Get to Know Nayana Ferguson, Co-Owner of Anteel Tequila
For Nayana Ferguson, co-owner of Anteel Tequila, building her companies is a question of “How can I do this,” versus the common hesitation, “Can I do this?”
The two-time cancer survivor (battling pancreatic cancer in her early 30s and breast cancer just six years later) is an entrepreneur who inspires through her motivational speaking, cancer advocacy and ambition, steadily building upon the sentiment, “Why not?”
Finding time to talk in between a crazy work week and getting her daughter ready for prom, Ferguson showed great pride in her company’s origin story and its product.
After years of climbing the corporate ladder, Nayana recalls asking her husband Don, co-owner of Anteel Tequila, “If you could do anything, what would you do?” That simple spousal conversation sparked the birth of an idea and the beginning of Anteel Tequila, launched in August of 2018.
“I made a tequila that I can drink,” says Ferguson. “No added sugars, sweeteners or syrups. Due to being pre-diabetic and having cancer in the past, I needed a clean product.”
After debuting the tequila initially in Michigan, where they previously lived, the couple and their liquid company relocated to Atlanta, bringing with them a unique lineup of infused and traditional tequilas. Anteel’s portfolio includes the world’s only coconut lime blanco, a reposado aged for eight months in Jack Daniel’s barrels, a Tarocco blood orange tequila using premium Sicilian citrus, as well as a classic blanco and añejo.
With 125 awards under their belt since 2019, Anteel is one of the most awarded brands on the market, distributed in 15 states and offering online shipping nationwide. After moving down South, it carved out a footprint locally in Atlanta and the surrounding areas and is now sold through Savannah Distributing to 250+ locations in Georgia, including on-premise bars and restaurants and off-premise retail.
“Our tequilas are versatile, so you can enjoy them by themselves or mix them in a cocktail,” says Ferguson. “In American culture, people shoot tequila, but premium products like our añejo are meant to be sipped. With our infused line, they’re very popular in mixed drinks.”
Ferguson takes pride in the fact that Anteel Tequila is categorized as authentic tequila, made in Jalisco, and not just as another agave spirit, which have recently seen a large market uptick. Working with both the American and Mexican governments, Anteel is actually produced in the city of Tequila, for legitimate flavor and origin. She recommends that buyers “look on the back of the label when purchasing, as any legitimate tequila should feature a numerical distillery bar code.”
“Ensure that’s there,” says Ferguson. “Because if it’s not, it’s not real tequila.”
Anteel Tequila has found placement in an impressive list of bars in Atlanta, with their longest running cocktail, the “Cocomo” (a play on a mojito using their coconut lime tequila), on the menu at Bar Vegan in Ponce City Market since 2023. New for spring, Agave Restaurant in Cabbagetown is featuring a spicy or regular blood orange margarita and hosting an upcoming four-course tequila dinner, slated for the end of April.
Anteel Tequila even makes its way into the cuisine at some establishments, with chefs incorporating it into their cooking. The Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Va. has a specialty tequila beverage on the menu but also uses Anteel’s blanco in its best-selling, creamy shrimp and pasta entree. Ferguson reiterates the tequila’s diversity across the board, noting that it translates beautifully into a variety of well-known libations.
“I’ve replaced every spirit with at least one of our expressions of tequila, and they do very well,” says Ferguson. “Our reposado goes great in a Manhattan, an Old Fashioned and the blanco can replace any clear spirit [in a cocktail]. A pina colada is great with the coconut lime and mixologists make amazing fruity margs with our blood orange.”
The husband-and-wife team have found a true niche in the spirits market and make it successful with a balanced approach to their management style. Nayana handles operations, logistics and finances, while Don is in charge of sales and marketing. The couple acknowledges the setbacks of business ownership but finds their ‘why’ when reflecting upon a tried-and-true record of overcoming such difficult personal challenges and an inner strength to keep going.
“My experience having pancreatic cancer when I was young, it changes you in many ways,” says Ferguson. “You either stand up and move forward, or you stay and wallow in your diagnosis. It solidified having faith in myself and what I needed to do to grow our company.”
Ferguson says her goals for Anteel Tequila going forward are to expand the team by adding another prominent businesswoman to the already majority female-owned company and incorporating another infused flavor to their portfolio to curate a total of six expressions: three infused and three traditional. She hopes to continue to grow brand awareness and plans to increase distribution throughout the U.S. and someday, even internationally.
This article is sponsored by Savannah Distributing.
Dionne Passacantando is a writer and content creator for Rocky Mountain Food Report. Her online publication and social media presence focuses on food, beverage, travel and hospitality. She lives in Colorado Springs with her husband and three children.
