THE SEARCH FOR MEXICAN SPECIALISTS

Talking to Ken, the first thing that came to mind were the tours where big brands, like José Cuervo, take tourists by train through the blue agave landscapes. The idea is to explore their "haciendas," their production process, and end up at a restaurant or store belonging to the brand, hoping everyone will be more likely to take home a bottle. For someone completely new to the subject, this seemed like a good place to start. We contacted companies working in the tequila region, and during this search, we came across the Consejo Regulamentador del Tequila (CRT), a Mexican agency responsible for monitoring the entire tequila production process, from planting agave seedlings to bottling the final liquid worldwide. Talking to some people there, we realized the seriousness of the matter and were certain we needed to find the right person to guide us through this process. While researching tours of the tequila region, one of the companies we came across was Experience Tequila, now called Experience Agave. We struck up a conversation with Clayton Szczech, the company's owner, about the tours they offered and the opportunity to meet with small local producers. The conversation turned more professional than touristy, and we discovered that Clayton was a certified "Tequila Expert" and the only non-Mexican to hold the "Double-T" certification granted by the CRT.

Exploring
the tequila area

Two months later, we landed in Guadalajara, Mexico, ready for four intense days of networking with Mexican tequila producers. We visited suppliers in the cities of Amatitán, El Arenal, and Arandas, and also visited the famous Pueblo de Tequila—which gives its name to this storied spirit—where we had the opportunity to attend La Feria Nacional del Tequila, a festival held in December and dedicated to celebrating the history and grandeur of this iconic Mexican spirit.

DAYS OF BUREAUCRACY FOR THE PERFECT TEQUILA

We were the first Brazilian company to import tequila in bulk, and because we insisted on complying with both Mexican and Brazilian legislation, the process was quite long and bureaucratic. At the time, the Brazil-Mexico treaty (which facilitates the processing of cachaça and tequila between the two countries) had not yet been signed, and we had to be true pioneers. Our cargo was stuck at the port for months because MAPA (Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply) inspectors were unfamiliar with the specific law governing tequila production regulations, written in 1974 but not available in the agency's digital system. I remember the daily struggle. We made phone calls to experts, made requests, sent counter-replies to the agency's system, visited the MAPA office in Santos, and other efforts to complete our first import shipment: a measly 3,000 liters of tequila. It took months for the merchandise to leave the port and head to the factory in Jundiaí, where we bottled our first product to launch Quetzalli—five years after it all began. This was undoubtedly the biggest and most challenging part of creating Quetzalli. But it's also our greatest achievement, as we overcame the bureaucracy of the system, achieved an unprecedented track record, and, above all, delivered a unique, high-quality tequila, perfect for our project.

Interested? Then come and check out our product!