Altos and World’s 50 Best Bars pay tribute to industry’s best with unique tequila

To mark this special relationship, Altos is releasing a limited edition World’s 50 Best Bars tequila – a unique take on its super-premium tequila in a unique bottle to match. We spoke to Carlos Andrés Ramírez, Global Advocacy & PR Director for House of Tequila, to find out more about the harmony between Altos and bartenders, and the inspiration behind this new celebration.  

Altos has a celebrated long-term partnership with 50 best bars: how did that successful relationship help inspire the creation of this special edition?

We are proud to celebrate eight years of partnership as the exclusive Tequila category brand since the inception of the awards. The World’s 50 Best Bars is a leading platform and the most widely recognized bar and bartender list, with reach growing by over 111%, engaging with over two billion people, including consumers beyond the trade industry. 

Each year, we have celebrated not only with the best bars in the world, but also with their staff, and the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award which recognizes the best bartenders in the world, the only category voted for by their peers. We have now realized that it is time to commemorate this unique moment with all of them – by sharing a special liquid from our private reposado tequila barrels.

For bartenders, Altos represents a much sought after balance of high quality tequila that is also perfect for mixing in cocktails:  how does the limited edition build upon and celebrate that special symbiosis with bartenders?

Let’s remember that Altos is a brand created by bartenders for bartenders from the very beginning. Its flavor profile was intentionally developed to be a versatile liquid, perfect for enjoying neat but also in any type of crafted cocktail. 

This limited edition stays true to the Altos style and profile, and is part of a barrel reserve at our distillery, where our Master Blender experiments with different types of barrels and aging to produce our reposados and añejos Tequilas. 

Altos also comes with craft credentials and premium appeal that it must live up to of course: in what ways does the special edition maintain those high standards?

The key distinction is that this blend contains Altos aged in ex Cabernet Sauvignon oak barrels from one of the most prestigious wineries in Baja California, Mexico. 

It still maintains the same soft, elegant, and premium quality we love in regular Altos, along with its iconic highland tequila profile, but now with added aromas from these barrels, such as currant, blackberries, cinnamon, and Christmas spices. It’s perfect for savoring neat or with ice, and it also works beautifully in cocktails like a Tequila Old Fashioned.

Could you give us a sneak peak of the role the limited edition will play at the World’s 50 Best Bars ceremony in Madrid? What can we look forward to there? 

Certainly, each bar on the top 50 list will receive a personalized bottle, and we will also set up a special area for all attendees to savor this exceptional liquid in exquisite tasting glasses just for this memorable night.

This is likely to become a collector’s item of course: for those anxious to get their hands on the limited edition, can you give us the details of where it will be available, when, and importantly, how many?

For now, we have exclusively released 1,300 bottles for the top 50 bars, event attendees, and select members of the media. Currently, there are no plans to make this a regular product offering. However, a similar blend (though not identical) is available as an exclusive edition for visitors to our stunning casa in Arandas, Mexico.

Reflecting upon the project in general, has it given the team inspiration for future collaborations or any learnings in general? 

Absolutely, we have numerous ideas in mind. While collaboration across internal areas is key, we’re particularly excited about exploring future partnerships to honor industry icons and experimenting with new barrels that provide distinct and innovative profiles. 

By staying true to our provenance story, we focus on creating offerings that not only resonate with bartenders but also captivate consumers.