The Open Door Cantina: Civic Cocktail Series brings on-site voter registration into New York City neighborhood bars through a partnership between NOCK and HeadCount, equipping each location with resources and civic programming.
NEW YORK, NY — NOCK Tequila y Mezcal is expanding The Open Door Cantina: Civic Cocktail Series across New York City neighborhood bars, following its Red Hook, Brooklyn debut, with the summer-long initiative running through National Voter Registration Day on September 15. The series offers on-site voter registration through HeadCount, along with live music and cocktail culture, into neighborhood bars across the city. For every NOCK civic cocktail sold at participating bars, $1 goes directly to HeadCount.
The expansion comes as the nation marks its 250th anniversary and voters prepare for the 2026 midterm elections. It also marks NOCK Tequila y Mezcal's on-premise debut in New York City, bringing the brand to bar menus across the city.
"Bars are where people celebrate, mourn, relax and find support," says Melissa Mathieson, CEO of NOCK Tequila y Mezcal. "NOCK was built on the belief that the spirit of the modern cantina is in family, friends, neighbors, newcomers, and regulars. Community matters. Hospitality matters. This initiative is just the start for us. We want NOCK to keep showing up for the communities and voices that make bars what they are."
Bars are already community spaces and informal gathering points where neighbors connect. The Open Door Cantina gives participating bars the tools to make civic participation a visible, welcoming part of that role.
Participating bars receive a full civic activation kit, including collectible coasters with QR codes linking to voter registration resources, a “Little Book. Big Rights.” pocket constitution designed by graphic designer Craig Williams featuring access to voter resources, two signature cocktail recipes developed by Siete Sirenas Master of Mix Jeremy Buck, and a commitment to donate $1 per NOCK civic cocktail to HeadCount.
Anchoring all of it is NOCK’s partnership with HeadCount, the national nonpartisan voter registration organization that has registered more than 1.7 million voters since 2004. The partnership reflects a shared recognition that bars, restaurants, and hospitality venues are powerful and underutilized channels for civic participation. NOCK is the first tequila and mezcal brand to partner with HeadCount.
“At HeadCount, we are always looking for innovative ways to meet people where they already are, and culture is our greatest bridge to civic engagement,” says Whitt Bell, Senior Director of Brand Engagement & Marketing at HeadCount. “Launching our first-ever tequila partnership with NOCK Tequila y Mezcal is an exciting new chapter for us. Through the Open Door Cantina initiative, we’re taking the conversation around democracy directly to New York’s legendary hospitality scene. Gathering at a local neighborhood spot has always been a powerful way for New Yorkers to connect, and by introducing civic cocktails across the NYC area, we’re turning those familiar spaces into welcoming hubs for civic action and voter registration.”
Mathieson adds, “We're proud and excited to partner with HeadCount, an organization with a legacy of making civic engagement practical, nonpartisan, and fun. For NOCK, it's about encouraging people to pull up a chair, use their voice, and feel connected to their community.”
Siete Sirenas Master of Mix Jeremy Buck brought that same approachability to the bar, developing two signature cocktails tied to the series' civic themes.
“Plant Your Flowers” is built around NOCK Blanco Tequila in a margarita-inspired pour, with a touch of Nigori saké. Floral bitters are added by the bartender or guest at the table. “Pie for the People” centers NOCK Mezcal Joven in a stirred cocktail inspired by the range of culinary traditions that shape American food and drink culture today.
Beyond these two signature pours, each Open Door Cantina location also features a bartender-created NOCK civic cocktail on its menu, developed as part of the NOCK Civic Cocktail Challenge. Bartenders develop their own original cocktails as limited-time menu additions. Two bartenders will be selected — based on cocktail quality, presentation, civic relevance, and consumer voting — to join NOCK's bartender education trip to Mexico in Fall 2026. Public voting is scheduled to open in mid-August, with winners announced on National Voter Registration Day, September 15. No purchase, voter registration, or giveaway of any kind is tied to entry or winning. This competition is operated independently by NOCK Tequila y Mezcal and is not affiliated with or administered by HeadCount.
For more information, visit nocktequila.com and instagram.com/nock_tequila
About HeadCount
HeadCount is a national, nonpartisan organization that uses the power of music, culture, and community to turn fans into voters. We meet young people where they already are – at concerts, festivals, and online – to make it easy to register to vote, learn about elections, and take action. Since 2004, we’ve registered over 1.7 million new voters in partnership with artists, actors, athletes, brands, and creators. Our award-winning digital campaigns have driven tens of millions of voting actions, while our national volunteer squad can be seen at thousands of festivals and live events each year. HeadCount.org
About NOCK Tequila y Mezcal
Founded in 2010 by José P. Rodríguez Samano and Sergio Cruz and relaunched in 2022 with CEO Melissa Mathieson and Master Distiller Daniel Popolizio Tuesta, NOCK Tequila y Mezcal is a modern cantina agave brand rooted in accessible quality, clean approachable taste, transparency, community, and modern Mexican hospitality. NOCK — The Spirit of the Modern Cantina — is a founding member of the Good Agave Pledge, supports S.A.C.R.E.D. Agave, and is built on the belief that great tequila should be sipped and shared, not saved. NOCK earned four international awards in 2024-2025, including a London Spirits Competition Gold (95 points, Joven Mezcal), SIP Awards Double Gold (Reposado), Agavos Gold (Blanco), and USA Spirits Ratings Gold (93 points, Blanco). Available in California, Illinois, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Mexico, and the U.K. nocktequila.com
About Siete Sirenas
Siete Sirenas is the import and brand agency founded by Melissa Mathieson to represent small-batch Mexican spirits producers. Named for Mathieson’s seven sisters to honor women in the spirits industry, Siete Sirenas provides branding, market strategy, and distribution partnerships for craft brands committed to quality, transparency, and community. The agency represents NOCK Tequila y Mezcal, El Disfrute De Los Espíritus (ancestral raicilla), and Balam Spirits. sietesirenas.com
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