How PATRÓN® Tequila is Looking Out for Our Future

There are a lot of ways to define a tequila as the best on the market. For PATRÓN®, the final product — a smooth and complex spirit renowned for its taste and versatility — is just one aspect of what makes it so distinct. During the entire production process, PATRÓN dedicates itself to the well-being of the people who work at Hacienda PATRÓN, and that commitment extends to the tequila’s impact on our planet, too.

The throughline in every step of PATRÓN’s tequila-making is social responsibility. Above all else, the brand recognizes that the people who help make the tequila, and those who enjoy it later on, are all part of one big familia. In order to protect the planet for future generations and minimize environmental impacts today, PATRÓN has implemented several green initiatives in the brand’s tequila-making process.

Preserving Both the Land and the Community

PATRÓN sustainability

Rather than simply focusing on the production, PATRÓN implements its high standards beyond the distillery, focusing on the landscape surrounding Hacienda PATRÓN as well.

Recently, as a constantly evolving brand, PATRÓN needed to make room to physically expand its operations on-site at Hacienda PATRÓN. While most other companies would have simply cleared the land by any means necessary, the brand saw the value in the lime trees that had been growing there for years. So instead of chopping them down, the brand transplanted them all — more than 3,000. Additionally, PATRÓN has reforested and donated approximately 16,000 trees to the brand’s local community of Atotonilco El Alto, Jalisco. Every action PATRÓN takes is thoughtful and proactive, prioritizing the integrity of the land and, by extension, the community that relies on it.

Without agave, there wouldn’t be tequila. To ensure PATRÓN’s tequila production can remain sustainable, the Jimadores, or agave farmers, only select the highest quality, fully mature Blue Weber Agave for harvest. It takes seven years for a single agave to reach maturation for harvest, meaning Jimadores must carefully plan their harvests years in advance. By paying meticulous attention to the natural life cycle of the agave, the Jimadors are able to prevent overharvesting and reactionary overplanting. This expert focus on sustainable farming minimizes the farms’ impacts on the local ecosystem. Maintaining this balance on the area’s agave farms allows the plants to complete their natural reproduction cycle, leading to better agaves and superior tequila.

Combatting Scarcity, Reducing Waste

Superb tequila like PATRÓN can’t be made without high-quality water, which is an increasingly scarce resource. To combat both water scarcity and reduce waste, PATRÓN developed a state-of-the-art water treatment system. When making tequila, large amounts of water are mixed with crushed Blue Weber Agave — the plant which supplies the sugars necessary for fermentation into alcohol. After fermenting this water and agave nectar mixture, the liquid is distilled into tequila through evaporation. There’s often liquid left over, which is called “stillage”.

Instead of throwing this mixture away, which still contains fresh water, PATRÓN runs it through the distillery’s water treatment system. The stillage undergoes a reverse osmosis process which separates up to 70% of the water from the stillage. PATRÓN is then able to use this recovered water in the distillery’s cooling towers and for cleaning.

PATRÓN was the first tequila distillery to implement a clean water waste reduction system, demonstrating the brand’s initiative and commitment to familia. In fact, PATRÓN’s efforts to reduce freshwater waste and environmental impacts on the surrounding community earned the brand a Clean Industry Certification and internationally recognized International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 Certification for sustainability. The process for obtaining these certificates can be long and arduous and often involves implementing rigorous systems and passing an official audit from the institutions that confer these designations, including ISO.

Repurpose, Reuse, Recycle

In order to reduce waste even further in the tequila-making process, PATRÓN repurposes the agaves that are used to make tequila. The distillery is able to recycle the spent agave fibers from the distillation process by turning them into compost. The agave fibers are reserved and mixed with concentrated stillage leftover from the distillation process. With proper maintenance, PATRÓN is able to convert this mixture into a nutrient-rich compost. To make as big an impact as possible in reducing waste, PATRÓN has established partnerships with 10 nearby distilleries that donate their spent agave fibers to be turned into compost as well.

PATRÓN then applies the compost to vegetable gardens on-site at Hacienda PATRÓN. The added nutrients created from what would have otherwise been thrown out form a rich and fertile substrate for produce to grow in. Once harvested, the brand uses this food to prepare meals for guests at its on-site casona. And, in the true spirit of familia, PATRÓN also donates a considerable amount of this locally grown, sustainable produce to its employees to take home to their families.

From before the start of the tequila-making process to long after it’s finished, PATRÓN has the planet and its people in mind. It hasn’t been easy, but PATRÓN has never been interested in taking the easy route and instead is only interested in doing right by people and making the best tequila possible.

To do both, the brand has implemented resource preservation, waste reduction, and strategic recycling practices into its operation to preserve the environment for generations to come. These green initiatives enable PATRÓN to take meaningful steps to reduce its impact on the planet’s resources while maximizing its positive impacts on the Jimadores who grow the agave, the familia who distills the tequila, and everyone who enjoys the taste of PATRÓN.

This article is sponsored by PATRÓN.