Growing up in Arandas, a small city in Los Altos of Jalisco, José Manuel Vivanco Hernández learned from an early age to honor the culture of his land and the traditions of his ancestors. With several generations of agave growers in his bloodline, his grandfather, Feliciano Vivanco, founded Casa Tequilera Viva México, a brand recognized for its handmade, fine tequila. However, Jose Manuel's interests extended well beyond the distillery into the adjacent ranch.

Sipping a good tequila after family meals became the new — and favorite — family tradition. Brothers-in-law Andres Siefken and Tracy Olson discovered that they shared a common passion: tasting a good tequila. They soon embarked on the path of finding their favorite ones. They gave bottles to each other, celebrated special occasions with a good sip, and expressed their impressions of flavors and aromas. It didn’t take long until they started converting their friends from Scotch, Rum, or Wine to lovers of the celebrated agave juice. Between sips of Añejos and Resposados, Andres and Tracy began to dream of transforming their love of tequila into a business that could help them spread the word of what they were so passionate about.