Entrepreneur & Visionary Extraordinaire Rande Gerber On The Evolution Of Casamigos, His Partnership With Omega, And More

Rande Gerber is a self-admitted design junkie. From his early days in school, he knew that he was innately creative. “My creative side was always going,” recalls Gerber, 60. “I was always thinking about creating something, from fashion and design to music and architecture.” As a visionary entrepreneur who has been at the helm of multiple companies and remains the chairperson of Casamigos, Gerber lives to bring his innovative design ideas to life.

During our interview, one famous Walt Disney quote saturated my thoughts: “There is no magic in magic, it’s all in the details.” Gerber’s unparalleled love for the minutiae within design became clear to me right away. He even joked that his wife of over 20 years, Cindy Crawford, often says that it must be hard being him because he notices the tiniest of details everywhere he goes. “It’s hard for me to walk into a space and not notice the design, whether it is the lighting, the acoustics, or what the staff is wearing. It’s just the way my brain works — I love it,” Gerber says.

It’s his keen sense of detail that is an integral part of the Casamigos success recipe, even today, almost 10 years since its launch. “I stay on top of every detail. Nothing goes out without me approving it,” he admits. This much is true: From social media posts and minor marketing materials to drink recipes, Gerber is fully involved in the entire Casamigos creative process, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. “It’s my brand — it’s something that has George [Clooney] and my name on it. And while it does, we will continue to control our brand identity the way it should be,” says Gerber.

Gerber’s passion permeates the Casamigos brand. Together with Clooney and Mike Meldman, the founder and chairman of Discovery Land Company, the three have managed to maintain the Casamigos ethos even five years after its sale in 2017 to Diageo.

Since 2020, there has been a culture shift from understanding the effects of the pandemic on the business to providing support and giving back to their loyal restaurants and bars that stand at the core of the company to now playing a major game of catch-up. “Right now, we are trying to keep up in supplying the demand — it’s not easy, but the brand remains as popular as ever,” notes Gerber.

Indeed, the tequila demand skyrocketed over the last several months, especially so for the Casamigos brand. Select locations are limited to two bottles per customer, while others are concealing secret stashes in the back to avoid the risk of it being stolen (a secret that Gerber himself uncovered). Unbelievably, Gerber buys his own Casamigos. During a trip to his local liquor store, perusing the tequilas on the shelves, he noticed that Casamigos was nowhere to be found. So he asked an employee where to find the Casamigos only to discover that they kept the bottles locked in the back. As one of the co-founders, Gerber insisted that the store add signage to let customers know that Casamigos was available; he was met with a smile and firm reassurance that everyone knows that the Casamigos is in the back.

While being in demand is certainly not a bad problem to have, Clooney, Meldman, and Gerber created the brand with the intention for everyone to enjoy it. Yet, in true Gerber fashion, there are no shortcuts to be taken. “We have had to, unfortunately, put several restaurants and bars on allocations because we simply cannot make it fast enough. Yes, there are ways to speed up the process, but it would compromise the flavor and how smooth it is — we aren’t willing to do that,” he explains.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Casamigos

The current supply-demand problem is a reflection of the brand’s success, and it’s quite the domino effect. The demand is a function of not just the brand’s popularity but also its quality, and the brand’s popularity is a direct result of the solid foundation on which it was built.

Since day one, it has always been about being authentic for Gerber, a fact that has factored into the brand’s burgeoning success. Even when designing the bottle, Gerber remained true to the ethos of authenticity. “When I think about tequila, I think about the bartender taking a bottle, sliding it down the bar, pulling the cork out with your teeth, and taking a swig directly out of the bottle. There is nothing fancy about it,” Gerber says in describing the design process behind the beloved bottle. “So, I didn’t want a fancy bottle. To me, it was simple, and it was all about the liquid inside.”

This perspective is in keeping with Gerber’s go-to Casamigos drink: He keeps it simple. His Casamigos drink of choice is Casamigos Reposado with ice, with the occasional added orange squeeze, club soda, or pinch of the Williams Sonoma x Casamigos Paloma Mix.

The bottle design mimics the 700 sample bottles Clooney and Gerber were given until they reached the perfect taste. After that, the design just came naturally for Gerber, as did the entire making of Casamigos. Along the way, Gerber subconsciously learned the invaluable lesson of sticking to your gut, a personal philosophy that now defines him as an entrepreneur.

