George Strait‘s tequila brand, Código 1530, announced on Tuesday that it is pledging to support bartenders during the coronavirus pandemic, sharing that it will donate 30 percent of process from online sales through participating retailers to bartenders in need. Funds raised from now through Cinco de Mayo on May 5 will go to the U.S. Bartenders Guild National Charity Foundation‘s Bartender Emergency Assistance Program.
“At Codigo, bartenders are an integral part of our extended tequila family. We couldn’t serve our customers without them,” Código 1530 co-founder and CEO Ron Snyder said in a press release, via Taste of Country. “Now, with bars and restaurants closed across the country, we can all do our part to support our friends in the beverage service industry while doing our part to abide by safer-at-home guidelines, too.” The USBG Foundation is a nonprofit focused on supporting industry professionals.
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A full list of retailers taking part in the initiative is available on Código’s website. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, shipping on many products has been delayed, which could include Código. The tequila is available in Blanco, Reposado, Añejo, “Origen” and Rosa Blanco flavors and is distilled in Jalisco, Mexico. It rests in Napa Cabernet French white oak barrels, which give it a unique color and flavor. Strait has been an investor in Código since 2017 and even wrote a song about the brand that was included on his 2019 album, Honky Tonk Time Machine.
Strait isn’t the only country artist to be helping those in need during the pandemic — Blake Shelton recently donated $150,000 to an Oklahoma food bank and Dierks Bentley, Florida Georgia Line and John Rich all publicly pledged to give money to their employees at their respective downtown Nashville bars. Bars and restaurants are one of the numerous industries that have been affected due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has shut down businesses around the world. Some states in the U.S. are tentatively beginning to reopen in phases, but it will still be weeks before bars are able to operate again.
