In a market ‘saturated’ with Tequila, English spirits producer Double Six Drinks and design company OurCreative have joined heads to create and market a product with an ‘sudden twist of Yorkshire grit’.
To be referred to as a Tequila, a spirit should be constructed from at the least 51% Blue agave, relaxation at an ABV between 35% and 55%, and be distilled and bottled in Mexico. As such, any model that deviates from these guidelines isn’t allowed to name its spirit a Tequila. That’s the reason Pico, a 38% ABV distillate constructed from Blue Weber agave in Jalisco, Mexico, doesn’t maintain that moniker; it fails the factors on the remaining hurdle: it’s bottled in Leeds, England.
Chatting with The Spirits Enterprise, Jody Monteith, model director at Double Six Drinks, explains why, when it’s unable to satisfy the factors for making Tequila, the corporate selected to show to the Mexican agave class moderately than choosing an agave sourced for an additional non-Tequila-producing area.
“We didn’t convey [Pico] to market simply because we noticed the world was going mad for agave,” he says. “Earlier than I joined the enterprise in January 2024, I sat with the founders, and so they mentioned: ‘The place do you wish to take the enterprise and the manufacturers and the portfolio?’ The very first thing I wished to do was convey an agave to market as a result of except Scotch whisky, I had spent most of my skilled life in that class, by way of gross sales, advocacy and ambassadorial stuff.
“I’ve executed plenty of work with completely different manufacturers, by way of Tequila and mezcal, predominantly, so I’m effectively conscious of what exists throughout the broader class. My understanding of agave spirits stems from a first-hand data that agave will be efficiently grown in locations corresponding to South Africa, nonetheless I’ve frolicked with the individuals in locations corresponding to Jalisco and Zacatecas, and that made essentially the most sense. I’ve been to the locations these spirits are made; I’ve met the those that make them.”
Monteith explains how he has beforehand labored on manufacturers which have explored alternatives to convey agave spirits to the UK market, thus realizing what the choices seem like to convey liquid over in bulk. “It felt like a very apparent place for us to go, for numerous causes as a result of nobody’s actually doing it – to not the usual that I believe we’re doing it to – and taking place this route allowed us, for my part, to get a very nice liquid at a very nice value after which move that ahead.”
As it will probably’t be referred to as a Tequila, the corporate is asking the spirit a ‘Tequilana’. “We might have named it an ‘agave spirit’, in fact we might have, however the title Tequilana was at all times going to be the title, and that’s born from the truth that the agave plant used to make that is agave Tequilana.”
Monteith shares that in 2009 when he first travelled to Mexico, he spent a size of time in Guadalajara and exploring Jalisco, earlier than travelling across the north and central areas of the nation. “We went by way of Chihuahua, and we went to Michoacán and Sinaloa, and we went to Zacatecas and Guanajuato. And we explored all of those amazingly various areas of Mexico. And in numerous these locations, what they do is that they make Tequila in precisely the identical method from precisely the identical plant, however they don’t seem to be the accepted areas for producing Tequila, and due to this fact, in lots of circumstances, the colloquial time period used is ‘Tequilana’ since you give it the title of the title of the plant, and that’s it. So everybody is aware of what they’re consuming. It’s made in the identical method, it’s constructed from the identical plant, it tastes comparable, however clearly the purpose of distinction is precisely as it’s in Scotch and English whisky, which is what aspect of the border you’re making it on, primarily, from area to area, versus nation to nation. In order that title at all times felt like the fitting title for us as a result of it’s genuine.”
Monteith provides that the class title additionally references the potential for the corporate to faucet into different areas.
“As a lot as we’re at the moment tapping into Jalisco-distilled blanco, we are able to and doubtless will sooner or later have a look at locations like Zacatecas and Guanajuato and Durango, and these different locations which can be making phenomenal liquid for unimaginable costs, as a result of they don’t carry the identical title and terminology. And in order that factor of the title at all times was at all times going to be Tequilana – it made lots of sense,” Monteith says.
Not sure by clichés
By selecting to lean into the very fact the model can’t be labelled a Tequila, Monteith says the corporate has been capable of reap the benefits of logistical parts that it will have in any other case been disqualified from utilizing, which in flip has had optimistic sustainability penalties, too.
“We’re not sure by cliché or fake custom. Pico is a scrumptious, fashionable, contemporary strategy to furthering the agave spirit class,” he says.
He clarifies: “So at first, the minute [the spirit] leaves Mexico in a vessel bigger than one-litre, it ceases to be Tequila. Clearly, it’s produced in a Tequila-producing area, it leaves at 55% ABV, which is the brink at which you’ll be able to export it. However it’s actually the vessel primarily that stops this being Tequila at first, regardless of all the pieces we then do to it after that.
“Our chosen course of removes practically 1,000 glass bottles for every IBC [intermediate bulk container] we import. That equates to 500kg much less glass being produced and subsequently shipped 5,500 miles throughout the Atlantic. In consequence, each bottle or eco-pack of Pico we produce has a considerably decrease carbon footprint and reduces packaging waste in comparison with a conventional different.
“The truth that we additionally bottle and pack with out the ‘Tequila’ moniker means we’re free to bundle Pico in 10-litre eco-pack or BIB [bag in box] items. This affords further carbon emissions financial savings on account of lowered weight, but in addition nets the price down and makes Pico not solely look, really feel and style nice, however hit the shelf at an extremely aggressive value level.
