The story behind Luisito Comunica’s tequila brand Gran Malo

Cultura Shock on LatiNation recently welcomed global YouTube sensation and entrepreneur Luisito Comunica for a lively and unforgettable interview where he introduced his fast-rising tequila brand, Gran Malo. Known for his massive online following and globe-trotting videos, Luisito sat down with host AK to talk tequila, culture, and even dared to snack on a few insects live on set.

At just 34, Luisito Comunica (Luis Arturo Villar Sudek) has become one of Latin America’s most influential content creators, with over 40 million YouTube subscribers and 30 million followers on Instagram. But beyond the screen, he’s become a savvy entrepreneur, with Gran Malo being one of his most personal and successful ventures yet.

Gran Malo is not your average tequila. Co-founded by Luisito in 2021, it’s a bold shot made from blanco tequila infused with natural tamarind and macerated Mexican chiles. The result is a flavor that hits all the right notes: spicy, sweet, and sour. With an alcohol content of 30%, Gran Malo is best enjoyed chilled and is designed to spice up any party.

“Sometimes when I tell people like, hey, try this tequila, their first reaction is, ‘Tequila is too strong.’ But this one? You will love it. It’s spicy tamarind flavor, very cold, icy, and truly delicious,” Luisito explained.

And how spicy is spicy? “It’s not Valentina,” he joked, “it’s more sweet. It’s fruity, spicy sweet.”

The tequila, originally a hit in Mexico, made an impact when it launched in Southern California in 2024.

“To give you an example,” Luisito shared, “the number of bottles we sold in SoCal last year was almost half of what we sold in all of Mexico. People were thirsty.”

Now available in key markets like California, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado, Gran Malo is aiming even higher, with plans to expand to rest of the U.S, and into Colombia and Equatorial Guinea, the only African Spanish-speaking country, soon.

The bottle design is just as fiery as its contents, featuring striking illustrations of El Diablo and La Calaca, with a cap that doubles as a shot glass.

In a particularly hilarious segment of the interview, Luisito took a deep dive into the Mexican custom of giving tequila nicknames, like “el agua bendita” or “el me asustas”, and then went even deeper by trying barbecue-flavored larvae and jungle beetles on camera. “Oh yeah, it is barbecu-ey,” he said after crunching through the first insect. But the beetles? Not so much. “It’s so hard that it even hurts a little bit in the cheeks… it punctures,” he laughed.

But underneath the laughs and the flavor, Luisito brought depth to the table. “Tequila is a cultural thing,” he said. “We even drink it differently, we drink it straight in Mexico. It’s what we do, what we drink. It’s special.”

Catch Luisito Comunica on all social platforms at @luisitocomunica, where he documents travels, tests technology, explores global cuisine, and shares his daily life with a loyal and growing community, and check out Gran Malo at a liquor shelf near you. Just don’t forget to chill it first (and maybe skip the bugs.)