Brent Hocking

Brent Hocking is an American entrepreneur. He is the founder of DeLeón Tequila, which he launched in 2009, and Virginia Black Whiskey, which he co-founded with Drake in 2016. Hocking grew up in Compton, California and has lived in Southern California for most of his life.

Hocking left his job in finance in 2006 to start his own brand of tequila, which later became known as DeLeón Tequila. Hocking bought a distillery in Purísima del Rincón, Mexico and launched the brand in 2009. Hocking sold the brand to Diageo and Sean Combs in 2014 for an undisclosed amount. Hocking is the co-founder of Virginia Black Whiskey, a venture he launched with Drake in 2016.

In 2019, Hocking launched Mod Sélection Champagne stating; "What I’m doing with champagne is very much in line with what I did in tequila. [With DeLeón], I partnered with a family who had been producing a high-quality product for generations but never exported to the US. I came in and furthered their tradition and technique by selecting only the most pure, mature and superior quality agave available, which resulted in a supremely pure and unadulterated product. This is exactly what I’m doing with our vines in Champagne, France."

Hocking has been credited with creating "a whole new class of tequila" and "a new generation of Champagne': “If you know anything about me, you know my background (and passion) has always been in wine. I started aging DeLeón Tequila in Sauternes wine barrels … 10 years before anyone else in the market caught on. Barrel aging and flavor profile have always been paramount to me … and Champagne is a natural progression. What we’re doing ... is nothing short of revolutionary and very much in line with what I’ve done in the tequila and American whiskey space.”

Under Hocking, DeLeón Tequila won the following awards:

• Robb Report's 2011 ‘Spirit of the Year’ for DeLeón Añejo Tequila
• Robb Report's 2012 ‘Spirit of the Year’ for DeLeón Extra Añejo Tequila
• Robb Report's 2013 ‘Spirit of the Year’ for DeLeón Leóna Tequila
• “M&A International Consumer Retail & Products Deal of the Year" following the sale of DeLeón Tequila.

Virginia Black Whiskey won the following awards:

• 91 points by Wine Enthusiast for Virginia Black

Mod Sélection Champagne won the following awards:

• 97 points by James Suckling for Mod Sélection Vintage Rosé Champagne
• 96 points by James Suckling for Mod Sélection Vintage Réserve Champagne
• 95 points by James Suckling for Mod Sélection NV Réserve Champagne
• 95 points by James Suckling for Mod Sélection NV Rosé Champagne
• 94 points by James Suckling for Mod Sélection NV Blanc de Blancs
• 94 points by James Suckling for Mod Sélection NV Blanc de Noirs
• 98 points by Anthony Dias Blue 'Blue Lifestyle' for Mod Sélection Vintage, Réserve and Rosé Champagne
• 97 points by Anthony Dias Blue 'Blue Lifestyle' Mod Sélection NV Blanc de Blancs and Blanc de Noirs