Jose Cuervo is a Mexican brand of tequila manufactured by the family of founder José Antonio de Cuervo and distributed by Proximo Spirits. For many years, it has been the best-selling tequila brand in the world.Dana Cimilluca, Paul Sonne and Simon Zekaria, "Diageo Ends Its Attempt to Buy Jose Cuervo Tequila," Wall Street Journal, December 11, 2012.
As of 2024, Jose Cuervo sells 8.9 million cases of tequila in the US, responsible for 1 out of every 5 cases in the tequila category. Jose Cuervo is family-owned and is run today by the Beckmann family, descendants of Don José Antonio de Cuervo. Juan-Domingo Beckmann is the sixth-generation leader of the company.William M. Dowd, "Getting beneath the Jose Cuervo story," Dowd's Spirits Notebook, November 9, 2008. In July 2013 the Beckmann family's Proximo Spirits took over distribution of Jose Cuervo from Diageo, following Diageo's failed attempt to buy the company.
The Jose Cuervo family of products that bear its name are: Jose Cuervo Tradicional;Jose Cuervo Especial and Jose Cuervo 250 Aniversario. There are also prepared cocktails namely: Jose Cuervo Margaritas and Jose Cuervo Sparkling Margaritas.
History
Early history In 1758, Don José Antonio de Cuervo was issued a land grant by King Ferdinand VI of Spain in the town of Tequila, Jalisco. Here his family founded the Taberna de Cuervo, the farm where they would cultivate and harvest the flowering blue agave plant, a water-retaining plant found in central Mexico that is fermented then distilled to create tequila.Michael Dietsch, "The Serious Eats Guide to Tequila," Serious Eats, April 19, 2012."Casa Cuervo: Timeless Tequila," Industry Today, Volume 6, Issue 2, 2003. The first Vino Mezcal de Tequila de Jose Cuervo was made in 1795,Jeffrey McCracken & Jacqueline Simmons, "Diageo Is Said to Be in Talks to Buy Jose Cuervo Tequila Brand From Family," Bloomberg Businessweek, May 25, 2011. after Don José Antonio de Cuervo's son José María Guadalupe de Cuervo was granted a permit from King Carlos IV of Spain to produce tequila commercially, following a time of prohibition under King Carlos III. This was the birth of the tequila industry.
By 1880, the Cuervo family had begun individually bottling tequila for commercial distribution."At Jose Cuervo, 254-year old tradition reigns," marketsmedia.com, April 27, 2012. Cuervo was the first distiller to bottle tequila, at a time when other distillers were still using barrels."Tequila's History: 20th & 21st Centuries," In Search of the Blue Agave, May 2011. Tequila was known as "mezcal de tequila" until 1893, when tequila makers and the Mexican government dropped "mezcal" from the name. Cuervo's first bottled tequila was sold in 1906.
Upon the death of Don Jesús, his wife, Ana González Rubio, inherited La Rojeña and in 1900 married José Cuervo Labastida, head of La Constancia. From then on, the brand became Jose Cuervo Tequila. After Ana Gonzélez Rubio's death in 1934, the estate was left to her niece Guadalupe Gallardo, who died in 1966 and left the estate to her sister, Virginia Gallardo. One of her sons, Juan Beckmann Gallardo, would manage the business. Part of Cuervo was owned by Distribuidora Bega, and, starting in 1979, the other part was owned by Grupo Cuervo, made up of Beckmann, his son Juan Beckmann Vidal, José Luis Campos, and Heublein Inc."Casa Cuervo, S.A. de C.V. History," Funding Universe. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
First Import to the U.S. 1852 marked the year when the first few bottles of Jose Cuervo were hauled across the U.S. border for the first time ever— a true testament to the tequila's rich history.
Recent history Cuervo began to dominate the tequila industry in the 1940s. Tequila first made significant inroads into the United States during the Prohibition era, when it was smuggled from Mexico into southwestern US states. Tequila made further advances in the US during World War II, when many US distilleries switched to war-related production and there were restrictions on European imports. Then, in the 1980s, more American tourists visited Mexico, discovering tequila. According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, the US demand for tequila has risen over the years, with 12 million cases shipped to the US in 2012, a 54% increase as compared to a decade earlier. The fastest-growing segment has been super-premium blue agave spirits.Eric Asimov, "Blanco Tequila: The Great Divide," New York Times, July 25, 2013.
In 1989, the Beckmann family sold 45% of Jose Cuervo to International Distillers and Vintners (IDV), a division of Grand Metropolitan PLC.Julia Preston, "Drinking Tequila but Thinking Cognac, Maybe?" The New York Times, January 4, 1996. In 1997, Grand Metropolitan merged with Guinness plc to become Diageo which would be Jose Cuervo's main distributor outside of Mexico until 2013.Nick Fletcher, "Diageo ends talks to take control of Jose Cuervo tequila business," The Guardian, December 11, 2012. Starting in 2011, Diageo, the world's largest liquor maker, was in talks to acquire Jose Cuervo from the Beckmann family for in excess of $3 billion.James Thompson, "Diageo calls time on Jose Cuervo talks," The Independent, December 11, 2012. After it was unable to acquire the brand, Diageo announced in December 2012 that it would end the US distribution deal.Becky Paskin, "Cuervo: Diageo Split Has Created Better Opportunity," The Spirits Business, November 21, 2013. In a deal first announced in March 2013, Proximo Spirits, a company owned by the Beckmann family, took over Jose Cuervo's distribution beginning in July 2013.
