For Tequila Giant Proximo Spirits the Past is a Foundation, Not a Museum
Tequila is experiencing a global surge in popularity – it’s currently one of the fastest growing spirit categories, with consumers discovering the pleasures of sipping the agave-based liquor alongside different styles of tequila serves. Proximo Spirits – the makers of Jose Cuervo, 1800 and Maestro Dobel – is the world’s oldest and largest producer of tequila, with over 250 years of expertise accumulated across 11 generations of the Cuervo family. Its craft Blanco and Silver tequilas have grown more than 25% in both volume and value between 2020 and 2024, reflecting the global uptick in tequila consumption. Proximo’s portfolio commands over one-third of the craft tequila market.
Muiris Ó Riada, international marketing director at Proximo Spirits, takes the fiercely competitive tequila market as a reflection of the category’s overall strength. For Proximo, getting and staying ahead of the competition is based on building brand equity over short-term wins, coupled with an investment in innovation, though only when it’s purposeful, says Muiris.
Keeping heritage alive is vital to Proximo and its brands, and relevance is maintained by finding how it can connect to contemporary culture. Consumers today want to know about how and where products are made and the renewed market focus on craft plays perfectly into the craft-heavy production of Proximo’s tequilas. Clarity, not overlap, helps Proximo differentiate the tequila brands in its portfolio and “each brand has a clear voice, price architecture, and cultural space it owns,” says Muiris, ensuring distinct narratives drive the marketing behind each one.
Below, Muiris speaks to LBB’s Zhenya Tsenzharyk about the company’s tangible leadership and commitment to sustainability, the role authenticity plays in building long-term brand equity in tequila, and why emotional connection is an equally important measure of success as sales in a heritage-led category.
LBB> The tequila category is fiercely competitive. How is Proximo Spirits working to maintain leadership while so many new players enter the market?
Muiris> The tequila category has never been more dynamic. The competition in the sector is a sign of the category’s strength. For us, maintaining leadership starts with a long-term mindset that balances brand stewardship with innovation, and champions strategic execution. We’re prioritising building brand equity, over chasing short-term wins. Our strategy centres on differentiating our brands, giving each a distinct point of view, audience, and cultural role. In a crowded market, brand clarity earns relevance. And relevance drives longevity.
Secondly, innovation plays a critical role, but it must be purposeful. We evolve our portfolio alongside shifting consumer preferences while staying true to each brand’s DNA. A recent example is 1800 Guachimonton, drawing inspiration from the ancient Guachimontones of Jalisco to highlight traditional production techniques in a way that feels both authentic and contemporary. Targeted innovations like this allow us to bring fresh energy into the category without compromising credibility and remain at the forefront of the industry’s evolution.
Leadership isn’t just about what you make; where and how consumers experience it is essential. We work closely with our partners to ensure our brands are present in the right markets, channels, and moments for consumers, so we can show up for them wherever and however they choose to engage.
Finally, as the industry leader, we’re investing in the future of the tequila category itself. That includes significant investment in infrastructure as well as innovative initiatives focused on wastewater treatment, sustainability and agave stewardship. Our new 1800 distillery achieved 20% higher energy efficiency compared to other plants and is just one example of how we are prioritising longevity through targeted capital expenditure. These investments aren’t just about scale, they’re about responsibility and ensuring the long-term health of tequila for generations to come.
LBB> How do you translate 250 years of heritage and 11 generations of craftsmanship into marketing that feels relevant rather than retrospective?
Muiris> Heritage is only powerful if it’s kept alive. For us, translating 250 years of history and 11 generations of craftsmanship into modern marketing means using the past as a foundation, not a museum.
Today, the heritage of our business lives on in enduring truths behind each of the brands; the craftsmanship, the land, the people, and the values that have remained consistent across generations. Those elements don’t change, but how we express them absolutely does. The goal isn’t to look backward, but to show how that heritage continues to shape what the brand stands for today.
Maintaining the relevance of heritage relies on finding ways to connect it to contemporary culture. To us, that means collaborating with modern creators and celebrating cultural moments in ways that feel natural and earned – not nostalgic for nostalgia’s sake. We tell our stories through today’s platforms and formats, using language and visuals that resonate with current audiences while staying true to the brand’s DNA.
For example, our recent Cuervo Especial campaign for the Day of the Dead aimed to celebrate and educate consumers on the unique Yucatá ritual. Vibrant contemporary artwork by Tavo Santiago honours the tradition, thought to date back to the Mayans, of cleaning the bones of the dead to commemorate departed ancestors. Art-focused collaborations are such an impactful way of uniting long-standing heritage with modern expression and grabbing consumers’ attention in a way that feels natural for the brand.
LBB> Craft tequila has seen significant growth in recent years. What consumer shifts have been most important in driving that momentum?
Muiris> One of the most important shifts is a greater appreciation for craftsmanship and authenticity. Consumers want to understand how tequila is made, where it comes from, and who is behind it – all hallmarks of the craft movement. This elevated curiosity in production methods, agave sourcing, and transparency is behind a rising trend for experiential drinking as consumers engage with more in-depth explorations of the variety that the category has to offer – savouring and appreciating the unique flavours and aromas of the different brands.
We’ve also seen a rise in premiumisation through education and a desire for quality and craftsmanship. As consumers become more knowledgeable, they’re trading up – not necessarily drinking more but drinking better. They’re exploring sipping tequilas, limited expressions, and styles that showcase complexity and balance beyond just mixability.
Our business role is to meet these shifts with integrity across the portfolio. With our breadth of brands, we have something to offer consumers no matter what point they are at in their discovery of tequila. And while each of our brands is unique, they are all underpinned by Proximo’s commitment to expert craftsmanship. This guarantee of an excellence honed over 11 generations, is something we find means a lot to our audience across markets and price points.
