Marina Wilson, the founding father of Espanita Tequila, is empowering the business along with her management, artisanal tequila, and her model’s motto, “Reasonably priced Luxurious With out Compromise.”
Wilson is not any stranger to spirits. Since beginning her first firm in 2006—Double Eagle Imports—she’s developed her knack for the spirits enterprise and her ardour for tequila. “Working with tequila manufacturers for a few years, my ardour for Blue Agave spirits grew, and so did my appreciation of conventional craft methods which might be concerned within the transformation of caustic and stone-hard uncooked agave “piña” into extremely flavorful, nuanced spirit,” says Wilson.
Tequila, after all, is that magical spirit from Blue Agave. Wilson noticed how the spirit’s artisanal nature was in danger as an increasing number of tequila manufacturers lined cabinets and corporations switched up manufacturing strategies. “With the current increase of tequila recognition and rising exports, we see many distilleries switching to commercialized approaches permitting them to extend output and reduce prices, akin to utilizing diffusers and autoclaves, to call a number of. This typically comes on the expense of high quality and style.”
For Wilson, tequila is an artwork. Along with her information of the spirit’s artisanal energy, she determined to step towards her ardour by beginning Espanita Tequila. We ask Wilson about her improvement of Espanita with mixology in thoughts.
Inform us a bit about your background within the business.
My immersion within the distilled spirits business began in 2006 after I began Double Eagle Imports. Working an organization targeted on importation and gross sales of craft spirits gave me a worthwhile expertise in all facets of distilled spirits advertising and marketing and gross sales ranging from contract negotiations and product sourcing and to such much less thrilling however extremely necessary issues as customs clearance, compliance with quite a few federal and state rules, warehousing, reporting, and many others. This primary-hand involvement has created a strong basis within the tequila enterprise that may be very useful to me right this moment. I consider that for any proprietor of a distilled spirit model it’s completely important to be educated of all essential parts that’s concerned in operations and have a complete background within the business even when they find yourself outsourcing a lot of the features.
Discuss to us about founding Espanita Tequila.
Working with tequila manufacturers for a few years, my ardour for Blue Agave spirits grew and so did my appreciation of conventional craft methods which might be concerned in transformation of caustic and stone onerous uncooked agave “piña” into extremely flavorful, nuanced spirit. Whereas many different spirits akin to vodka lend themselves nicely to business mass-production, this isn’t a case with tequila. Tending to and harvesting of agave vegetation nonetheless stay a handbook effort, for instance. Artisanal tequila manufacturing methods are extraordinarily laborious and time-consuming as nicely. With the current increase of tequila recognition and rising exports, we see many distilleries switching to commercialized approaches permitting them to extend output and reduce prices akin to use of diffusers and autoclaves, to call a number of. This typically comes at expense of high quality and style as a lot of the steps concerned in creating tequila akin to cooking of uncooked agave, fermentation, and distillation, can’t be hurried with out sacrificing depth and richness of taste and softness of the palate. Appreciation of ancestral approaches of tequila making craft has finally developed in a want to create an final craft tequila model that pays homage to the lengthy and engaging historical past of tequila in Mexico, and its conventional craft. That is how Espanita Tequila was born.
What was your inspiration / what do you hope agave followers expertise together with your tequila?
The motto of Espanita Tequila is “Reasonably priced Luxurious With out Compromise”. We wish to supply tequila lovers an genuine handcrafted tequila of the very best high quality that it’s true to its Mexican roots and heritage, introduced in a luxurious packaging that enhances a pleasure of imbibing however at a really approachable retail pricing. It has been a really difficult activity, particularly within the setting of quickly rising prices and agave shortages, nonetheless, we’re proud with the outcomes. Since Espanita’s launch in 2017, now we have earned many awards and accolades, together with “Tequila of the Yr” and “Producer of the Yr” from Bartender Spirits Awards in 2021, two “Greatest Purchase” awards and “High 100 Spirits” placement from Wine Fanatic. Rated from 93 to 97 factors, Espanita product line has in its cache 18 Gold, Double Gold, Triple Gold, and Platinum medals from worldwide spirits competitions for its style and high quality in addition to quite a few awards and medals for our packaging design and its creativity.
