Kendall Jenner has been accused of cultural appropriation after launching her own tequila brand. Earlier this week, the Victoria's Secret model took to social media to announce the launch of her tequila brand, 818, which just so happens to be the area code for Calabasas, California, where she grew up. In an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLXIC-VDSVz/">Instagram</a> post, Jenner explained: "For almost 4 years, I’ve been on a journey to create the best-tasting tequila. after dozens of blind taste tests, trips to our distillery, entering into world tasting competitions anonymously, and WINNING. "3.5 years later I think we’ve done it! this is all we’ve been drinking for the last year and I can’t wait for everyone else to get their hands on this to enjoy it as much as we do! @drink818 coming soon" <img class="wp-image-1263095286 size-full" src="https://img.vt.co/2021/02/06940985-screen-shot-2021-02-18-at-11.47.29-e1613648920856.png" alt="Kendall Jenner drinking tequila" width="540" height="669" />[[imagecaption|| Credit: Kendall Jenner / Instagram]] According to the 25-year-old, 818 has already won a series of awards in the spirits industry, and yet in spite of such high praise for the drink - she hasn't quite sold it to many of the naysayers on the internet. You see, tequila is a real staple in Mexican drinking culture. It stems all the way back to the <a href="https://www.liquor.com/articles/history-of-tequila/">16th century</a> near the city of Tequila, and so has been around for hundreds of years. Therefore in response to the announcement that Jenner would be releasing this quintessentially Mexican spirit, many have accused her of cultural appropriation. <img class="size-full wp-image-1263095298" src="https://img.vt.co/2021/02/6665f0a3-screen-shot-2021-02-18-at-12.24.49.png" alt="Kendall Jenner's tequila" width="489" height="673" />[[imagecaption|| Credit: Kendall Jenner / Instagram]] "Something about Kendall Jenner making tequila rubs me the wrong way," one Twitter user wrote. "Like the idea of white celebrities taking from local Mexican artisans and profiting off our traditions and agricultural business yet only visit Cabos and Puerto Vallarta for vacation spots... "And not to mention profit off the brown hands that actually plant, grow, harvest ferment and distill the agave plants in Jalisco [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/estyledesma/status/1361909473636458496]] "Over the year foreigners have come in to source their products in Tequila, MX but end up paying workers sh***y wages and continuing the cycle of worker exploitation while not respecting the history and culture that surrounds tequila making that’s why people mad," another wrote. [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/_cindyy_a/status/1362141540840140800]] A third wrote: "Kendall Jenner starting a tequila brand, with zero knowledge on Mexican culture and calling it 818 tequila is GENTRIFICATION. The 818 does not claim Calabasas." [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/jenjocelyn/status/1361880910648414208]] "What about those smaller, family-owned Mexican tequila/mezcal brands? They deserve the hype & support," they added. [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/elliehansenn/status/1362299959316410370]] Another added: "Y’all [Kendall Jenner's] tequila is coming out but I beg of you if you want to buy good tequila please consider an authentic Mexican tequila that’s made with pure agave! "Celebrities are white washing the tequila industry and it's becoming cultural appropriation."

Kendall Jenner accused of cultural appropriation after launching tequila brand

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