Cyber thieves steal 19,000 bottles of tequila from Wrightsville Beach-based spirits brand
After a series of logistics hurdles, Daytoon Distributors – the people behind Blue Shark Vodka – are preparing to launch Hacienda Chactun Tequila in January. A shipment of their blano tequila is safely in their Wilmington facility.
But on Dec. 21, cyber criminals stole 19,000 bottles of the reposado tequila, said Mark Milliken, a retired admiral and CEO of the tequila brand. While some details are confidential due to the ongoing investigation, it’s believed the thieves infiltrated the company’s logistics network, manipulating GPS systems to divert the trucks to an unknown location.
“That’s ten years of work,” said Mark Bloomquist, chair of Daytoon Distributors. “I'm shocked and disgusted... They’ve put a ding in this, but we will be back. We have only just begun."
Wrightsville Beach-based Daytoon, which also makes Summer Storm Sophisticated Moonshine, has had varieties of a Mexican-made tequila in the works for more than a decade. Officials are calling it the Grinch Tequila Heist.
“We’ve poured our hearts and souls into crafting this exceptional liquor," said Geoffrey Losee, outside counsel for Daytoon. "Now, thanks to these digital Scrooges, our launch has been thrown into disarray.”
Bloomquist said the shipment was valued at $380,000.
A logistics team working with a major trucking company was given constant updates on the shipment going from Mexico to North Carolina. But the updates turned out to be fictional and the driver, not real, Bloomquist said. In fact, they believe the fictional driver even sent fake photos of traffic and a flat tire. Police and federal authorities now believe the shipment is in California.
Daytoon isn't the only spirits company to experience such a heist. About 21,000 bottles of Crystal Head Vodka from Dan Ackroyd were stolen in 2011 and more than half-a-million dollars' worth of Hennessey Cognac were part of a 2014 heist. Earlier this year, thieves stole more than $1.6 million worth of alcohol from a distribution company in Florida.
Daytoon is still planning their tequila launch.
“We plan to still launch in January with our blanco product and begin to meet demands with blanco and reposado by February,” Milliken said in a press release. “We want our customers to know this upset will have no effect on pricing.”
A series of launch parties begins on Jan. 5 with an event at Catch restaurant in Wilmington. Chef Keith Rhodes is planning a special multi-course dinner with dishes like chicharrónes and poblanos with a pecan cream sauce and paired cocktails. On Saturday, King Neptune in Wrightsville Beach is hosting a tasting beginning at 5 p.m. with cocktails and specials from chef Nick Chavez. The following weekend, there's another party scheduled at Lumina on Wrightsville Beach resort. On Jan 14, restaurateurs Miguel and Ramón Villaseñor of Los Portales and Tequila Comida & Cantina are planning specials at all of their restaurant ahead of the tequila's statewide availability.
"Thieves will not damper our celebration.," Bloomquist said. "I am disgusted but unwavering in my commitment to this launch in North Carolina."
He added that he plans to offer a $25,000 reward for information about the heist and to bring more bottles of the reposado to market. And a launch of anejo tequila launch is planned for later in 2024.
STAY CONNECTED: Keep up with the area’s latest food news by signing up for the Port City Foodies newsletter and following us on Facebook and Instagram.
Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her at aballard@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Tequila stolen from Wrightsville Beach, NC, spirits brand Daytoon Distributors
