Two American whiskey veterans have teamed up to acquire Goza Tequila, with the brand poised for expansion in the US and a distillery of its own in Mexico.
Paul Hletko, who sold his Illinois-based business, Few Spirits, to Heaven Hill Brands last year, and Dave Schmier, who co-founded Bardstown Barrel Selections prior to selling the venture to Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits, have bought the Goza brand from Infinite Agave. A spokesperson for the pair declined to disclose the sum paid when contacted by Global Drinks Intel.
Launching in the US in 2015, the Goza portfolio, comprising blanco (SRP of US$38), reposado ($40) and añejo ($50) expressions, is available in California and Illinois. Following the transaction, the spokesperson added, the range will roll out “in Q2-Q3” to Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Maryland and South Carolina as well as Washington DC.
Prior to today’s announcement, Hletko has been working with Infinite Agave on producing a corn whiskey in Mexico. “What’s most exciting is the first thing we did, which is to fill our own barrels with fresh blanco Tequila,” he said. “Our first batch of reposado is now ready for release.”
The reposado will be labelled ‘Special Reserve’ and joined by ‘Anejo Single Barrel’ limited editions that will retail for $69.99 and $59.99 per bottle, respectively.
The two men will also make an investment. again not disclosed, in a new distillery in Jalisco, while “the founding team will continue to be involved, working in Mexico to source Tequila, bottling and building a NOM [‘Norma Oficial Mexicana’, the four-digit number on the rear label of every bottle of Tequila] for Goza”.
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