“We have now very a lot embraced the chance to convey one thing to market that was not going to be labelled as Tequila, even if that’s the way it’s produced. We’re not making any apologies at any level on this. We don’t go to any pitches of tenders and say, ‘this isn’t Tequila, however’ – that’s by no means the best way we promote the product. And we actually take possession of the truth that this liquid does begin as Tequila, nevertheless it’s the best way during which we then convey it to Leeds, the best way during which we then end, the best way during which we bundle it, that stops it being that. And I believe that’s a very optimistic factor, as a result of there’s enormous benefits that may be constructed from doing it in that method.”
Double Six Drinks steadily brings the energy of the exported liquid all the way down to 38% ABV with Yorkshire water.
“Our means of dilution is admittedly sluggish – we convey it down from 55% to 38% over a matter of weeks – actually softly, actually slowly. We land at 38% as a result of it’s the fitting profile. It provides it the fitting flavour profile from us. It additionally helps in pricing, as a result of it means we are able to get it to market at the very best value,” Monteith explains.
The result’s a liquid with a really basic blanco character, with inexperienced and vegetal notes, and a few spice. “The discount with our Yorkshire water and the sluggish course of provides it further mouth really feel,” Monteith provides. “We find yourself with this creamy high quality by way of mouth really feel and texture. However we’ve additionally bought this actually beautiful nearly inexperienced fruit character, which develops in the back of the vegetal parts. Individuals typically reference issues like inexperienced apple when tasting it. It’s bought a white chocolate form of creamy high quality, and that’s derived, for my part, from the form of vegetal spine of the 55% ABV spirit.”
Going ahead, there are further artistic alternatives accessible to the model, with loads of scope for experimentation with ageing with out the boundaries which can be in place for established classes.
“I believe one of many first issues we’ll in all probability look to do, and we’ve began to form of throw concepts round, shall be exploring issues like wooden sorts for ageing our Tequilana that you could’t use in conventional ageing processes. I do know these guidelines have been relaxed considerably in recent times, however there’s nonetheless sure restrictions, in order that is likely to be one thing we glance to discover. Nothing is stopping us. We haven’t executed it but, however we have now had individuals come to us that work with to ask ‘would you contemplate this?’ The timeline on that is likely to be across the tail finish of subsequent 12 months, probably, however there’s nothing to cease us primarily doing something we wish to.”
Mexico meets Yorkshire
To convey Pico to life and make sure the outward presentation of the model respectfully and authentically integrates the liquid’s Mexican heritage with its Yorkshire affect, Double Six Drinks enlisted the experience of Leeds-based design company OurCreative.
Design director Joe Wallis explains that from the beginning, one of many fundamental challenges for creating the branding for the spirit was to merge the 2 areas represented within the liquid respectfully.
“The principle problem was avoiding clichés. We didn’t wish to simply throw a load of clichéd Mexican and Yorkshire references on the market, like maracas and Whippets. We wished to do one thing that felt contemporary and modern whereas nonetheless being rooted in that heritage and custom,” Wallis says.
As such, the company centered on making a model with real, significant connections that weren’t shoehorned right into a compelled narrative, avoiding overt cultural stereotypes as a rule.
Wallis continued: “We explored the completely different hyperlinks between Mexico and Yorkshire, and one of many hyperlinks that all of us actually appreciated was the mining heritage of each the Central American areas, which have deep silver mining heritage, and then you definately’ve clearly bought the Yorkshire collieries. It’s one thing that’s embedded in each histories, and it didn’t really feel compelled. It felt prefer it was a very lovely a part of Yorkshire historical past that may be very ingrained in lots of people that also dwell right here, and it felt like a way more pure approach to hyperlink the 2 areas collectively with out it feeling compelled or clichéd.”
Each a part of Pico’s model id displays this cultural interaction, together with the title Pico, which was impressed by the Mexican time period for a pick-axe, and was discovered, Wallis says, in a 120-year-old Spanish mining phrases dictionary.
“It felt additionally like a time period that completely different individuals might take possession of in several methods,” Monteith provides, “as a result of it means various things to completely different individuals and completely different dialects regionally. We like the anomaly of it in lots of respects, as effectively.
“I believe one of many first issues we mentioned in the beginning of this course of was we didn’t need any ‘Spanglish’, as a result of there’s been lots of manufacturers dropped at market within the final couple of years that appear to form of actually lean into the form of fake heritage aspect of it. And I believe this title simply allowed us to convey one thing actually genuine to the model.”
Alyssia Taylor, senior account supervisor at OurCreative, provides: “From a client perspective as effectively, in case you see it behind a bar, it’s a pleasant, straightforward phrase to say, particularly in case you’ve had a few drinks. It’s simply recognisable, and never a time period that felt ingenuine, or perhaps that we had been making an attempt to painting it as being one thing that it wasn’t.”
Multi-layered strategy
Wallis explains the strategy they took to the design was to create a collage that blends the mixed mining heritage through lovely modern illustrations, with each agave leaves and stone textures alongside archival imagery of individuals down within the pits within the Jalisco mines or the Yorkshire colliery mines. “The layering up of those parts represents the stratigraphy and rock formations [found in mining pits]. It’s nearly like unveiling the layers as you go down the degrees. So it’s simply bought a very nice, pure piece of storytelling,” he says. This strategy, he provides, allowed them to lean into and embrace the contrasts between the areas, due to this fact “creating one thing that’s actually hanging”.
Very similar to Double Six Drinks being free of the constraints related to Tequila’s guidelines and rules, OurCreative discovered itself with a further sense of design freedom.
Taylor says: “Usually what we’d do earlier than we obtain a artistic transient is we’ll do a little bit of a deep dive into what’s already taking place out there. So we sat there with all of our analysis on Tequilas, on agave, on mezcal, after which we had been advised it was going to be a Tequilana. And we had been like, ‘oh, OK, so that is thrilling’. It form of freed us from lots of the class codes that exist already, which, from a quick perspective, makes it tremendous thrilling.”
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