Our Story
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Our Production Team.
David Rodriguez
MASTER DISTILLER
The first employee hired at the Hacienda facility, David now leads the entire Patrón Spirits Mexico team, including distillery operations and logistics offices in Guadalajara.
He has degrees in both biology and business, and more than 25 years of experience in the tequila industry. He previously worked at the CRT (Consejo Regulador del Tequila or Tequila Regulatory Council), where he developed many of the tequila verification procedures now in place.
In 2020, he succeeded his longtime mentor Francisco Alcaraz as Master Distiller upon Francisco’s retirement.
Jose Francisco Alcaraz Esparza
OUR FOUNDING MASTER DISTILLER
1946 — 2021
The man responsible for our distinctive taste and enduring quality is Francisco Alcaraz. Known as “Ingeniero” Alcaraz, he served as our master distiller for 31 years, from the time the company was founded until his retirement in 2020.
After earning his master’s degree in chemical engineering from State University of Guadalajara, Alcaraz joined the first group of Tequila Inspectors for Mexico’s Commerce Department. He was eventually recruited to work at El Viejito distillery in Atotonilco by one of his professors whose family owned the distillery. El Viejito, now Casa Patrón, is the oldest distillery in Atotonilco, founded in 1937. Francisco would eventually come to run this facility in the 1970s, before embarking on his own as a consultant and advisor to the industry in the 80s.
A born innovator, he perfected every step of our house style — from baking times to the combination of two milling processes to the size and shape of our stills — through meticulous experimentation. Having served more than 50 years in the tequila industry, he was one of the longest-serving and most beloved master distillers in the industry.
Francisco’s ingenuity helped change people’s perception of tequila, and influenced countless brands that have been introduced since. His legacy will live on forever in the hearts of the thousands of Patrón primos he worked with, the countless customers and consumers he met around the world, and in the iconic brand he helped to build.
Familia Patrón
We’ve grown from 32 employees at our birth to 1,600 employees in Mexico, including over 200 engineers, biologists, and scientists. We’re the biggest employer in Atotonilco, and the largest employer of any distillery in Mexico. The Hacienda staff are our family; each individual takes immense pride in their work.
Patrón Pushing the Tequila Industry Forward
While the mixtos that flooded the market in the 70s and 80s are still around today, 100% agave tequilas have grown steadily in popularity, and have surpassed tequilas with other sugars added. Patrón has been a leader in increasing tequila’s popularity.
- In the mid-2000s, Patrón proved there was a market for small batch, ultra-premium tequila.
- In 2005, Patrón products were 26% of overall 100% agave exports to the US.
- By 2008 that figure increased to more than 44% and in response, the market continued to grow.
- By 2015, we had nearly quadrupled our sales and maintained a respectable 25% of overall sales — a big slice of a pie that keeps growing.
- In particular, we dominate the luxury tequila market. We’ve held steady at around 75% of sales for 750 ml tequilas over $40.
The big takeaway from all these numbers? We’ve proven there’s a taste for an authentic product that just tastes better. We’ve helped shift the perception of tequila and built a taste for quality.
This video is part of,“From Field to Glass,” a collaborative series from Vinepair and Patrón highlighting the importance of naturally perfect and authentic tequila.
In this episode, Adam and Joanna from Vinepair get to know some of the dedicated people behind every bottle of PATRÓN tequila. They sit down with Master Distiller David Santos Rodríguez to talk about his 19 years with PATRÓN; Production Coordinator Luis Hernandez about the dedication of PATRÓN employees; and mother-daughter team Mary Villa, Hacienda Hospitality Administrator, and Karla Ruelas, Hacienda Hospitality Host, about the value of being a part of the PATRÓN family.