Tequila in a lip-shaped bottle with a racy name was born in Atlanta

It all started with a bottle.

Sandy Springs businesswoman and entrepreneur Sue Hrib got the bottle, shaped like a woman’s lips, from a business partner. She saw in it an idea for a product, but her first question was: “What do we put in the bottle?”

After a round of market research, she came up with the concept: A tequila, for women. The name: Biatch Tequila.

Hrib said she then found in Mexico a family-owned distillery, run by women. Where the distillery is based, in Jalisco, the soil produces a sweeter agave, she said.

“It’s smoother for the woman’s palate,” Hrib said. “It’s not that harsh tequila taste.”

But more importantly, it’s sold in those lip-shaped bottles of different colors, sizes and themes.

One of the aims is to spark impulse purchases at the liquor store — a fun hostess gift upon arrival at a party, a cheeky birthday or holiday gift. Or a clever choice for favors for a bachelorette party.

There’s also merch, including purse-shaped Biatch ice buckets and lip-shaped mini bottles called “LiL Biatches.”

The tequila, which comes in rosa or reposado versions and a limited edition añejo, is almost secondary. But Hrib says tequila for women is an underserved market.

“Women have been ignored in the spirits industry,” she said. “I think it’s because everybody at the top is all men.”

“There’s a lot of women-owned brands, but they’re not only marketing to women,” she said. “They’re scared. I’m not scared. I am not scared because I know what women like, and I know what I like and what my friends like — because I’m one of them.”

She drew on her knowledge of supply chains as a founder and CEO of a supply chain management software firm to start the business under the name Boss Babe Brands and build it out. So far, Hrib said she has raised about $5 million. The tequila is sold online, and in June, the company announced it will use Reyes Beverage Group to increase distribution. Biatch Tequila is now distributed to more than 20 states, including package stores and restaurants in Georgia.

Since its launch in mid-2024, Hrib says more than 250,000 bottles of Biatch Tequila have been sold, for more than $3 million in cumulative revenue.

Her biggest challenge so far has been raising money and finding more distributors. Her ultimate aim is to sell the brand.

Hrib has rubbed elbows with some in Atlanta’s hip-hop community, including through a stint on the board of Usher’s New Look nonprofit, and has also been on the board of councilors of the Carter Center.