“I think, fortunately, we didn’t follow any rules. We did it our way,” Gerber remembers. “We met with a distributor, and they wanted us to change the name, enlarge the label, and so on, but we knew the tequila would speak for itself.” While it may seem that staying true to one’s convictions is easy, when building a business it may not be. Gerber’s charming ability to believe in what he is creating is simultaneously inherent and admirable.

“When I am involved with something, I engage in every detail. I want it to go big, really fast. I am not good at slow growth,” Gerber admits. He is in the pursuit of creation, as that is what sparks the most joy.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Casamigos

From collaborating with Thursday Boots on the Casa Moto boot — which is the product of Gerber creating his perfect boot that is comfortable and versatile in style — to designing the Omega Seamaster x Casamigos timepiece, Gerber develops products the way he would want them. Simply put, he is his best customer — and it works. The special edition of the Omega Seamaster x Casamigos watch, which was limited to just 99 pieces (100 watches, including Gerber’s), sold out almost immediately, proving that Gerber’s design instincts are on point.

How does everything Gerber touches turn to gold? For him, it’s all about honing in on something you really like and making it better. “I love to see a product I already like, but think: How could this be better? If I can’t create it myself, I imagine how the [existing] product could be so much better,” he says. From this highly intuitive vantage point, Gerber begins a process of reconceptualizing to ultimately make the product or products more impactful, more relevant, more useful.

And while he certainly looks inward to put forth his best, he also looks to the younger generation for innovative ideas and inspiration. “I definitely get inspired by young people who are doing interesting things. My kids, Presley and Kaia, are always bringing me ideas, like, ‘Dad, look at this! Imagine if you could do this in this way, and so on,” he explains. “So we brainstorm in diverse ways, and I love [their] advice.” For Gerber, the present lies in the next generation. “I surround myself with a team of young, creative, and passionate people to help me follow through with ideas, and I also give my team members the freedom to come up with ideas because I want to see them shine,” he emphasizes. “Many people just need opportunities or someone to believe in them.” For those in his Malibu office, that person is Gerber.

In his West Coast office, Gerber has fostered an atmosphere conducive to conversation and collaboration. He doesn’t have an actual separate office, thereby breaking down any barriers between him and his team. “It’s a multibillion-dollar company, but I try to keep it how it has been since day one, a small company,” he says.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Casamigos

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Casamigos

Though we were just on a phone call for our interview, Gerber’s magnetic energy is palpable. His enterprising spirit operates a bit differently; he is a passionate creative with an endless amount to give to those around him and genuinely welcomes evolution.

What’s next for Gerber? To no surprise, he has been working on not one but several projects for a few years that he cannot disclose yet, however, he assures in the next few months, we will start to see them unfold.

Gerber truly does not stay still: he is constantly doing, manifesting, and executing. But, in his downtime, he enjoys designing homes for wife and himself; playing padel, his newfound sport; and traveling (he had only recently returned from a family trip to Austin and Nashville right before our conversation). Traveling is on his schedule this summer as he plans to return to his cherished lakehouse in Canada this year after two years of not being able to cross the Canadian border due to the pandemic.

A trip to the Hamptons is also a summer staple for Gerber. In fact, he has been going there with his father since he was 12 years old. “My dad had a few houses out there in West Hampton and Quogue, so we would spend the summer out east, and even the weekends in the winter,” he fondly remembers. “We loved it out there. Growing up, I would work construction on chimneys, pool decks, and houses in the summer.” Today, Gerber still appreciates escaping the chaos of New York City when he goes out to the Hamptons, and now he and Crawford have a home in Bridgehampton.

The must-visit spots for Gerber skew more locally within his inner circle, like the tiny pizza place, Baby Moon, in Quogue, and his partner Meldman’s Dune Deck. But, when Gerber wants to have a proper night out in the Hamptons, he is keen on Le Bilboquet in Sag Harbor, Donna Karan’s Tutto Il Giorno in Southampton and Sag Harbor, and The Surf Lodge and Gurney’s Resort in Montauk.

Whether he is in Malibu or in the Hamptons, this one thing is true: Gerber never stops creating.