Sauza Tequila
Sauza Tequila Import Company is a producer of tequila located in Tequila, a municipality of the state of Jalisco, Mexico. It was founded in 1873 when Don Cenobio Sauza started La Perseverancia distillery. Sauza Tequila Import Company is owned by Beam Suntory, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Their products include Sauza, Conmemorativo, Hornitos and Tres Generaciones. History. Three generations of Sauza Dons. Don Cenobio Sauza. In 1873 Don Cenobio Sauza founded Sauza at La Perseverancia distillery. He was the first distiller to call the spirit produced from blue agave plant "tequila" and the first to export the drink to  the United States. Don Eladio Sauza. His son, Don Eladio Sauza was born in Tequila in 1883. When he was old enough to continue the family tradition, he expanded the family business by opening branches in Monterrey and Mexico City and a concession in Spain. Don Francisco Javier Sauza. In 1931, Don Eladio Sauza's son, Don Francisco Javier Sauza took over the business and continued the family legacy by broadening distribution and its product's reputation as one of the highest-quality tequilas in the world. Ownership. By the 1970s, demand for tequila was increasing worldwide. Sauza distillery formed  a partnership with the leading Spanish brandy producer, Pedro Domecq. This relationship eventually led to Pedro Domecq's complete purchase of Sauza distillery in 1988. In the first of a series of beverage-giant transfers, in 1994 the new owner was itself acquired by Allied Lyons to form Allied Domecq. That company was purchased by Fortune Brands in July 2005, and then spun off with other drinks businesses as Beam Inc. in October 2011. In April 2014, Suntory bought Beam Inc. for about $16 billion, and renamed the unit Beam Suntory. Suntory Beverage & Food Ltd trades on the Tokyo  Stock Exchange (2587). Sauza tequila products are still distilled at La Perseverancia (NOM: 1102). Products. Conmemorativo. Sauza Conmemorativo – 100% agave (since 2012). Aged 18 months in oak Bourbon casks - long enough to be called añejo Awards. Sauza's offerings have been moderately successful at international spirit ratings competitions. The best showing was for the brand's Hacienda Reposado tequila, which won a gold rating at the 2006 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The Extra Gold tequila won bronze at the 2007 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and received a score of 81 from the Beverage Testing Institute in the same  year.