Guy Fieri of Santo Tequila
An in the Mix Promotional Interview
October 20, 2022
Guy Fieri & Sammy Hagar — Founders of Santo Tequila
Left to Right: Santo Tequila Blanco, Reposado and Mezquila
Guy Fieri
Co-Founder, Santo Spirits
New York Times Best Selling author
Emmy Award-winning TV host
in the Mix: Tell us a little about Santo tequila. What makes it special? Why should people choose it over others?
Guy Fieri: To Sammy and me, Santo is about quality over anything else. Our tequila is real deal, additive free and made the way it’s meant to be. Sammy is one of the pioneers of the 100% blue agave tequila movement and we don’t waver from his initial idea…make the highest quality product that shows the best possible expression of agave and nothing else.
itM: How did you get involved with Santo tequila?
GF: Sammy and I have been friends for many years, and he’s been an incredible buddy and mentor. Of course, his music was the soundtrack to my formative years but also, being a big tequila drinker myself, his history in defining the super-premium tequila category always intrigued me. We talked about working together on a new product for many years until finally, Santo was born, and I was able to join forces with Sammy and his vision.
itM: Tell us a little about the Santo portfolio of products.
GF: Santo’s product line features five unique products from our first-of-its-kind Mezquila (tequila and mezcal blend) to our blanco and its aged expressions. Our mezquila is a lightly smoky blanco with just enough mezcal to give it that great smoky character but without being overwhelming. We offer our blanco in its regular form as well as a higher 110 proof for the connoisseur who wants the most pure agave flavor available. Our reposado is aged four to five months in American Oak bourbon barrels that give you some of that aged characteristic without going too far to where you lose that true agave flavor. Take a look at the lighter hue of our reposado and you’ll see where we differ from others…no added coloring or flavors…all agave, all the time. And from there we move to our añejo where again, we are paying strict attention to the barrel time as we don’t want to lose all of that great agave flavor by over-oaking it. Sammy and I are tasting it every few weeks right now to find that perfect moment to pull it and get it to market.
Santo Tequila Reposado
Santo Tequila Reposado
itM: Favorite ways to drink Santo.
GF: When it comes to drinking tequila, I like to drink it straight, maybe with a little bit of ice. I love to be able to taste the nuances of each product and the more I drink, the more I discover. But don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with my tried and true Caliente Margarita that can be enjoyed with any one of products, each giving the cocktail a different profile.
itM: How do you see Santo fitting into the on-premise?
GF: These days, people are drinking a little bit less, but they are also drinking a little bit better. Santo fits that bill and we’re proud to offer products that bartenders can feel good about pouring and enjoy educating their customers about what pure, clean tequila tastes like. Put our reposado next to some of the big brands out there and the juice will do the talking. Our Mezquila is a particularly cool product for on-premise in that it’s a perfect cocktail base. Mezcal cocktails are loved all around the country, but you’ll often see that the Mezcal is mixed with tequila or other spirit…we’ve done that work for you and achieved just the right balance straight from the bottle.
itM: Anything new on the horizon for Santo?
GF: The añejo is just about ready to rock and we really feel we’ve hit the sweet spot…aged but still full, smooth agave flavor, not just a big oak bomb. So, you’ll see that in the earlier part of 2023. I can’t tell you too much more than that, but I’ll tell you me and the Red Rocker are known to keep things interesting so keep your eyes and ears peeled for a few more 2023 surprises.
First-of-its-kind Mezquila (tequila and mezcal blend)
Reach out to Marilyn Vogel directly for national accounts on-premise needs:
Marilyn Vogel, CS
Founder and Chief Execution Officer
Vintners Collections & Consulting by Marilyn Vogel, LLC
8431 Via Bella Notte, Orlando, FL 32836
Mobile: 407-257-5407
