During the COVID-19 pandemic, Spanish actor and documentarian Diego Osorio decided to pivot from the world of acting to that of distilling tequila, launching his own spirit brand inspired by the story of his namesake and great-grandfather's immigration from Spain to Mexico.
But because of pandemic-era social distancing restrictions that forced bars to shutter their doors and grocery stores to pause customer tasting booths, Osorio struggled to land his new product, called Lobos 1707, on shelves.
Then one day, he received an unexpected call from an NBA legend looking to invest in the company: LeBron James.
"I get a call from an Ohio number. I picked up, and he goes, 'Hey Diego, I'm LeBron James,'" Osorio said. "He's like, 'Hey, I hear you're doing this ... Is [the tequila] any good?'"
Soon after, James became Osorio's first investor, and several other famous faces — like Maverick Carter, Draymond Green and Arnold Schwarzenegger — followed suit, giving the spirit the boost it needed.
Now, liquor stores across the country carry Lobos 1707 — and with it, the Osorio family legacy.
"I learned that [my great grandfather] went from Spain to Mexico with the same sherry wine barrels that we use at Lobos ... and that he would refill them with agave spirit — what we know today as tequila," Osorio said. "I thought, 'That's a story worth telling, so let me go try and tell it.'"
