri, the spiky-haired Food Network icon, brought his high-octane energy to Tampa Bay this week to showcase Santo Spirits, the additive-free tequila brand he co-founded with legendary rocker Sammy Hagar. For fans of the “Red Rocker” and the “King of Diners,” it was a collision of two worlds, each with one common goal: uncompromising flavor.
The duo’s foray into spirits wasn’t just a celebrity branding play. Fieri and Hagar, longtime friends and Northern California residents, teamed up in 2019 to return tequila to its roots.
“We’re not making ‘celebrity’ tequila; we’re making real tequila that happens to have our names on it,” Fieri has often told fans.
Working with third-generation master distiller Juan Eduardo Nuñez at the El Viejito Distillery in the Highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, the pair launched a portfolio that includes a Blanco, Reposado, Añejo, and their signature “Mezquila”—the world’s first blend of tequila and mezcal.
Fieri made a high-energy appearance at Luekens Wine & Spirits in Tampa, greeting a line of fans that stretched well past the storefront. Clad in his signature bowling shirt and mirrored sunglasses, Fieri spent the afternoon signing bottles and sharing the story behind the spirit.
The event felt more like a backyard party than a corporate promo. Fieri, ever the man of the people, chatted with local restaurateurs and fans alike, emphasizing that Santo is 100% additive-free, a point of pride for the culinary titan.
If you missed the man himself, you can still find the Santo lineup at major retailers across the Bay Area, including Total Wine & More and Luekens. Whether you’re a member of the Redhead fan club or just looking for a tequila that won’t give you a “chemical hangover,” Guy and Sammy’s latest venture is officially local. As Fieri might say, that’s “Out of Bounds.”