Industry veterans Dave Schmier and Paul Hletko have announced the acquisition of Goza Tequila.
Schmier, who co-founded and sold Redemption Rye, is now behind Proof and Wood, which specializes in single barrel offerings. Hletko is the founder, distiller and president of craft distilling pioneer Few Spirits.
Goza was originally founded in 2015. The acquisition by Schmier and Hletko brings new investment and resources to the brand.
“We are thrilled to join forces with Goza Tequila,” says Schmier. “The brand has a strong reputation for quality, and we believe that with our combined expertise and resources, we can re-energize the brand and find a place for Goza in the crowded-but-growing tequila universe. It’s exciting to work with a well-distilled, quality agave spirit, applying our barrel management skills to bottle some exceptional tequila.”
Hletko and Schmier will invest in a new family-owned distillery in the Jalisco highland, where Hletko is working with the distiller to use the cover crop corn to distill Mexican corn whiskey.
“What’s most exciting is the first thing we did, which is to fill our own barrels with fresh blanco Tequila, and our first batch of reposado is now ready for release,” Hletko says. “The tequila category is growing, and we believe that Goza is well-positioned to capitalize on this trend. We look forward to working with the team to continue to innovate and bring new, exciting products to market.”
Goza Tequila will continue production in Jalisco, Mexico, using blue agave and traditional distillation methods. The brand’s portfolio includes a range of expressions: blanco (SRP: $38), reposado ($40) and añejo ($50).
Hletko and Schmier selected some of their favorite barrels and bottled them individually. The limited selection of Anejo Single Barrels is bottled as Founder’s Reserve, and the Reposado as Special Reserve. Each bottle will indicate the date of barreling and bottling. These are available now in select states at a suggested retail price of $59.99 and $69.99, respectively.
