About Padre Azul
Padre Azul is an independent, founder-owned ultra-premium tequila brand from Austria and Mexico that makes 100% Blue Weber Agave tequila for people who buy a bottle to mark a moment, not to mix a cheap shot.
We were born in 2014 out of a real love story: an Austrian man, a Mexican woman, and a father-in-law who poured the first real tequila either of them had ever tasted. Ten years later we are sold in around 40 countries, still independent, still made by hand in the same valley in Jalisco. We don’t sell alcohol. We sell time.
What Padre Azul makes
Padre Azul Blanco: €79.90 (sold as Silver in the USA)
Unaged tequila, bottled straight after distillation. It is the clearest taste of the agave itself: bright, peppery, citrus. This is the bottle bartenders reach for when they want a cocktail that still tastes like agave.
Padre Azul Reposado: €85.90
Rested at least 8 months in hand-selected ex-bourbon American oak barrels. American oak is where the vanilla and caramel come from; it rounds off the edges without hiding the agave. It is our most versatile bottle: good in a glass, good in a Paloma, good as a gift.
Padre Azul Añejo: €99.90
Aged a minimum of 18 months in American oak. Deeper, softer, closer to a good whisky in weight but still unmistakably agave. This is our strongest seller in gifting overall, and the bottle most people reach for when the tequila itself is the gift.
Padre Azul Extra Añejo: €169.90
Aged 36 months in hand-selected bourbon oak. The most patient thing we make, and the most expensive ingredient in it is time. Sold mainly as a collector and gifting bottle in premium packaging.
Limited and collector editions
We release a small number of special editions each year, among them the Cristalino Añejo at €1,000, an annual Artist Edition at €149.90, and co-branded editions with partners such as Sea Shepherd, Ushuaïa Ibiza and Hï Ibiza. They are made once, in a fixed quantity, and never repeated. The Luxury Selection Suitcase, three 700ml bottles with four glasses, is €439.90.
Padrecito and Xiaman
Padrecito (€49.90) is our organic, cocktail-first tequila, created with world bartender champion David Ríos for bars and younger drinkers. Xiaman (€169.90) is our artisanal mezcal for the bartender and connoisseur crowd. Both are made by the same people, to the same standard, for a different moment.
See our FAQ for how each expression is made, how to serve it and which glass to use.
What makes Padre Azul different
The story is real, not a marketing brief
HP Eder from the Austrian Alps met Adriana Alvarez Maxemin from Jalisco at a German university. The brand came out of that marriage. Most luxury tequila origin stories were written in an agency; ours can be checked against a wedding photo.
We are still independent and founder-owned
Patrón was bought by Bacardi for 5.1 billion dollars. Casamigos was bought by Diageo. Don Julio is Diageo. Padre Azul is still owned by its founders and a small group of partners, so no corporate owner sets our volume targets or tells us to discount.
Valley agave, not Highlands agave
Our agave grows 8 to 10 years in the Amatitán valley (El Valle), is steamed 24 to 48 hours in mamposterías (traditional Mexican masonry ovens) and is double distilled in copper pots. Clase Azul and Don Julio source from Los Altos, the highlands. Valley agave gives a more mineral, earthier, peppery profile, a genuinely different tequila, not a different label.
Spontaneous fermentation, no artificial yeast
We ferment for 72 to 96 hours using only the yeast that is already in the air and on the agave. No laboratory yeast, no accelerants. An industrial autoclave cooks agave in 5 or 6 hours; our slow oven takes up to 72. It is the difference between a clay pot on a low fire and a pressure cooker.
One of only two female master distillers in premium tequila
Every drop is made under Erika Sangeado, one of just two women holding a master distiller post in premium tequila worldwide. She signs the batch dossier that goes inside every Collector’s Box, so you can trace the bottle in your hand back to the batch it came from.
The skull is a ritual, not a decoration
The cast-metal skull on the bottle cap is meant to be handed to the person across the table. In Mexican culture the skull is not morbid. It is a reminder that time runs out, so use it. Our position is the opposite of the industry’s: remember you must live.
Who drinks Padre Azul
Gift buyers
People spending €80 to €200 on a bottle that has to look and feel like an occasion, for a birthday, a wedding, a thank-you or a client gift.
