Cabo Wabo
Encyclopedia
Cabo Wabo is the name of a chain of nightclubs and restaurants located in Cabo San Lucas, BCS, Mexico
, as well as Harvey's Lake Tahoe in Stateline
, Nevada
and a third location on the Las Vegas Strip
in Nevada just outside of the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood. It is also a popular brand of tequila
. All were founded by rock musician Sammy Hagar
. The Cabo San Lucas location is generally considered to be one of the top three most popular nightclubs in town. But as opposed to competing nightclub/bar Squid Roe (which plays top-40 music and attracts a younger/spring-break clientele), Cabo Wabo typically attracts an older adult clientele with its mostly rock music selection.
town of Cabo San Lucas in the early 1980s. Hagar joined Van Halen
in July 1985 after the departure of its former singer, David Lee Roth
. Seeking a place for himself and his friends to relax and play music, he convinced the Van Halen members to partner in opening a large bar, restaurant, and performance space. Launched in April 1990, the cantina
was initially a financial failure, leading Hagar to buy out
his band-mates. Under new management, the bar became popular with both locals and tourists as the town quickly grew into a major resort. In 2004, after plans fell through to open in Las Vegas, Hagar opened a second location in the basement of the historic Harvey's casino on the south shore of Lake Tahoe. A third location was opened in Fresno, California in 2008 but had its license pulled by Hagar at the beginning of 2009. Cabo Wabo Las Vegas opened in The Miracle Mile shopping center at Planet Hollywood in November 2009.
Hagar claims he coined the name after watching a man walk unsteadily along a local beach after a heavy night's partying. Using the town's nickname, Cabo (which means "cape" in Spanish), and shortening "wobble" to "wabo" he said of the man that he was doing the "Cabo wabo". In 1988, he wrote a song of the same name for Van Halen's 1988 album OU812
. In 1990 he hired Noel Vestri, an innovator in computer graphic designs (including work on Van's Tennis Shoes) to design a logo for the brand, which is still used today.
. In 1999, a wine importer from Napa Valley began to import the tequila in to the United States. An instant success, sales rose from 37,000 cases the first year to 140,000 cases in 2006, making it the second-best selling premium tequila in the United States.
Several of the Cabo Wabo offerings have performed quite well at international spirit ratings
competitions. For example, the añejo offering received a Gold rating at the 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, an improvement from a silver rating at the 2008 competition. Its reposado tequila received a score of 92 from the 2008 Beverage Testing Institute.
In May, 2007 it was announced that Hagar would sell an 80% interest in Cabo Wabo Tequila to Gruppo Campari, the world's sixth-largest spirits company, for $80 million. Skyy Spirits
of San Francisco, a vodka producer and subsidiary of Milan's Gruppo Campari, planned to market Cabo Wabo globally, with continued participation by Hagar. Gerry Ruvo, president and chief executive of Skyy Spirits, said, "Sammy has done a fantastic job building the brand, so we are going to obviously spend time with him and work with him to continue our efforts to take the brand to an even larger level, both here in the U.S. and, more important, globally." Ruvo said Great Britain, Spain, Australia, Southeast Asia, Japan, Germany and Italy are considered key expansion markets for Tequila.
Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas , commonly called Cabo, is a city at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, in the municipality of Los Cabos in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. As of the 2010 census, the population was 68,463 people...
, as well as Harvey's Lake Tahoe in Stateline
Stateline, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,215 people, 510 households, and 245 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,803.3 people per square mile . There were 562 housing units at an average density of 834.1 per square mile...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
and a third location on the Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
in Nevada just outside of the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood. It is also a popular brand of tequila
Tequila
Tequila is a spirit made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, northwest of Guadalajara, and in the highlands of the western Mexican state of Jalisco....
. All were founded by rock musician Sammy Hagar
Sammy Hagar
Sam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....
. The Cabo San Lucas location is generally considered to be one of the top three most popular nightclubs in town. But as opposed to competing nightclub/bar Squid Roe (which plays top-40 music and attracts a younger/spring-break clientele), Cabo Wabo typically attracts an older adult clientele with its mostly rock music selection.
