A new premium tequila brand is betting that hospitality buyers are underserved on aesthetics. PLAYA DIA, launched this month by founders Rachel Forbes and Dennis Cisterna, is targeting California restaurants, hotels, and specialty retailers with a 100% Blue Weber Agave Blanco built around what the brand calls a ZERO BURN profile — and a sculptural all-glass seashell bottle designed to sit on a back bar as confidently as it sits on a gift table.
Forbes, who serves as CEO and controlling owner through Reign Global Investments, LLC, positions the brand's origin story directly inside the hospitality channel: repeated stays at high-design properties where the spirits program felt disconnected from the overall guest experience. That operator-side gap — excellent setting, generic pour — is the market thesis PLAYA DIA is entering.
The Product Argument
The Blanco is distilled in Jalisco, Mexico, bottled at 40% ABV, and lists three ingredients: agave, water, and yeast. The smooth-entry positioning is deliberate. "Why does tequila have to burn? It doesn't," Forbes said. The ZERO BURN framing targets two distinct bar guests simultaneously — the committed tequila drinker and the guest who has avoided the category because of a harsh prior experience. For beverage directors building approachable agave programs, that dual positioning is worth noting when evaluating well and rail placements alongside premium upsell options.
The bottle itself is a calculated merchandising move. The all-glass seashell form, accented with turquoise rope and coastal design details, is designed to be displayable rather than hidden on a lower shelf. A luxury keepsake presentation box extends the brand's reach into gifting and amenity programs — a channel where hotel F&B teams and event planners consistently look for differentiated product. For operators running curated gift packages or minibar amenity upgrades, the format is a practical consideration beyond the liquid itself.
Distribution and Channel Priorities
PLAYA DIA is available in a 750ml format online at drinkplayadia.com with DTC delivery enabled across 45 states — a meaningful day-one footprint for an independent brand. The initial brick-and-mortar focus is Orange County, California, where Forbes is personally conducting on-premise introductions to restaurants, hotels, and retail accounts. That founder-led market entry strategy is common among lifestyle spirits brands trying to establish narrative credibility with buyers before scaling distribution.
For beverage managers and purchasing directors evaluating new agave additions, the California-first rollout means regional buyers in Orange County and greater Southern California are the immediate audience. National accounts and broader distribution expansion aren't detailed in current brand communications, so operators outside California who are interested should engage directly through the DTC channel or brand contact while physical distribution develops.
The brand also extends into a lifestyle merchandise collection — hats, apparel, tote bags, and pet accessories — positioning PLAYA DIA as a resort-culture identity rather than a standalone spirits SKU. That kind of lifestyle layering has become a brand-launch playbook element for premium tequila entrants looking to build loyalty beyond the transaction, and it signals where the brand sees its long-term margin and media opportunity.
For operators tracking emerging agave and premium spirits trends, PLAYA DIA represents the continued consumer appetite for spirits brands that deliver a full sensory and visual experience — not just what's in the glass, but what the bottle communicates to the room.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
