Marina Wilson, the founder of Espanita Tequila, is empowering the industry with her leadership, artisanal tequila, and her brand’s motto, “Affordable Luxury Without Compromise.”
Wilson is no stranger to spirits. Since starting her first company in 2006—Double Eagle Imports—she’s developed her knack for the spirits business and her passion for tequila. “Working with tequila brands for many years, my passion for Blue Agave spirits grew, and so did my appreciation of traditional craft techniques that are involved in the transformation of caustic and stone-hard raw agave “piña” into incredibly flavorful, nuanced spirit,” says Wilson.
Tequila, of course, is that magical spirit from Blue Agave. Wilson saw how the spirit’s artisanal nature was at risk as more and more tequila brands lined shelves and companies switched up production methods. “With the recent boom of tequila popularity and rising exports, we see many distilleries switching to commercialized approaches allowing them to increase output and cut costs, such as using diffusers and autoclaves, to name a few. This often comes at the expense of quality and taste.”
For Wilson, tequila is an art. With her knowledge of the spirit’s artisanal strength, she decided to step toward her passion by starting Espanita Tequila. We ask Wilson about her development of Espanita with mixology in mind.
Tell us a bit about your background in the industry.
My immersion in the distilled spirits industry started in 2006 when I started Double Eagle Imports. Operating a company focused on importation and sales of craft spirits gave me a valuable experience in all aspects of distilled spirits marketing and sales starting from contract negotiations and product sourcing and to such less exciting but incredibly important matters as customs clearance, compliance with numerous federal and state regulations, warehousing, reporting, etc. This first-hand involvement has created a solid foundation in the tequila business that is very helpful to me today. I believe that for any owner of a distilled spirit brand it is absolutely essential to be knowledgeable of all crucial elements that is involved in operations and have a comprehensive background in the industry even if they end up outsourcing most of the functions.
Talk to us about founding Espanita Tequila.
Working with tequila brands for many years, my passion for Blue Agave spirits grew and so did my appreciation of traditional craft techniques that are involved in transformation of caustic and stone hard raw agave “piña” into incredibly flavorful, nuanced spirit. While many other spirits such as vodka lend themselves well to commercial mass-production, this is not a case with tequila. Tending to and harvesting of agave plants still remain a manual effort, for example. Artisanal tequila production techniques are extremely laborious and time-consuming as well. With the recent boom of tequila popularity and rising exports, we see many distilleries switching to commercialized approaches allowing them to increase output and cut costs such as use of diffusers and autoclaves, to name a few. This often comes at expense of quality and taste as most of the steps involved in creating tequila such as cooking of raw agave, fermentation, and distillation, cannot be hurried without sacrificing depth and richness of flavor and softness of the palate. Appreciation of ancestral approaches of tequila making craft has eventually developed in a desire to create an ultimate craft tequila brand that pays homage to the long and fascinating history of tequila in Mexico, and its traditional craft. This is how Espanita Tequila was born.
What was your inspiration / what do you hope agave fans experience with your tequila?
The motto of Espanita Tequila is “Affordable Luxury Without Compromise”. We want to offer tequila lovers an authentic handcrafted tequila of the highest quality that it is true to its Mexican roots and heritage, presented in a luxury packaging that enhances a joy of imbibing but at a very approachable retail pricing. It has been a very challenging task, especially in the environment of rapidly rising costs and agave shortages, however, we are proud with the results. Since Espanita’s launch in 2017, we have earned many awards and accolades, including “Tequila of the Year” and “Producer of the Year” from Bartender Spirits Awards in 2021, two “Best Buy” awards and “Top 100 Spirits” placement from Wine Enthusiast. Rated from 93 to 97 points, Espanita product line has in its cache 18 Gold, Double Gold, Triple Gold, and Platinum medals from international spirits competitions for its taste and quality as well as numerous awards and medals for our packaging design and its creativity.
What is important for bartenders to know about your tequila expressions?
Bartenders are uniquely important in the brand’s journey from a distillery and into consumer’s glass and many people learn about new spirits at a bar, so bartenders’ involvement and acceptance of Espanita Tequila is our huge priority. Tequila cocktails are gaining popularity and many talented mixologists are applying their creativity to creating new delicious mixed drinks starring tequila as its key ingredient. However, for tequila to shine in a cocktail it must be agave-forward and feature richness and depth of flavor. Such tequila will not get lost in a cocktail, with its presence masked by other strong-flavored ingredients, but will carry and enhance the drink, creating a memorable sipping experience. Espanita has been created with mixology in mind. Our tequila features robust flavors of traditionally slow-roasted Blue Agave with its caramelized rich sweetness and wafting citrusy aromas, making it a perfect foundation for a multitude of delectable cocktails.
Talk to us a bit about diversity, equality, and inclusion in the tequila biz.
Distribution and sales of tequila still largely remain a male-dominated industry. While many female celebrities have recently successfully introduced their tequila brands, these are more exceptions than the rule and the reality of a small female-founded and operated business is vastly different. However, positive changes are on the way, and this is very encouraging. We have been very lucky to build our distribution footprint with trade partners who don’t just pay lip service to diversity and inclusivity but practice and live equality. I believe that the tequila business will continue to evolve and develop while benefitting and getting richer from an input of founders and suppliers of different backgrounds.
What advice can you give others who like to follow in your footsteps?
If you are starting a new tequila brand as an independently owned small business, the road ahead will be rocky. There will be numerous challenges on the way as the tequila market in the US is becoming more and more congested and competitive. The days when starting a new tequila brand would bring immediate rewards are gone forever. In addition, consolidation among the wholesaler’s tier in the US makes it much more difficult for a new brand to find a distribution partner that would dedicate resources to brand’s growth. So, my advice is to have three “P” in your arsenal: Passion for what you do, Perseverance in your efforts and Patience. If you work hard, do not give up easy and do not get discouraged while building your brand, you will see success coming eventually.
What has been the greatest success for your brand thus far?
We are very proud of our innovative new collections of 100% Agave spirits. In January we have launched our limited “Barrel Reserve” range of aged tequilas that showcase innovative maturation techniques and experimentation with different types of cask finish, leading with our flagship release of the 97-Point rated Espanita Double Barrel Reposado Tequila. A special sipper for any Blue Agave fan, it offers tequila aficionados a perfectly aged tequila with an authentic style, excellent structure, and seamless nuanced finish that showcases tantalizing bourbon accents resting on an Agave center. We are also very excited about a recent launch of Espanita “Signature Infusions”, a collection of all-natural fruit-infused tequilas. We have carefully curated three key flavors for the initial release that pair perfectly with 100% Blue Agave tequila Blanco foundation: Lime, Grapefruit and Pineapple and worked for more than a year to perfect the recipes and maceration techniques. We have already successfully launched our Signature Infusions in NY NJ, MA, CT, GA, OK, KY, IL, AR, MD, and District of Columbia, with more states launching through the end of the year.
What are your hopes for Espanita Tequila’s growth in the future?
We are committed to continuously innovate while honoring and preserving traditional roots and heritage behind artisanal tequila production that serve as a foundation of our brand. We hope that this commitment will result in brand’s growth across the US and eventual introduction of Espanita Tequila to international markets. Most of all, we hope that consumers will be enjoying our brand and appreciating the hard work of Mexican artisans involved in production of Espanita Tequila and their passion for this delicious Blue Agave spirit.
The post We Ask Marina Wilson about using Espanita Tequila in Cocktails appeared first on Chilled Magazine.
Source: Mixology News