Cantina
Hagar, already a successful rock musician, visited the MexicanMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
town of Cabo San Lucas in the early 1980s. Hagar joined Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
in July 1985 after the departure of its former singer, David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality. Roth was ranked nineteenth by Hit Parader on their list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Singers of All Time....
. Seeking a place for himself and his friends to relax and play music, he convinced the Van Halen members to partner in opening a large bar, restaurant, and performance space. Launched in April 1990, the cantina
Cantina
Cantina is a word that can refer to various places and establishments. It is similar in etymology to "canteen", and is derived from the Italian word for a cellar, winery, or vault.Cantinas are found in many towns of Italy...
was initially a financial failure, leading Hagar to buy out
Buyout
A buyout, in finance, is an investment transaction by which the ownership equity of a company, or a majority share of the stock of the company is acquired. The acquiror thereby "buys out" control of the target company....
his band-mates. Under new management, the bar became popular with both locals and tourists as the town quickly grew into a major resort. In 2004, after plans fell through to open in Las Vegas, Hagar opened a second location in the basement of the historic Harvey's casino on the south shore of Lake Tahoe. A third location was opened in Fresno, California in 2008 but had its license pulled by Hagar at the beginning of 2009. Cabo Wabo Las Vegas opened in The Miracle Mile shopping center at Planet Hollywood in November 2009.
Hagar claims he coined the name after watching a man walk unsteadily along a local beach after a heavy night's partying. Using the town's nickname, Cabo (which means "cape" in Spanish), and shortening "wobble" to "wabo" he said of the man that he was doing the "Cabo wabo". In 1988, he wrote a song of the same name for Van Halen's 1988 album OU812
OU812
OU812 is the 8th studio album by American hard rock band Van Halen, released in 1988. The album title is allegedly a joke on Van Halen's previous lead singer David Lee Roth's 1986 album Eat 'Em and Smile . However, "OU812" was also seen in the 70s sitcom Taxi written on a wall...
. In 1990 he hired Noel Vestri, an innovator in computer graphic designs (including work on Van's Tennis Shoes) to design a logo for the brand, which is still used today.
Tequila
In the late 1990s, Hagar began selling his patrons a house brand of hand-made tequila he commissioned from a family-owned distillery in the state of JaliscoJalisco
Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
. In 1999, a wine importer from Napa Valley began to import the tequila in to the United States. An instant success, sales rose from 37,000 cases the first year to 140,000 cases in 2006, making it the second-best selling premium tequila in the United States.
Several of the Cabo Wabo offerings have performed quite well at international spirit ratings
Spirit ratings
With a growing number of microdistilleries and an expanding number of offerings from large corporate entities, a number of institutions have arisen to provide professional evaluations of individual spirits...
competitions. For example, the añejo offering received a Gold rating at the 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, an improvement from a silver rating at the 2008 competition. Its reposado tequila received a score of 92 from the 2008 Beverage Testing Institute.
In May, 2007 it was announced that Hagar would sell an 80% interest in Cabo Wabo Tequila to Gruppo Campari, the world's sixth-largest spirits company, for $80 million. Skyy Spirits
SKYY Spirits
SKYY Spirits, LLC, is an American spirits maker, it was launched in 1992 and founded by Maurice Kanbar in San Francisco which is also the headquarters for the company. SKYY vodka was introduced as its first product...
of San Francisco, a vodka producer and subsidiary of Milan's Gruppo Campari, planned to market Cabo Wabo globally, with continued participation by Hagar. Gerry Ruvo, president and chief executive of Skyy Spirits, said, "Sammy has done a fantastic job building the brand, so we are going to obviously spend time with him and work with him to continue our efforts to take the brand to an even larger level, both here in the U.S. and, more important, globally." Ruvo said Great Britain, Spain, Australia, Southeast Asia, Japan, Germany and Italy are considered key expansion markets for Tequila.