The News
NOCK Tequila y Mezcal has launched The Open Door Cantina: Civic Cocktail Series in New York City neighborhood bars, offering on-site voter registration through HeadCount. The initiative runs through September 15 and includes live music and cocktails. For every civic cocktail sold, $1 goes to HeadCount. The brand is making its on-premise debut in NYC.
On‑premise spirits volume fell 3.5 % in 2024, yet NOCK Tequila’s Civic Cocktail Series aims to tap that channel by turning each bar into a voter‑registration hub. For trade readers, the question is whether this civic engagement can offset declining on‑premise volume and create new patron loyalty.
The partnership delivers a $1 donation from every NOCK civic cocktail sold to HeadCount, a nonpartisan group that has registered 1.7 million voters since 2004. The initiative launches in four NYC neighborhood bars—starting in Red Hook, Brooklyn—and runs through National Voter Registration Day on September 15.
Super‑premium tequila sales grew 6.8 % last year, but overall tequila volume increased only 1.2 %, underscoring that high‑margin brands like NOCK are riding a price‑driven rather than volume‑driven trend. On‑premise spirits channel contraction—3.5 % drop in 2024—means any new on‑premise program must deliver measurable patron value.
NOCK’s “Plant Your Flowers” and “Pie for the People” cocktails come with civic activation kits that include QR codes, pocket constitutions, and recipes. The brand also runs a bartender competition, with two winners slated to travel to Mexico in fall 2026. These elements position NOCK as a community‑focused modern cantina rather than just another agave spirit.
For distributors, the key takeaway is ensuring adequate supply of NOCK’s Joven Mezcal for the four NYC bars launching on September 15 and training bartenders on the civic kit. The partnership offers a novel way to engage patrons, but it won’t automatically boost volume in a shrinking channel. A modest inventory aligned with current on‑premise sales trends balances risk while preserving NOCK’s premium image.
Original Press Release
The Open Door Cantina: Civic Cocktail Series brings on-site voter registration into New York City neighborhood bars through a partnership between NOCK and HeadCount, equipping each location with resources and civic programming.
NEW YORK, NY — NOCK Tequila y Mezcal is expanding The Open Door Cantina: Civic Cocktail Series across New York City neighborhood bars, following its Red Hook, Brooklyn debut, with the summer-long initiative running through National Voter Registration Day on September 15. The series offers on-site voter registration through HeadCount, along with live music and cocktail culture, into neighborhood bars across the city. For every NOCK civic cocktail sold at participating bars, $1 goes directly to HeadCount.
The expansion comes as the nation marks its 250th anniversary and voters prepare for the 2026 midterm elections. It also marks NOCK Tequila y Mezcal's on-premise debut in New York City, bringing the brand to bar menus across the city.
"Bars are where people celebrate, mourn, relax and find support," says Melissa Mathieson, CEO of NOCK Tequila y Mezcal. "NOCK was built on the belief that the spirit of the modern cantina is in family, friends, neighbors, newcomers, and regulars. Community matters. Hospitality matters. This initiative is just the start for us. We want NOCK to keep showing up for the communities and voices that make bars what they are."
Bars are already community spaces and informal gathering points where neighbors connect. The Open Door Cantina gives participating bars the tools to make civic participation a visible, welcoming part of that role.
Participating bars receive a full civic activation kit, including collectible coasters with QR codes linking to voter registration resources, a “Little Book. Big Rights.” pocket constitution designed by graphic designer Craig Williams featuring access to voter resources, two signature cocktail recipes developed by Siete Sirenas Master of Mix Jeremy Buck, and a commitment to donate $1 per NOCK civic cocktail to HeadCount.
Anchoring all of it is NOCK’s partnership with HeadCount, the national nonpartisan voter registration organization that has registered more than 1.7 million voters since 2004. The partnership reflects a shared recognition that bars, restaurants, and hospitality venues are powerful and underutilized channels for civic participation. NOCK is the first tequila and mezcal brand to partner with HeadCount.
“At HeadCount, we are always looking for innovative ways to meet people where they already are, and culture is our greatest bridge to civic engagement,” says Whitt Bell, Senior Director of Brand Engagement & Marketing at HeadCount. “Launching our first-ever tequila partnership with NOCK Tequila y Mezcal is an exciting new chapter for us. Through the Open Door Cantina initiative, we’re taking the conversation around democracy directly to New York’s legendary hospitality scene. Gathering at a local neighborhood spot has always been a powerful way for New Yorkers to connect, and by introducing civic cocktails across the NYC area, we’re turning those familiar spaces into welcoming hubs for civic action and voter registration.”
Mathieson adds, “We're proud and excited to partner with HeadCount, an organization with a legacy of making civic engagement practical, nonpartisan, and fun. For NOCK, it's about encouraging people to pull up a chair, use their voice, and feel connected to their community.”
Siete Sirenas Master of Mix Jeremy Buck brought that same approachability to the bar, developing two signature cocktails tied to the series' civic themes.
“Plant Your Flowers” is built around NOCK Blanco Tequila in a margarita-inspired pour, with a touch of Nigori saké. Floral bitters are added by the bartender or guest at the table. “Pie for the People” centers NOCK Mezcal Joven in a stirred cocktail inspired by the range of culinary traditions that shape American food and drink culture today.
Beyond these two signature pours, each Open Door Cantina location also features a bartender-created NOCK civic cocktail on its menu, developed as part of the NOCK Civic Cocktail Challenge. Bartenders develop their own original cocktails as limited-time menu additions. Two bartenders will be selected — based on cocktail quality, presentation, civic relevance, and consumer voting — to join NOCK's bartender education trip to Mexico in Fall 2026. Public voting is scheduled to open in mid-August, with winners announced on National Voter Registration Day, September 15. No purchase, voter registration, or giveaway of any kind is tied to entry or winning. This competition is operated independently by NOCK Tequila y Mezcal and is not affiliated with or administered by HeadCount.
Sources consulted (web research):
- Nock Tequila Y Mezcal Announces Civic Cocktail Series Across Nyc Bars…
- Bevnet site
- Nock Tequila And Mezcal Expands To Four Major Us Markets Following 20…
- Nock Tequila Y Mezcal Nock Mezcal Joven 12501
- Nock Tequila Expands U S Distribution
Source: BevNET