The Story Behind PATRÓN® Tequila’s Iconic Bottle

Jul 18, 2023

This article is part of a series highlighting the importance of authentic tequila, partnered by PATRÓN. Discover more at The World of PATRÓN.

The next time you reach for a bottle of PATRÓN®, consider the vessel that the 100 percent naturally perfect tequila comes in: exquisite and iconic. Like the spirit itself, the bottle was created with eye-catching shelf appeal in mind, and it evokes a sense of timeless class and refinement.

Each simply perfect bottle of PATRÓN relies on the distillers and industry pioneers coming together every day to create an instantly recognizable vessel that both discerning tequila enthusiasts and casual cocktail enjoyers alike have come to rely on.

But what happens behind the scenes? What decisions have been made before that iconic bottle hits the shelf? Much like the process of distilling PATRÓN Tequila itself, the story behind the bottle is rooted in the brand's key pillars of tradition, innovation, and sustainability, with its unique design and sustainable materials.

The PATRÓN glass bottle is created with you in mind. It is eye-catching and evokes the highlands of Jalisco where PATRÓN Tequila is made. The shape is both timeless and unique and has become a symbol of masterful quality, just like the tequila within. When you grab a bottle of PATRÓN, it feels refined — and for good reason.

Each bottle is like a work of art, and certainly something that wouldn't be out of place on a display shelf or inside a glass case. It's meant to last long after the spirit inside has been enjoyed. Reusing and repurposing them is a great way to appreciate the work that goes into making the tequila and continue the cycle of sustainability.

And while PATRÓN continues to grow rapidly in scale and popularity, the brand hasn't adopted methods that cut corners or sacrifice quality – certainly not in the fermenting and distilling of the tequila, where ripe agave is roasted slowly in the same small-batch ovens as when the company began. The bottles are hand-numbered, and real people, not a machine, place each label and signature green ribbon on the bottle. Each bottle is then inspected in a total of 14 different steps to ensure it's up to the brand's standards.

To top off the iconic PATRÓN glass bottle is the signature cork. The corks used are made in Portugal, where most of the finest cork is harvested.

Though synthetic corks are faster and easier to produce, they wouldn't be in line with the rest of the PATRÓN bottle design or simply perfect PATRÓN Tequila. Instead, the brand honors the artisanal process from agave field to bottle, cork included.

The sustainable practice of harvesting the cork is much greener than producing a synthetic product. Cork trees can be harvested for their bark once every nine years, and this practice does not damage the tree in any way. On the contrary, the harvesting process peels the bark off the outermost parts of the tree and leaves the rest intact so it can continue to grow. Harvesting the trees is staggered so that workers can continue to collect cork bark and leave already-harvested trees alone.

The cork used for PATRÓN bottles is harvested near Lisbon, Portugal where workers use large axes to skillfully cut cork bark, a process that requires deftness, much like when jimadors wield coas to expertly harvest agave hearts. The cork then gets humidified and washed into workable pieces before being cut and refined by a saw.

This painstaking process honors the care put into every aspect of PATRÓN Tequila. From the slow roasting of the agave to the 14-step inspection of the glass bottle to the saw refining the cork several times, each bottle of PATRÓN Tequila only leaves the distillery at Hacienda PATRÓN once it's been deemed up to PATRÓN standards: simply perfect.

The reason for this high standard is that behind the bottle are the people — the familia.

Tequila is, historically, a handcrafted spirit, and PATRÓN is committed to continuing this tradition by conserving the connection each artisan has to their craft. This dedication and focus on the people are part of what makes the brand one of the most recognized spirits brands in the world.

There are over 2,000 employees at Hacienda PATRÓN. Each person involved in the production process makes up the core of the company, and taking care of them makes it possible to continue to prioritize bold innovations while keeping the time-honored tradition of PATRÓN Tequila centerfold.

From harvesting only the finest 100 percent Weber Blue Agave to hand-numbering and labeling each PATRÓN Tequila bottle before it leaves the distillery, the PATRÓN Familia are the pulse of PATRÓN.

The bottle itself and everything that goes into the harvesting of the tequila inside is a true testament to PATRÓN Tequila's dedication to perfection.

This article is sponsored by PATRÓN.

Published: January 20, 2023