A New Tequila's Tropical Roots
From harvesting blue Weber agave to tasting the finished spirit, Real Del Valle’s process reflects the traditions and terroir of Guanajuato.
(Photo courtesy Real Del Valle.)
When it comes to dreaming up island-style cocktails, most bartenders reach for rum. But there’s a fast-growing tequila on the market with a surprising Hawai‘i connection. Real Del Valle, with sales topping over one million bottles last year, is backed by a group of local O‘ahu investors.
“We’re all friends and that’s the beauty of it,” says business executive Rich Eriksson, who rounded up 18 acquaintances with O‘ahu ties to go in on a pitch: a wallet-friendly tequila made from blue weber agave grown by a collective of farming families in Guanajuato and overseen by the team that built Fireball and Jaegermeister.
“The only investment they had was truly from this Hawai‘i group. We funded the company for about two years. It took off and now it’s the fastest growing tequila in America.”
What also sets Real Del Valle apart is its relationship with the agaveros who grow its blue Weber agave. Rather than simply supplying the brand, the farming families are co-owners, sharing directly in its success. The collective has been cultivating agave in Guanajuato for more than 25 years, with some families carrying on the tradition for five generations. The brand says the region’s growing conditions and farming practices produce agave that is both sustainably cultivated and exceptionally high quality, giving Real Del Valle a connection to the land — and the people who work it — that goes well beyond what’s in the bottle.
Ed Sultan, of Na Hoku jewelers and part of the investment cohort, wryly jokes about the somewhat improbable success of Real Del Valle, given that the white-hot tequila market is flooded with brands right now. “What smart businessman would create a new tequila with 4,000 tequilas on the market?”
But for star mixologist Jen Ackrill, formerly of Sky Waikiki and now representative for the brand, Real Del Valle’s success lies in its quality.
“We’re additive free — that’s a big thing right now,” she says. The clean profile makes it an easy sell as health-conscious consumers look for bottles with streamlined ingredients. “We are so additive free that our reposados can vary in color. It’s the flavor that the distiller wants when it comes out of the barrel, but we don’t add any kind of caramel coloring to it.”
The other big selling point for the tequila is the price tag. The tequila is positioned as a well drink — that’s industry-speak for the bottle a bartender will reach for when no name brand is requested. “A lot of those more affordable well or first core options aren’t really the best tasting,” says Ackrill, who doesn’t shy away from putting the Real Del Valle tequila to the test. “When we do a side by side with it, we just blow them out of the water.”
Up next for Real del Valle? In the short term: an añejo bottling is coming on the market this summer (likely in Hawai‘i by winter). And if past performance is indicative of future returns, expect this investment group to be celebrating this new addition with many margaritas.
Want to try your hand at making a Real Del Valle cocktail? Ackrill recommends these two recipes:
REAL DEL VALLE MARGARITA
Serves 1
The crisp and clean blanco bottling needs only a minimal amount of fussing for the perfect margarita. “When you’re starting with a delicious product to begin with, you’re just accentuating it with other flavors,” say Ackrill, noting the clean profile of the blanco and reposado lend themselves especially well with mixed
drinks. “You’re not hiding anything— you’re letting the agave shine through.”
• 2 ounces Real Del Valle Blanco Tequila
• 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
• 1/2 ounce light agave syrup
Glassware: Rocks glass Garnish: Grapefruit peel
Combine all the ingredients in a mixing tin. Add ice and give a quick shake. Empty the tin into a rocks glass. Garnish with a grapefruit peel.
REAL DEL VALLE REPOSADO OLD FASHIONED
Serves 1
This twist on the classic Old Fashioned, swapping tequila for whiskey, highlights the vanilla notes in the lightly aged reposado. Chocolate bitters and an orange twist make the perfect complement.
• 2 ounces Real Del Valle Reposado
• 1/4 ounce light agave syrup
• 3 dashes chocolate bitters
Glassware: Old Fashioned or rocks glass Garnish: orange peel
Combine all the ingredients in a mixing glass. Add ice and stir for 8 to 10 seconds. Strain over fresh ice into an old fashioned or rocks glass. Garnish with an orange peel.
Real del Valle investors Serge Krivatsi, Max Clini, Ed Sultan, Gary Hogan and Mike Niethammer; mixologist and RDV brand ambassador Jen Ackrill; and investors Jon Whittington and Rich Erickson.
(Photo by Paul Strouse.)