Proximo Spirits has, therefore, been responsible for all distribution of Jose Cuervo products for over 15 years.
La Rojeña distillery
Background Jose Cuervo is produced at the La Rojeña distillery in the state of Jalisco in Mexico. The distillery was officially founded in 1812. It is the oldest active distillery in Latin America."All Aboard the Jose Cuervo Express," Nearshore Americas, May 3, 2012. After Ana González Rubio married José Cuervo Labastida in 1900, he renamed the distillery La Rojeña, and was the first to call the tequila produced there Jose Cuervo. After the death of Don Vincente, Jesús Flores (owner of the distillery now known as La Constancia) took over management of La Rojeña. He was the first to package the tequila into damajuanas (rope-encased jugs), where previously they had been stored only in wooden barrels. The damajuanas were later replaced with individual bottles, making it easier to transport the tequila across the border to America. The company shipped its first export of three bottles across the border in 1852.
In order for a spirit to be called tequila, it must come from the blue agave plant, a species found only in Jalisco and four nearby regions in central Mexico. All Jose Cuervo tequila continues to be made in the town of Tequila in the state of Jalisco in Mexico. Jose Cuervo owns the largest holdings of agave in the world, located within the volcanic soil that is famously rich and fertile.
Distillation process The blue agave plant has spiked leaves and a round, fleshy core (the piña). The leaves are chopped off and the core is cooked and crushed to create juice, which is fermented and distilled to make tequila. The resulting unaged, clear tequila is then diluted with water to bring the alcohol content down to around 40%.Florence Fabricant, "Tequila, by the Snifter," New York Times, November 29, 2006. Pure tequila is distilled 100% from the sap of the blue agave plant, while mixto tequilas only need to be at least 51% blue agave in order to legally be called tequila. In 1964, tequila makers were allowed to obtain up to 30% of the sugars in tequila from sources other than the agave plant. During a blue agave shortage in the 1970s, Mexican regulations were further revised to require that tequila contain only 51.5% agave. Agave plants take 10 to 12 years to mature and become ripe, while sugarcane can be harvested every year, so blending the agave spirit with sugarcane spirit is a cheaper method, while using 100% blue agave plant is more expensive.David Kiley, "Tequila Rising," Bloomberg Businessweek, March 12, 2009.
The Cuervo Express The Jose Cuervo Express train was opened to visitors in February 2012 to help promote tourist development in the Jalisco area. The train travels 60 kilometers from Guadalajara to Tequila, taking two hours to journey through the agave fields and past volcanoes. Upon arrival in Tequila, guests are able to take a tour of the Jose Cuervo factory and La Rojeña distillery. According to Mundo Cuervo site, this is an authentic and relaxing experience. Travel in a comfortable carriage, enjoy a tasting of Jose Cuervo Tradicional, cocktails on board, and a guided tour of La Rojeña Distillery. Ideal for group or family outings.
The Cuervo Family Crest is a symbol of the brand's heritage with a crow ("Cuervo" translated in Spanish is "crow"), blue agave plant and the branding iron of the Hacienda Solar de las Animas, owned by Jose Cuervo.
Tequila types
Unaged Unaged or WhiteTequila is naturally clear after fermentation and distillation are complete. This type is called blanco, silver, plata ("white"). Aged After the fermentation and distillation processes, tequila can then be aged in oak barrels, giving it a golden to amber hue. There are three official variations of aged tequila: Reposado has a pale amber color, as it typically spends 2 to 12 months in oak barrels. Añejo has a darker gold color and more flavor contributions from the barrel; typically aged 1 to 3 years in oak barrels. Extra añejo, which has an even darker color and richer flavor, is 100% blue agave and aged more than three years. The occasionally smoky flavors of extra añejo tequilas have been compared to those typically found in brandy and scotch. The extra añejo designation for tequilas aged more than three years was approved by Mexico's National Committee on Standardization in 2006. In 2008, a new type of tequila was introduced called Cristalino, which is aged tequila that is then filtered to remove the color. This process results in a crystal-clear tequila that has the flavor and aroma of aged tequila. Cristalinos can be made by filtering reposado, Añejo, Extra Añejo or a blend of any of these aged tequilas.
Jose Cuervo tequilas
Especial Silver Especial Silver is an unaged white tequila made with blue agave that is double-distilled in a continuous column still. Its flavor profile is crisp, clean with subtle agave notes.
Especial Gold
Especial Gold is tequila made with blue ageve and is double-distilled in continuous column still. Its flavor profile is sweet, subtle agave, with hints of oak and vanila.
Tradicional Cuervo's Tradicional Tequila has been produced since 1795. Its varieties, Blanco, Reposado, Añejo and Cristalino are 100% agave tequilas. Tradicional Blanco is made with just three ingredients: agave, yeast, and water. Cuervo Tradicional Blanco does not use or contain additives. Tradicional Reposado is aged in new American oak barrels for 2 to 4 months. Tradicional Añejo is aged for 12-16 months and Tradicional Cristalino is aged for 4 months and then charcoal-filtered to arrive at its crystal-clear color while still boasting a sweet, soft flavor profile.Lara Eurdolian, "Jose Cuervo Launches Tradicional Silver Tequila," Pretty Connected, January 16, 2011.
Jose Cuervo 250 Aniversario
Jose Cuervo 250 Aniversario is a 100% blue agave extra-añejo tequila blended from tequilas held in the family's reserves. It is aged for at least 36 months in new American oak barrels.
Reserva de la Familia