Each tequila and each bottle tell a different story, but they have in common that they are 100% agave, that is, all the sugars obtained during the fermentation process come from the plant. Most of the production in Mexico of this type of tequila is dedicated to export: so far in 2021, 136 million liters have been exported, 57.4% of the total, according to the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT).
The strategy of artisanal tequila companies to keep an eye out for the local market to capitalize on recognition and little competition is common to break through and position the brand, explains Ángel Méndez Mercado, financial and academic analyst at the Escuela Bancaria Comercial (EBC) and La Salle University. And the preference for premium tequila in the world is increasing. Fortune Business Insights projects that the global market will reach a market value of $ 14.7 billion in 2028, with a compound annual growth rate of 5.8% between 2020 and 2028.
In Mexico, the tequila category is the one with the best performance, even sales in the first quarter of the year exceed those reported in 2019, with a growth of 9%, according to data from Nielsen IQ. “When Mexican brands decide to ‘come back,’ they can deal with more competition. They come solid, with capital and can already be introduced in the market. These are good strategies to position yourself and, although this is late, it is not so relevant because they come with the support of international sales, ”says Méndez.
A history of a quarter of a century
Casa Azul was born in the meetings that Lomelí and Juan Sánchez, his partner and president of the company, had in a car and a family kitchen, in 1997 in Guadalajara. So, they were focused on strengthening the production chain and ceramic containers. Now, already installed in the United States, the managers have managed to adapt their business model to that market, from where they made their way.
The tequila company has a ceramic factory in Tepatitlán de Morelos, where it is preparing the installation of its distillate farm, where there will be tours for visitors, although the opening date has not yet been revealed. It also has a tequila factory in Atotonilco el Alto and another in Arandas, in Jalisco. To this is added one more ceramic in Santa María Canchesda, in the State of Mexico. For the production of mezcal there is a plant in Durango and the partners will make a new investment, yet to be defined, to expand the one in Guerrero. The company owns a third of the total agaves it requires for its production, an undisclosed figure.