Sazerac has acquired an equity stake in SipMARGS, a ready-to-drink (RTD) sparkling margharita brand backed by influencer Alix Earle and lifestyle collective Palm Tree Crew.

This will position the American spirits giant as the exclusive distributor of the brand.

Launched in 2020, SipMARGS has emerged as a key player in the spirits-based RTD trend, competing alongside industry leaders like High Noon and Cutwater. The brand offers Classic, Coconut, Spicy, Mango, and Mezcal margaritas, all with real tequila or mezcal, canned at about 5% ABV with 130 calories and 6 g of sugar.

SipMARGS raised $3 million in an early-2025 funding round. Though Earle has been the most prominent investor since she joined the brand then, she’s not the only celebrity behind the scenes. 

Other strategic backers include Palm Tree Crew, the lifestyle and creative collective founded by DJ Kygo and manager Myles Shear; sports mogul Michael Rubin; Aoki Labs by Steve Aoki; former executive chairman of Founders Brewing, John Green; and Anti Fund, boxer and influencer Jake Paul’s venture capital firm.

This move continues a streak of aggressive acquisitions and investments, solidifying Sazerac’s position as one of the most prolific spenders in the spirits industry during this period.

At the end of April, the Louisiana-based spirits conglomerate announced a strategic partnership and financial investment in 818 Tequila, the agave spirits brand founded by Kendall Jenner.

Other moves included its 2024 acquisition of Dirty Shirley, a canned vodka-spiked Shirley Temple brand, and BuzzBallz, for which Sazerac reportedly shelled out over $500 million.

Sazerac was recently spurned by fellow drinks giant Brown-Forman as the latter turned down its $15bn takeover bid.

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team