Proximo Spirits, Inc. and 1800 Tequila have announced the release of the second collection of limited edition Essential Artists bottles designed by 11 up and coming artists from all over the US, and one "celebrity artist" (Shepard Fairey's Studio Number One). The 11 designs were gathered from over 15,000 online submissions and were selected by 1800 Tequila. The 12th special-edition bottle is by Studio Number One a group of rising star designers headed by artist Shepard Fairey who gained global notoriety this year for his Obama "Hope" design. Artist StevOramA's design was the $10,000 Grand Prize Winner and his design has been given a starring role in the series. Other artists include Ian McGillivray, Nickelyn Reames, danyol, Leyland "Lee" DeVito, Danielle Salinas, Chad Shore, Mark Sweeney, Branden Tintiangco, Chuck Trunks, and Michelle Villasenor. To find the bottles, which retail for $24.99 each, consumers can enter their zip codes into the "Liquor Locator" on 1800Tequila.com to find the series in their area. The contest will re-launch at the end of this year, inviting artists to submit their own bottle designs for a chance at inclusion in the next series.

Not too long ago it was rare to meet those who considered themselves connoisseurs of tequila -- a drink known more for body shots and the occasional blackout. However, with the recent openings of tequila-only bars on East Coast and West, The Age of Agave could be upon us.

Enter 1800 Select Silver, a partially aged and double-distilled firewater that is the only 100-proof silver tequila in the world. Smooth on the way in, it fills the taste buds with fruit-tinged agave flavor before a soft finish. In fact, being easy to imbibe and 25 percent stronger than other silvers, in the wrong hands it could be too good -- it is, after all, still tequila.

It is also the world's only tequila to come with a ManCave. Until August 15, you can throw your name in the sombrero at www.1800tequila.com/mancave, and get a shot at winning $10,000 to create the ultimate hangout spot. Even though it's called a cave for men, we've met more than a few women hale enough to send us packing when the tequila flowed, so anyone should feel free to enter. And if you win, don't be surprised if we ask to come over...

[Source: 1800]

1800 Tequila, the high-end 100% blue Agave tequila brand that takes it name from the year in which the spirit was first aged in wood, recently embarked on an ambitious and inspired campaign centered around around nine cutting-edge artists it considers to be "Essential." The Essential Artists and their artwork were featured as part of a national advertising campaign including print, billboard, internet, and radio; now each piece of artwork is featured on brilliant 1800 limited edition tequila bottles, available nationwide in stores or online here.

Each artist is different, with work that could have been found spray painted on a city street, in the best art gallery, or both. These chosen artists are willing to follow their independent vision, and adapt it to a bottle of great tequila. The nine artists are: Glenn Barr, one of Detroit's most celebrated and successful underground artists; San Francisco-based illustrator and designer Hannah Stouffer; Jorge Alderete, a pop illustrator, who uses trash culture, 50's science fiction films, wrestling and surf music imagery in his psychotronic illustrations, animations and comics; Josh Ellingson, whose work has been featured on everything from handheld games to custom vinyl toys.

Atlanta-based husband and wife design duo UrbanMedium; Artillery, whose hand-cut stencil designs feature candy-coated colors and an "almost Warhol-esque twist on banal imagery"; Jeremy Bacharach, whose work includes painting, drawing, photography, and digital media; Dosa Kim, whose art can be best described as "whimsical, dark and sometimes minimal"; and Chris Dean, whose "synthesis of offbeat imagery and stereoscopic process has brought the nostalgic of medium of lenticular pictures to a new level of artistry".

See the gallery to view their impressive bottles. 1800 is now on the search for the next essential artists, via an innovative interactive project taking place on their website. Any aspiring artist or fan can upload their art on a custom 1800 bottle and join the competition to win $10,000 and be featured in a national advertising campaign, just like the original avant-garde nine. How come no one ever thought of this before?

The site allows fans to log in and in three simple steps join the competition and also spread the word through a custom artwork widget to embed on their own site. Connoisseurs can also view the gallery and vote on the thousands of submissions. Fans can upload up to five pieces of art until the contest ends in mid-December. Competition is sure to be fierce, and we can't wait to see the results.

1800, the 100% blue Agave tequila that takes it name from the year in which the spirit was first aged in wood, has just launched a new addition to its ultra-premium offerings: 1800 Select Silver.

The potent 100 proof elixir is double distilled and blended with a touch of aged tequila, and bottled with a glass stopper that doubles as a shot glass (very convenient).

Select Silver joins 1800's impressive range which includes Silver, Reposado, Anejo, and one of the category's most expensive tequilas, 1800 Coleccion, an extra-Anejo that's available in a hand-made, limited edition decanter of pure silver, costing $25,000. And no, that's not a typo.