Casa Rayos Tequila is handcrafted in the heartlands of Jalisco, made from 100% agave in partnership with BrewDog Distilling Co., and the Orendain family, the third oldest tequila distilling family in the town of the Tequila, Mexico.
BrewDog Distilling Co’s new CEO, Martin Dickie (co-founder of BrewDog) and MD, Steven Kersley worked closely with the Orendain family to create a flavourful Blanco tequila, a blend of over 12 varieties from both copper pot and stainless steel distillations. Casa Rayos is loaded with lime and orange citrus zest, underpinned by spicy cracked black pepper, pink peppercorn, and an earthy component typical of the region in which the agave has been grown. Delicately smooth and coating the palate, this is a tequila that can be sipped or can transform a standard Margarita and Paloma into something special.
The name is born from the ‘lucky strike’, a Mexican myth that dictates a lightning bolt once hit an agave plant and fermented the juices inside. As time passed by, tequila was born and techniques for making 100% agave spirits evolved.
The sleek bottle design pays homage to the agave plant, with its defined leaves adorning the azure tinted bottle.
Kersley addresses why Scottish craft spirits producers, BrewDog Distilling Co., are entering into tequila territory: “We’ve long looked on with jealousy at the burgeoning tequila category, and with growing frustration, because we couldn’t participate by creating some agave magic at our distillery in Scotland. With a clear vision of the style of tequila we wanted to create we didn’t want to wait any longer so set off to find the spirit we wanted to bottle. The partnership with Orendain made this possible. They distil some of the best tequila in Mexico and it was a dream for us to collaborate on creating this one of a kind tequila, Casa Rayos.”
A spokesperson from the Orendain family commented on the value of working together with the BrewDog Distilling Co. team: “When we were approached by the team at BrewDog Distilling Company to help them craft their own tequila, we were seriously impressed by their passion for the product, history of tequila and the category. It was apparent from day one that they take what they do very seriously which struck a chord with us, because we do too. We worked closely with Martin and Steven to develop a unique blanco-style tequila using 100% Blue Weber agave. We went through over 40 different tequilas before we agreed on a final product.”
Next steps for Casa Rayos are to reach as many tequila lovers as possible focusing on the on-trade with newly appointed distributors Oak & Still in the UK, then looking to explore a Reposado and Añejo. As whisky distillers BrewDog Distilling Co., is well positioned to understand the influence of different cask ageing on the liquid, confident that the next expressions will be highly original and stand out in this growing category.
Casa Rayos tequila is priced at a RRP £40 and available to purchase from BrewDog Bars in the UK and www.brewdog.com/uk/casa-rayos-tequila on 15th February 2024.
