How Jennifer Lopez describes her new liquor brand: ‘This Bronx girl on a yacht’
The bottle
Delola bottle cocktail (Bella Berry Spritz, Paloma Rosa Spritz, L’Orange Spritz), $22.99 (750ml) and $11.99 (375ml).
Back story
Jennifer Lopez has conquered the worlds of film, music, perfume and even footwear. So, what’s next?
JLo now has her own liquor brand, of course.
Specifically, Lopez has launched Delola, a line of bottled cocktails in the Italian “spritz” style — meaning bubbly and meant for refreshment. One might say he was a little late to the game: There’s no celebrity who doesn’t have a bottle to his name, with some enjoying tremendous success (like George Clooney, who partnered with Casamigos tequila, a brand that eventually sold to Diageo for $1 billion).
The 53-year-old Lopez told MarketWatch this week that he has been approached frequently to get into the liquor business. But the timing didn’t feel right until this point – partly because he finally found himself with a chance to slow down and appreciate a good sip.
“The first half of my life was all about work. … I’m such a workaholic. I realized I am not the same person I was 10 years ago,” he said.
Delola is a Lopez-driven project – the name itself refers to a pet name (“Lola”) that the artist used to speak to a more playful side. Lopez says he’s involved in nearly every aspect of the production, from the flavor profile to the signature bottle (JLo doesn’t make cans, he says). Lopez also said he has a financial investment in the brand, though he declined to specify how much.
Lopez says his main goal with Delola was to offer bottled cocktails that were healthier, because they were lower in calories (Delola has about 110 calories per serving), and made with natural plants. But it’s also about celebrating the JLo-go-Mediterranean vibe. “Like this idea of a fantasy life, Bronx girl on this yacht. … It was really my high fantasy idea about this brand,” he said.
Not that Lopez did it alone. Among those involved in the project are beverage industry veterans Ken Austin and Jenna Fagnan (they helped launch Teremana tequila with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) and mixologist Lynnette Marrero. And Beam Suntory, a global liquor conglomerate, joined as a minority investor.
However, the project can face challenges. The bottled cocktail — or RTD (as in ready-to-drink) market — has exploded in recent years (and is expected to increase by 11.43% in 2023), meaning that Delola has a lot of competition. And Lopez has been getting backlash for the fact that she previously touted the fact that she is don’t drink alcohol.
Lopez’s response to criticism? “I found that funny because I was like, ‘Has nothing ever changed in their entire life?’ he said. “Yeah, I wasn’t a drinker back then. And then there was a time when I was a light drinker. And I’m still a moderate, celebrating, holiday-type drinker. But I do drink, and I have for years.
The Delola line features three different cocktail varieties. Thank you Delola
What do we think about them
I’ve always been skeptical about celebrity endorsed liquor brands because a lot of times they put the celebrity first above the quality of the drink. But think of me as a Delola fan. What Lopez and his team did was create an RTD that was very mature — meaning one that didn’t have the overly sweet or artificial qualities that were common to its breed. The taste is perfectly balanced across all three offerings, although I like the L’Orange because it is very close to the Italian cocktails I like (like the Aperol spritz).
How to enjoy it
Judging by the photos we’ve seen of Lopez enjoying her Delola, it looks like she’s a fan of pouring a drink into a wine glass with a few cubes of ice – certainly, a classy way to approach things. But you have to provide your own yacht if you want to take it to the next level.