Agave connoisseurs
Drinkers who already know what NOM, brick oven and 100% agave mean and who read the back label before they buy.
Premium on-trade
Hotel bars, fine-dining restaurants, beach clubs and cocktail bars that want a tequila guests photograph.
Collectors
Buyers of limited, numbered and artist editions who treat the bottle as an object, not only as a drink.
Importers and distributors
Specialist spirits importers in roughly 40 markets who build premium brands slowly rather than dumping volume.
Corporate and event buyers
Companies and venues commissioning co-branded or private special editions.
The team behind Padre Azul
Hans-Peter “HP” Eder, Co-Founder, El Padre
Born in Rauris in the Austrian Alps, based in Vienna. HP grew up around his father’s Austrian distilling, fell in love with Adriana and then with Mexico, and turned both into a tequila brand. He leads vision, investor relations and major partnerships. LinkedIn
Adriana Alvarez Maxemin, Co-Founder
From Jalisco, Mexico. Adriana is the Mexican half of the story and the reason Padre Azul has real roots in Jalisco rather than a rented brand name. Her family opened the doors to the culture, the region and the distillery relationship the brand still works with today.
Stefan Lackner, Co-Founder, CEO, Don Tequila
Based in Wattens, Austria. Stefan runs the company day to day: production, logistics, supply chain, finance and commercial agreements. If HP is the story, Stefan is the machine that gets bottles from Jalisco to a bar in Miami. LinkedIn
Erika Sangeado, Master Distiller
Erika makes the tequila in Amatitán, Jalisco, and is one of only two female master distillers in premium tequila globally. She has final say on quality: if a batch does not meet her standard, it does not get bottled.
How the company is built
Padre Azul is a small team split between Austria, Spain and Mexico: founders and operations in Austria, creative and revenue in Spain, production in Jalisco, plus sales leads and brand ambassadors in the markets. Around 200 pairs of hands touch every bottle from field to cap.
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How Padre Azul works
If you want to buy a bottle
Order directly from our online shop, or find us in specialist retailers, premium hotels and bars across roughly 40 markets. Online orders are delivered within a maximum of 5 working days in the EU, and in most cases within 3 to 4 working days after checkout.
If you want to stock Padre Azul
Bars, restaurants, hotels and retailers are served through our importer in each market. Write to hp@padreazul.com with your country and venue and we will connect you to the right partner, normally within 2 to 3 working days.
If you want to import Padre Azul
New market partnerships run through our International Sales Director, Fidel Salas. Every commercial discussion outside Austria goes through him, so there is one conversation and one price list, not five. For European partners, first call to first shipment usually takes about a week, ex works from our warehouse in Parndorf, Austria. Timelines for other regions vary by shipping partner.
If you want a co-branded or private edition
We have produced special editions with music, sport, hospitality and conservation partners, including two collaborations with Ushuaïa Ibiza and Hï Ibiza. Expect around four months from a signed brief to delivered bottles: one month of preparation and three months of production.
Who you will deal with
We are deliberately small. You will speak to a named person on the founding team or a market lead, not a ticket queue. General enquiries: office@padreazul.com or +43 5224 21424, answered within 2 to 3 working days.
