Sauza Tequila

Sauza Tequila Import Company
Industry Tequila
Founded 1873 (1873)
Founder Don Cenobio Sauza
Headquarters Guadalajara, Mexico
Products Sauza
Conmemorativo
Hornitos
Tres Generaciones
Website Sauza Tequila

Sauza Tequila Import Company is a producer of tequila located in Tequila, a municipality of the state of Jalisco, Mexico. It was founded in 1873 when Don Cenobio Sauza started La Perseverancia distillery. Sauza Tequila Import Company is owned by Beam Suntory, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Their products include: Sauza, Conmemorativo, Hornitos, Tres Generaciones.

History

Three Generations of Sauza Dons

Don Cenobio Sauza

In 1873 Don Cenobio Sauza founded Sauza at La Perseverancia distillery. He was the first distiller to call the spirit produced from blue agave plant "tequila" and the first to export the drink to the United States.[1]

Don Eladio Sauza

His son, Don Eladio Sauza was born in Tequila in 1883. When he was old enough to continue the family tradition, he expanded the family business by opening branches in Monterrey and Mexico City and a concession in Spain.[2]

Don Francisco Javier Sauza

In 1931, his son, Don Francisco Javier Sauza took over the business to keep the family legacy by broadening distribution and its reputation as one of the highest-quality tequilas in the world.[3]

Business Acquisition

By the 1970s, demand for tequila was increasing worldwide. Sauza distillery formed a partnership with the leading Spanish brandy producer, Pedro Domecq. This relationship eventually led to Pedro Domecq's complete purchase of Sauza distillery in 1988. When Allied Lyons acquired Pedro Domecq in 1994, Allied Domecq was formed. The brand was purchased by Fortune Brands on July 26, 2005,[4] which spun off various other product lines to form Beam Inc. in October, 2011. On Monday, January 13, 2014, Suntory announced a deal to buy Beam Inc. for about $13.6 billion. The acquisition was completed on April 30, 2014, for a final cost of about $16 billion – when it was also announced that Beam would be renamed as Beam Suntory. Suntory Beverage & Food Ltd trades on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (2587). Sauza tequila products are still distilled at La Perseverancia (NOM: 1102).

Products

Sauza Tequila

  • Sauza Blanco – double distilled, unaged
  • Sauza Extra Gold – double distilled, unaged 40% abv
  • Sauza Blue Silver - 100% agave, double distilled, unaged [5]
  • Sauza Blue Reposado - 100% agave, double distilled, rested in oak casks

Conmemorativo

Sauza Conmemorativo – 100% agave (since 2012). Aged 18 months in oak Bourbon casks - long enough to be called añejo [6]

Hornitos

  • Hornitos Plata – 100% blue agave, double distilled, unaged
  • Hornitos Reposado – 100% blue agave, double distilled, rested two months in 10,000 gallon oak vats
  • Hornitos Añejo – 100% blue agave, double distilled, aged at least 12 months in American oak barrels
  • Hornitos Black Barrel - takes the standard Hornitos Anejo tequila aged for a year in traditional oak barrels and then finishes that tequila in heavily charred American Oak casks for four months, and then moves it to a toasted American Oak barrel for another two months.

Tres Generaciones

  • Tres Generaciones Plata - 100% blue agave, triple-distilled, unaged.
  • Tres Generaciones Reposado - 100% blue agave, triple-distilled, aged at least four months in American oak barrels
  • Tres Generaciones Añejo - 100% blue agave, triple-distilled, aged at least 12 months in toasted American oak barrels

Awards

Sauza's offerings have been moderately successful at international spirit ratings competitions. The best showing was for the brand's Hacienda Reposado tequila, which won a gold rating at the 2006 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The Extra Gold tequila won bronze at the 2007 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and received a score of 81 from the Beverage Testing Institute in the same year.

References

  1. ↑ In Search of the Blue Agave
  2. ↑ In Search of the Blue Agave
  3. ↑ Cocktail Times
  4. ↑ Cocktail Times
  5. ↑ "Sauza Introduces Sauza Blue, a 100% Agave Tequila", Cocktail Enthusiast, April 18, 2011. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  6. ↑ Tequila.net
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