Mixing brand identity with ESG and entrepreneurship

The evolving identity of Altos may give it an advantage in this more cautious environment. It also builds on the existing love for the brand among the bartending community. The founders themselves were bartenders: Dré Masso and the late Henry Besant, alongside Jesús Hernández who remains Altos’s maestro tequilero today.

The two bartenders also launched Tahona Society in 2009 as an educational resource that now holds a global sustainability‑led competition for bartenders. Although it was cocktail-based at launch in 2010, it shifted to sustainability projects in 2018—a move that differentiated it from a crowded field. “With limited budgets compared to some larger tequila players, Altos chose to be disruptive by focusing on sustainability, entrepreneurship and education, rather than replicate existing formats,” said Carlos Andrés Ramírez, global advocacy and PR director at House of Tequila.

The latest competition final in Guadalajara was won, last year, by mixologist and pastry chef Christina Mercado representing the U.S. The prize of $50,000 is now helping to develop her C-Sweet project—a sugar alternative that is natural and low-glycemic—with extra support coming from Harvard Innovation Labs. Other awards were a ‘crowd favorite’ prize going to Colombia’s Cristina Botero for Shaking Lives, a hospitality training initiative to empower vulnerable youth, and a coaching prize to Mexico’s Audrey Hands and Lucía Ixchel for a tech-based hospitality well-being project called Brindemos Bienestar.

For the first time, the competition launched a digital platform to centralize networking, coaching and mentoring resources. The app includes a job hub, connecting bartenders with opportunities worldwide, and is envisioned as a bridge to angel investors who may want to back projects they think are promising. Altos also measured and offset the carbon footprint of its biennial competition, including flights, transport, and food waste through an external agency.

Market expansion and innovation

While the competition model is empowering the bartender community, the Altos brand’s new rótulos design should appeal to consumers in a mass, rather than niche, way—unlike some more premium tequila’s. It makes sense as many consumers outside the U.S. are yet to try tequila.

With all the core elements now in place, Altos is prioritizing growth in key markets such as the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Southern Europe, from grocery stores to prestige on-trade bars. The packaging has launched in North America and is rolling out across Europe ahead of the summer peak. Ready‑to‑drink, pre‑mixed margaritas are already driving accessibility in retail channels led by small‑format newcomers such as Pimentae and MOTH, particularly in the UK. This convenience category already accounts for a third of Altos’s U.K. volume.

In Southern Europe, Paloma cocktails are trending strongly and Altos is leveraging its award‑winning credentials to build presence in the on‑trade. Travel retail is also a growing focus, with Altos planning activations that will bring its new brand world to life through cultural experiences like sign‑painting demonstrations.

Croizat is particularly excited about tequila’s expansion beyond its traditional U.S. stronghold. “While the category has long been driven by American demand, Altos is now seeing tangible growth in diverse geographies including India and China. This global momentum reflects, to a degree, premiumization with innovations like cristalino and extra añejo,” he said.

However, the new-look Altos is more about accessibility and Mexico’s cultural appeal, which he describes as a “movement of pride.” While the liquid inside remains unchanged—and, he maintains, “one of the best in its class”—the refreshed identity better reflects the brand’s Mexican roots. For Croizat, this is about elevating the look of Altos to the level of its liquid while bringing the brand to the forefront of an ever-enlarging tequila market—with strong bartender buy-in.