BY BEN BEDDOW
Aron Marquez (a Mexican entrepreneur) and Abraham Ancer (a Mexican professional golfer) met at a PGA TOUR ProAm event. They struck up a friendship and then solidified that friendship over another round of golf a few months later. Golf and tequila were at the heart of their conversations and they decided that together—as Aron put it—they “wanted to make a tequila authentic to what we drank in Mexico.” There was no rush. The flavor profile was the most important part for both of them and it took a couple of years to get the taste right.
Aron describes their motives as, “Both of us are Mexican, tequila is a part of our culture. We were taken aback by the quality of tequilas being launched that weren’t authentic to Mexico.” Both Aron and Abraham were born in Mexico and raised in the United States. According to Aron, their goal was to create a tequila that was a spirit authentic to Mexico, but with packaging that had a North American appeal.
“Tequila is elegant. Something you sip. And we wanted to create something great.” -Aron Marquez
One of the other aims that Aron strives for is to get away from the stigma that tequila was something you drink from the well in a mixed drink. Aron’s grandfather was the lead singer of a mariachi band and he always carried a flask of añejo tequila with him. He said it helped him keep his singing voice!
Aron and Abraham set about creating an ultra-premium tequila of exceptional quality. “Good tequila starts from the harvest,” explained Aron. The agaves used for Flecha Azul Tequila are grown patiently for seven years in the heart of Tequila, Jalisco. After harvesting, the cogolla, where the bitter taste in many tequilas comes from, is removed and the focus is set on making a great blanco. “Blanco tequila is the base,” explained Aron, “then it’s just the aging process.”
At the beginning of the year, celebrity and entrepreneur Mark Wahlberg announced that he had “cut a big check” to support what he called “two hardworking, talented guys” in their venture to produce an exceptional tequila.
Mark started drinking tequila after someone told him that switching from wine to tequila meant that he wouldn’t have to train as hard since there are fewer calories and a lower fluid intake. “That’s when I started drinking tequila” he said. “It’s funny, because when I started sampling what was out there and I tried Flecha, I could tell the difference between really good tequila and stuff that was curated by somebody else who might not have the same level of experience.”
Mark saw many celebrities claiming to have gone to Mexico and created Tequila and cultivated agave, but he didn’t want to follow them. After meeting and connecting with Abraham and Aron on a personal level, and seeing many similarities between his drive and theirs, he says “I wanted to invest in them, because I saw the potential to make Flecha Azul number one.”
“Abraham and I thought we were going to be a small brand—we never dreamed of going global” says Aron. He adds, “The reposado is my favorite. It’s incredibly smooth—amazing for sipping. I also enjoy it in a margarita with a tajín rim. Abraham likes our blanco and añejo”.