LBB> A lot of reports are showing that people, especially younger demographics, are turning away from drinking and towards wellness. Is this a trend that's affecting Proximo Spirits?
Muiris> We’ve seen wellness become a central lifestyle priority, especially among younger consumers, and we’re paying close attention to how that shapes their relationship with alcohol. For our portfolio, we view this not as a challenge but as an opportunity to evolve with our audience.
We’re evolving how tequila shows up in people’s lives by championing serves that align with more mindful, occasion-based drinking; whether that’s lower-ABV expressions or refreshing, approachable cocktails like the Paloma. These serves retain flavour and quality while fitting naturally into daytime, social, and lifestyle-driven occasions.
We’ve also established a strong ready-to-drink offering across key markets including Australia, the U.S., and Canada. These are designed to meet consumers where they are – delivering convenience, consistency, and premium taste across a wide range of occasions, from casual gatherings to on-the-go moments.
LBB> Sustainability is often talked about in spirits marketing; how does Proximo ensure its commitments are credible and not just communications-led?
Muiris> As the world’s largest tequila producer, we recognise that leadership comes with responsibility. Not just to grow the category, but to protect its future. Our size enables us to implement sustainability initiatives at scale, and our longevity gives us a long-term perspective on stewardship. As a result, we are able to prioritise highly-innovative sustainability efforts that put us at the forefront of responsible, future-focused tequila production.
One example is our prioritisation of wastewater management – investing in innovative solutions to preserve the future of our operations. We currently operate four advanced water treatment plants, based in Mexico – each with a customised combination of treatment methods that ensures maximum efficiency and efficacy of our responsible wastewater management processes.
LBB> With brands like Jose Cuervo, 1800 and Maestro Dobel spanning different audiences and price points, how do you balance portfolio strategy with distinct brand worlds.
Muiris> Balancing a diverse tequila portfolio starts with being very clear that each brand has its own reason for being. While Jose Cuervo, 1800 Tequila, and Maestro Dobel all sit within the same category, they are built for different consumers and occasions and we’re intentional about protecting those distinctions.
At portfolio level, our role is to ensure clarity, not overlap. Each brand has a clear voice, price architecture, and cultural space it owns. That allows us to meet consumers at different stages of their tequila journey – from accessible, heritage-led 100% agave expressions, such as Jose Cuervo Tradicional to more premium, lifestyle-driven experiences such as 1800 Tequila.
Building distinct brand worlds comes down to discipline in storytelling and execution. From product development and packaging to activations and partnerships, every decision is filtered through the question: Is this true to the brand’s DNA? What works for one brand shouldn’t automatically translate to another. As the world’s first Anejo tequila, 1800 is grounded in traditional Mexican tequila production methods; whilst Dobel’s identity as the groundbreaking innovator is cemented by producing the first-ever cristalino tequila, with all the flavour of an Anejo, but with the clarity of a Silver.
A strong portfolio isn’t about one brand doing everything. It’s about creating a collection of brands that are confident in who they are and together, offer consumers choice, credibility, and relevance across the category.
LBB> What role does authenticity play in building long-term brand equity in tequila? How do you safeguard it at scale?
Muiris> Authenticity is foundational in spirits. It’s not a marketing tactic – it is essential to building trusted relationships between the brand and the consumer. In a category rooted in heritage, place, and craftsmanship, long-term brand equity is built by staying true to where the brand comes from while ensuring it remains relevant to today’s consumer.
Safeguarding authenticity at scale starts with protecting the core truths of the brand: its origin, production methods, and cultural context. Those elements don’t change, even as the brand grows. Scale should amplify the story, not dilute it. A good example of this is our Jose Cuervo brand. Cuervo is the oldest tequila company in the world – the tequila that invented tequila – and we remain the owners of the oldest distillery of spirits in Latin America, La Rojena. Our origins and history live on in every bottle produced today whilst our scale allows us to blend our time-honoured production methods with modern precision and capabilities to deliver unfaltering quality for consumers.
LBB> How do you measure success beyond sales in a heritage-led category, what signals tell you your marketing is working?
Muiris> In a heritage-led category, metrics like awareness, consideration, and emotional connection are crucial indicators of brand health. Consumers should not only recognise the brand, but understand what it stands for, and choose it because it feels authentic and meaningful, not just familiar.
From a trade perspective, engagement and advocacy from bartenders and operators who perceive our brand as good quality and credible, is a driver of success. From a consumer perspective, that includes how people interact with our content, how often they share or talk about our brand.
Lastly, we ask whether our brands are showing up in the right moments — in hospitality, in celebrations, in lifestyle spaces — to remain culturally relevant in ways that feel natural rather than forced. When consumers invite the brand into their rituals and stories, that’s a strong sign we’re doing something right.
LBB> Looking ahead, what should marketers understand about the future of tequila and premium spirits growth more broadly.
Muiris> In recent years, we’ve seen outstanding growth for our tequila brands in markets outside of the US, which has been a long-standing fan of the category. Across EMEA and Asia, we’re recruiting new audiences for tequila as more and more consumers have begun to discover a love for the spirit.
Longer, refreshing cocktails and mixes have been behind a big uplift in tequila’s popularity – appealing to the same drinkers who have historically opted for whisky, gin or vodka-based blends. We anticipate this will continue to be a driver of growth and momentum, with up-and-coming accessible serves like the Paloma alongside classics like the Margarita having earned icon-status on bar menus across the world. Consumers rely on brands they trust to deliver a high-quality base for exploration of new flavours and mixes.
The future growth of tequila will continue to be perpetuated by strong brand building that leans into the expanding appreciation for craft and premium tequila experiences – across exciting new cocktails and prestige sipping spirits - that reward the curiosity of consumers who are excited to venture beyond more established categories.
