On The Debbie Nigro Show, I had the pleasure of spotlighting Simon Cascante, founder of Montaukila Tequila. Boy oh boy his story sure is a shining example of one of my favorite sayings - “Risk It! or Regret It!"
Simon skipped college, started bussing tables at the Lobster Roll in East Hampton, and took the long road to launching his own spirit’s brand. No investors. No celebrity endorsements. Just grit, Google, and a dream.
That persistence led him to cold-call nearly a dozen distilleries in Mexico until one finally said yes—thanks to a VP who had once vacationed in Montauk and loved the concept.
Now six years in, Montaukila is growing with a mobile cantina experience, premium celebrity-free tequila, and a hot new canned cocktail line.
Simon’s entrepreneurial focus? Staying authentic while scaling sustainably.
And here’s something I love: Montaukila is a locally owned, small-batch tequila company that believes in giving back. They donate 100% of their merchandise sales to Oceanic Global, an organization dedicated to ocean conservation.
This is the kind of business spirit that deserves a toast.
To me, Simon’s story is a reminder that success is rarely a straight line—it’s persistence, adaptability, and staying true to your vision.
And a great entrprenurial business lesson in why you should never let a NO (or a string of No’s) deter you on your way to a YES!
Cheers to that!
Enjoy listening to this short podcast of my live conversation with the very inspiring Simon Cascante on The Debbie Nigro Show.