What’s necessary for bartenders to learn about your tequila expressions?
Bartenders are uniquely necessary within the model’s journey from a distillery and into shopper’s glass and many individuals study new spirits at a bar, so bartenders’ involvement and acceptance of Espanita Tequila is our enormous precedence. Tequila cocktails are gaining recognition and plenty of gifted mixologists are making use of their creativity to creating new scrumptious combined drinks starring tequila as its key ingredient. Nevertheless, for tequila to shine in a cocktail it should be agave-forward and have richness and depth of taste. Such tequila won’t get misplaced in a cocktail, with its presence masked by different strong-flavored components, however will carry and improve the drink, making a memorable sipping expertise. Espanita has been created with mixology in thoughts. Our tequila options sturdy flavors of historically slow-roasted Blue Agave with its caramelized wealthy sweetness and wafting citrusy aromas, making it an ideal basis for a mess of delectable cocktails.
Discuss to us a bit about variety, equality, and inclusion within the tequila biz.
Distribution and gross sales of tequila nonetheless largely stay a male-dominated business. Whereas many feminine celebrities have just lately efficiently launched their tequila manufacturers, these are extra exceptions than the rule and the fact of a small female-founded and operated enterprise is vastly totally different. Nevertheless, optimistic adjustments are on the best way, and that is very encouraging. We have now been very fortunate to construct our distribution footprint with commerce companions who don’t simply pay lip service to variety and inclusivity however follow and reside equality. I consider that the tequila enterprise will proceed to evolve and develop whereas benefitting and getting richer from an enter of founders and suppliers of various backgrounds.
What recommendation are you able to give others who prefer to comply with in your footsteps?
If you’re beginning a brand new tequila model as an independently owned small enterprise, the street forward will probably be rocky. There will probably be quite a few challenges on the best way because the tequila market within the US is changing into an increasing number of congested and aggressive. The times when beginning a brand new tequila model would carry rapid rewards are gone perpetually. As well as, consolidation among the many wholesaler’s tier within the US makes it far more troublesome for a brand new model to discover a distribution companion that will dedicate assets to model’s development. So, my recommendation is to have three “P” in your arsenal: Ardour for what you do, Perseverance in your efforts and Endurance. Should you work onerous, don’t quit straightforward and don’t get discouraged whereas constructing your model, you will note success coming finally.
What has been the best success in your model to this point?
We’re very happy with our progressive new collections of 100% Agave spirits. In January now we have launched our restricted “Barrel Reserve” vary of aged tequilas that showcase progressive maturation methods and experimentation with several types of cask end, main with our flagship launch of the 97-Level rated Espanita Double Barrel Reposado Tequila. A particular sipper for any Blue Agave fan, it provides tequila aficionados a wonderfully aged tequila with an genuine type, glorious construction, and seamless nuanced end that showcases tantalizing bourbon accents resting on an Agave middle. We’re additionally very excited a couple of current launch of Espanita “Signature Infusions”, a set of all-natural fruit-infused tequilas. We have now fastidiously curated three key flavors for the preliminary launch that pair completely with 100% Blue Agave tequila Blanco basis: Lime, Grapefruit and Pineapple and labored for greater than a 12 months to excellent the recipes and maceration methods. We have now already efficiently launched our Signature Infusions in NY NJ, MA, CT, GA, OK, KY, IL, AR, MD, and District of Columbia, with extra states launching by way of the tip of the 12 months.
What are your hopes for Espanita Tequila’s development sooner or later?
We’re dedicated to constantly innovate whereas honoring and preserving conventional roots and heritage behind artisanal tequila manufacturing that function a basis of our model. We hope that this dedication will end in model’s development throughout the US and eventual introduction of Espanita Tequila to worldwide markets. Most of all, we hope that buyers will probably be having fun with our model and appreciating the onerous work of Mexican artisans concerned in manufacturing of Espanita Tequila and their ardour for this scrumptious Blue Agave spirit.
