The Californian - April
2010
Some wines have seen
sales rise in
the recession. But it's been a harder sell for distilled spirits, said
Joaquin Robles, owner of Salinas-based Tequila Don Elias.
Until now, at least. Robles got a boost in March when two of his four
tequila varieties won prizes in the San Francisco
World Spirits Competition. The company's Silver variety, which retails
for under $40, won a gold medal. And Extra Anejo, which retails in the
high-$90s, took bronze. Both varieties are sold in the standard 750
mililiter bottles. Distillers from 57 countries competed in various
categories.
"I've been getting a lot
of phone calls from bigger sellers," said Robles, 39.
Besides Silver and Extra Anejo, the company sells Reposado and 1-year
aged Anejo. In Mexico, the tequilas are sold under the Con Alma de
Mujer brand and the Silver variety is labeled Blanco.
Tequila Don Elias is named for Robles' late father. The family has been
in the tequila business since Robles' grandfather ran a pair of
factories in Zacatecas, Mexico, about 50 years ago.
Today, the tequila is bottled and aged in El Arenal, Jalisco, Mexico.
Locally his Happy Boy Distributor ships to five Central California
counties out of the company's Firestone Business Park facility. He has
one full-time and two part-time employees here.
Robles, who's lived in Salinas for about 20 years while continuing to
do business in Mexico, has only been selling tequila in California
since September. He also runs Robles Trucking Quality Service.
"Sales were flat," he said. "That's why we decided to do better quality
and bring it over here. Unfortunately in Mexico we're competing against
80 factories. Everybody wants to be in this market. And I live here."
Extra Anejo is the highest-priced of the tequilas because it's aged
three years in oak barrels. Tequila is distilled from the blue agave
cactus in Mexico.
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