The Backstreet Boys are back – with a Tequila?

We’ve had George Clooney, Justin Timberlake and rapper E-40, and now 90s boy band The Backstreet Boys are rumoured to be launching their own Tequila brand.

According to Tasting Table, the boys implied that they were on the scout for a producer in Mexico to produce a Tequila with, following a two-date concert in Cancun.

“I like a good reposado or añejo,” said one fifth of the boyband Kevin Richardson, while Nick Carter added, “And that leads us into talking about our Tequila venture that we’ll be coming out with. [We] just need to find a partner here in Mexico,” the website reported.

Should the band’s rumoured foray into the world of spirits materialise, it would come at a time when interest in and sales of the spirit are growing rapidly, so much so that the industry has warned of an agave shortage putting pressure on Tequila prices.

In the UK, sales of Tequila increased by 37% to £173m in 2016, according to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA), driven by the popularity of premium expressions in the US and Tequila-based cocktails.

Last year Diageo paid $1billion for George Clooney’s Tequila brand Casamigos, while only this month Bacardi paid $5.1 billion for Patrón Tequila, signalling the industry’s and commitment to the agave-based spirit.

Elsewhere, Pernod Ricard took full control of Avión Tequila earlier this year, purchasing the remaining shares it didn’t already own from its founder Ken Austin, as well as those held by Grammy award-winning rapper Jeezy.

Last month, US rapper E-40, real name Earl Stevens, extended his reach into the drinks trade with the launch a new line of Tequila – E. Cuarenta – which means ‘E-40’ in Spanish.

Celebrities that already hold a stake in the Tequila category include Justin Timberlake, Carlos Santana, P Diddy, Sammy Hagar and Adam Levine, who have all launched their own brands.