Texas-Based mostly Socorro Pairs Tequila With Philanthropy

Peruse the cabinets at your native bar or liquor retailer, and it begins to really feel like each movie star has a spirits model to their identify. This pattern has been particularly prevalent in tequila, with labels tied to Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Michael Jordan and different mega stars — together with George Clooney, who famously bought his Casamigos model for a killing. So, it’s refreshing and nearly nostalgic when a tequila model launches with zero movie star pedigree, as a substitute counting on a love for the class and its conventional dwelling.

Socorro Tequila was based by Pablo Antinori and Josh Irving. The duo met in Dallas whereas working at Southern Glazer’s, the large beverage distribution firm. After promoting different peoples’ spirits for years, they determined to department out and kind their very own tequila model.

However first, they needed to discover the proper distillery accomplice, in order that they started touring to Jalisco, Mexico, to fulfill distillers and to pattern merchandise, visiting about two dozen services within the course of.

On these journeys, they acquired to know the individuals who labored on the distilleries and lived within the cities. They met kids who wanted meals and didn’t have entry to scrub water. And on a number of events, they had been invited into somebody’s dwelling for a meal and even provided a mattress for the evening. 

Irving was blown away by the hospitality. He tells InsideHook that, main up up to now, he wasn’t significantly philanthropic. However these experiences in Mexico kickstarted the founders’ purpose to affect the communities the place tequila is made.

“We simply checked out one another and thought, if we will’t assist them, then who’re we and what are we even doing?” says Irving.

Socorro interprets to “assist” or “help” in Spanish, which embodies the model’s core mission to provide again. By way of its Case for a Case program, Socorro donates a case of unpolluted water to orphanages and nursing houses in Jalisco for each case of tequila bought. 

The corporate formally launched in 2020, which was not the simplest yr to do a lot of something, not to mention begin a spirits model. However they pushed ahead, profitable over bar and liquor retailer homeowners over the previous three years with their story —and what’s within the bottle. As extra circumstances had been bought, extra water was donated. To this point, they’ve donated greater than 36,000 circumstances of water to individuals in want, often taking place to Jalisco to drop it off themselves.

“We put a variety of time, effort and vitality into what you’re consuming, however that is the perfect a part of what we do,” says Antinori in regards to the Case for a Case program. 

What you’re consuming is a lineup of three tequilas: blanco, reposado and añejo. Every begins with totally mature agave, which is cooked in conventional brick ovens earlier than fermenting for no less than 96 hours. The blanco has notes of cooked agave, candy vanilla, citrus and tropical fruits. The reposado is aged for about 4 months and brings delicate oak to the social gathering, with caramel and vanilla. The añejo matures for about 14 months and presents extra oak, plus toffee, baking spices and cocoa.

Many aged tequilas are matured in used bourbon barrels or different used American whiskey casks. Socorro initially tried this route, placing tequila into bourbon barrels, however they didn’t just like the outcomes, discovering the oak too spicy and noting that it overpowered the agave. Antinori explains that since used bourbon barrels are sometimes shipped en masse, the Socorro workforce couldn’t management the char ranges throughout barrels, which impacted consistency. In order that they selected to age their reposado and añejo expressions in new American oak barrels, frivolously toasted to their precise specs. 

“It’s not low cost, nevertheless it’s price it,” says Antinori, noting that sourcing new barrels is about twice the price of shopping for used barrels. “We have now to be ok with the product we’re promoting.”

Wish to strive it your self? You could find Socorro throughout Texas, at liquor shops from Amarillo to Corpus Christi, and at bars and eating places from Dallas to Houston to San Antonio.