Patrón Tequila names new master distiller

Tequila maker Patrón has appointed David Rodriguez as its new master distiller following the retirement of Francisco Alcaraz.

Rodriguez was previously Patrón’s director general of spirits manufacturing operations in Mexico, and has been with the distiller for almost 18 years, working alongside Alcaraz at the brand’s distillery in Jalisco.

Alcaraz, who will be retiring this month, is thought to be the longest standing distiller in the Tequila industry, with over 50 years experience. He spent over 30 years working for Patrón, helping to develop the brand to reach today’s production level of 2.8 million nine-litre cases a year.

During his tenure, he helped to develop the distiller’s core and limited-edition Tequilas and also served as a global brand ambassador.

Commenting on his retirement, he said: “I am privileged to have had such a fulfilling and life changing career at Patrón. The time has come to pass the baton and there is no better person for the job than David Rodriguez. I am grateful to leave my life’s work in the hands of such an incredible and passionate professional. David is like family to me and I know he will carry on and honour the Patrón process.”

Rodriguez added: “I am incredibly humbled to take on the role as master distiller and I offer Francisco our limitless gratitude for helping build this iconic brand and changing the Tequila category forever. I wish Francisco all the best on his well-deserved retirement. I’m honoured to carry on his legacy into the next chapter for Patrón.”

In January 2018, it was announced that spirits giant Bacardi was buying Patrón in a deal worth $5.1 billion, eclipsing earlier the Diageo / Casamigos deal by $4.1bn.

Bacardi had held a minority stake Patrón Spirits International AG for nearly a decade prior to the purchase.

Earlier this year, the Tequila maker launched a cocktail pantry on Amazon, while in October 2019, it became the first alcohol brand that could be ordered via Instagram.