About Patrón

In the 1970s, tequila producers flooded the market with cheaply made low-quality mixtos, leading to negative consumer perceptions of the category. Many tequila producers during this time had lost touch with a fundamental aspect of tequila’s history: The high quality and unique flavor that initially distinguished it from other regional agave spirits.

This set the perfect stage for the birth of Patrón. 

Founded in 1989, the original mission of Patrón was clear: To make the highest-quality, 100% de agave, ultra-premium tequila in the world. The founders of the company believed that consumers were ready for an ultra-premium tequila, a category that didn’t exist at the time. They sought answers by traveling to the heart of agave-growing country — the highlands of Jalisco. Here, they met and partnered with Francisco Alcaraz, who was hired as Patrón’s master distiller to develop our house style.

At the time, Francisco was working with Siete Leguas in Atotonilco el Alto. The founders contracted with Siete Leguas to distill and bottle a specific blend of tahona and roller mill tequila, a complex blanco that would be exported under the Patrón label. Francisco was responsible for the development of this style at Siete Leguas and soon decided to come work full time for Patrón.

Patrón used both the Siete Leguas distillery and the nearby El Viejito facilities until we built our own distillery at Hacienda Patrón, which was completed in 2002. In 2005, the owners of El Viejito built a new distillery outside of the town of Atotonilco, and sold their original facility – the oldest distillery in Atotonilco, and the first distillery where Francisco worked – to Patrón. Renamed ​‘Casa Patrón,’ this facility now produces roller mill tequila for use in our signature blend. 

Patrón set a new era for tequila, demonstrating that great tequilas could be sipped on the rocks, and didn’t need lime and salt. By bringing quality, 100% de agave tequila to the United States, we helped turn around the negative perception of the spirit. With a history of solid success in the US, Patrón Spirits began developing and growing its international distribution in 2005. Today, Patrón Tequilas are available in more than 100 countries across the world, and sold in global duty-free outlets.

In 2018, Patrón Spirits International A.G., proudly joined Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held spirits company in the world. As part of the Bacardi family, Patrón continues to evolve its innovative product offerings, and today Patrón remains one of the world’s fastest-growing global spirits brands.

As the demand for ultra-premium tequila continues to grow (and as the 100% de agave category leader), we are naturally expanding our production capabilities, but in ways that conserve Patrón’s signature flavor profile. We have always worked to preserve traditional tequila production methods: Hand-trimming and cutting agave before baking it in small clay brick ovens, tahona milling to crush the agave piñas, fermentation in pinewood tanks, and distillation in small copper pot stills. We believe that this emphasis on time-honored methods keeps our tequilas a class apart and for this reason, we have chosen to replicate our small-scale equipment and hire more staff instead of scaling up and automating production.

Patrón’s Master Distiller, David Rodriguez took over when Francisco Alcaraz retired after a 40 year career in the tequila industry.