In 2019, Tiffany Hainesworth made history after becoming the first Black woman to be the sole owner of a tequila brand. A native of Washington, D.C. and a former federal employee, Hainesworth started T-Capri Tequila after getting into a car accident and wanting to do something different.
“I was in a car accident, and, you know, things were bad for me, I wasn’t working… I wanted to do something different, something fun,” Hainesworth told NBC News 4 Washington.
Following the accident, she began making her own gourmet creations including gummy bears that included liquor from popular brands. She told the outlet that having her own tequila brand was always in her vision.
So, in 2018, she visited a distillery in Guadalajara, Mexico and renewed her dedication to building her tequila brand. She worked throughout the process of tequila making, even working alongside agave farmers.
“It was important to me to pay homage to a product that I was producing,” she told the outlet. “I didn’t want to just slap my name on a bottle and say I have a liquor brand.”
Since she established T-Capri, the tequila has hit the shelves in stores all around Maryland, though she hopes to get her product out on a global scale.
“It makes me feel like anything is possible for women, anything is possible for minorities,” Hainesworth said. “You just have to focus, put your mind to it and stay at it.” She gives her aunts and grandfather credit for instilling the importance of helping yourself and the drive to be successful.
Photo: Getty Images