Mandala Tequila - Humberto and Craig

Today’s guests are Humberto Ibarra and Craig Cartozian, co-founders of Mandala Tequila. If it feels like tequila is in a golden age right now, you’re not imagining things. Between the plethora of tequila varieties, celebrity-owned companies, and competition from its cousin mezcal, walking down the tequila aisle of a liquor store is sure to present you with any number of options. So if you’re a tequila company, how do you stand out? First, you need a good product. That should go without saying. Then, you need an eye-catching vessel. If you’re at a store that sells Mandala, it’s unlikely that you’ll miss them. They’ve got the most ornate ceramic bottles you’ve ever seen, decorated by hand and featuring designs that celebrate Mexican folklore and culture. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that what’s inside the bottle is also just as memorable. Mandala’s journey hasn’t all been sun-kissed though, as they very nearly failed to find a foothold in the crowded tequila market.

Listen in as we cover everything from how they created their own niche by going against conventional wisdom in releasing their extra añejo first, the initial challenges of convincing restaurants to stock their product, and why there’s no shortcut to success in the tequila market…unless you happen to be The Rock.