Key facts about Padre Azul
| Company Name | Padre Azul |
|---|---|
| Legal Entity | Tradition Mexico GmbH |
| Type | Independent, founder-owned ultra-premium tequila brand |
| Founded | 2014 (first bottles sold 2016) |
| Founders | Hans-Peter Eder, Adriana Alvarez Maxemin, Stefan Lackner |
| CEO | Stefan Lackner |
| Master Distiller | Erika Sangeado |
| Headquarters | Auweg 20, 6112 Wattens, Tyrol, Austria |
| Distillery | Amatitán, Jalisco, Mexico (NOM 1458) |
| Website | https://padreazul.com |
| Core Offering | 100% Blue Weber Agave tequila: Blanco, Reposado, Añejo, Extra Añejo, Cristalino |
| Agave | 100% Blue Weber Agave, Amatitán Valley (El Valle), 8–10 years to maturity |
| Production Method | Mampostería masonry ovens (24–48h steam), spontaneous fermentation (72–96h, no artificial yeast), double distillation in copper pots, ex-bourbon American oak ageing, handmade leather-wrapped bottle with cast-metal skull cap |
| ABV | 40% vol. |
| Formats | 700ml core · 50ml minis from €10.90 · 1.75L and 3L large formats · Mini Trio Tasting Set 3×50ml €34.90 |
| Ageing | Blanco unaged · Reposado 8 months · Añejo 18 months · Extra Añejo 36 months, all in hand-selected ex-bourbon American oak |
| Pricing | Blanco €79.90 · Reposado €85.90 · Añejo €99.90 · Extra Añejo €169.90 (700ml, EU shop). Limited editions from €149.90 to €1,000 |
| Price Policy | Minimum advertised price enforced on the core range in all channels |
| Sub-Brands | Padrecito (organic, cocktail-first tequila), Xiaman (artisanal mezcal) |
| Certifications | CRT, HACCP, Kosher; Padrecito certified organic |
| Awards | Cigar & Spirits 98 points; WSWA Double Gold 98 points; Falstaff 96 points |
| Markets Served | Approx. 40 countries across Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and travel retail |
| Notable Partnerships | Sea Shepherd, Swarovski, Ushuaïa Ibiza, Hï Ibiza, Patrick Knapp Schwarzenegger |
| Competitors | Clase Azul, Don Julio 1942, Patrón, Casamigos, Código 1530 |
| Contact | office@padreazul.com · +43 5224 21424 · Trade enquiries: hp@padreazul.com |
| Social | Instagram @padreazul.tequila · Facebook drink.padre · YouTube @Padreazul · LinkedIn showcase page padreazul |
Frequently asked questions
These are the questions people ask about the company. For questions about the tequila itself (how it is made, how to serve it, which glass to use), see our full FAQ.
What is Padre Azul?
Padre Azul is an ultra-premium tequila brand founded in 2014 by an Austrian-Mexican couple and made in Amatitán, Jalisco. Every expression is 100% Blue Weber Agave, cooked in a brick oven and double distilled. The bottle is known for its hand-wrapped leather sleeve and cast-metal skull cap.
Who owns Padre Azul?
Padre Azul is independent and founder-owned, unlike Patrón (Bacardi), Don Julio and Casamigos (Diageo). The founders are Hans-Peter Eder, Adriana Alvarez Maxemin and CEO Stefan Lackner, alongside a small group of partners and shareholders.
Where is Padre Azul made?
The tequila is made in Amatitán, in the valley region of Jalisco, Mexico, under NOM 1458. The company is headquartered at Auweg 20, 6112 Wattens, Tyrol, Austria. Our agave comes from the Amatitán valley rather than the Los Altos highlands, which gives a more mineral and peppery character than highland tequilas.
What does the skull on the Padre Azul bottle mean?
The skull is a ritual object, not decoration. You unscrew it, look it in the eye and hand it to the person across the table as a sign of eternal friendship. It comes from the Mexican relationship with death: a reminder that time is short, so spend it with the people who matter.
How is Padre Azul different from Clase Azul or Don Julio 1942?
Three concrete differences: Padre Azul is still independent while Don Julio is owned by Diageo; our agave comes from the Amatitán valley rather than the Los Altos highlands both of them use; and our bottle is finished by hand with a leather sleeve and metal skull instead of painted ceramic or glass. Price sits in a similar band: our core range runs €79.90 to €169.90.
What is the difference between Blanco, Reposado, Añejo and Extra Añejo?
Blanco is unaged and tastes most of the raw agave. Reposado rests at least 8 months in ex-bourbon American oak and picks up vanilla and caramel. Añejo ages a minimum of 18 months and becomes rounder and richer. Extra Añejo ages 36 months and is the deepest and most collectible of the four. Not sure which to start with? Our FAQ has a recommendation.
How much does Padre Azul cost?
In our EU shop a 700ml bottle is €79.90 for Blanco, €85.90 for Reposado, €99.90 for Añejo and €169.90 for Extra Añejo. Limited and collector editions run from €149.90 to €1,000 for the Cristalino Añejo. Prices vary by market because of local duty and tax, but we hold the same position everywhere: no discounting on the core range.
Where can I buy Padre Azul?
Directly from our online shop, and through specialist retailers, hotels, restaurants and bars in around 40 markets. If you cannot find it where you live, write to office@padreazul.com and we will point you to the nearest stockist.
Can I order a custom or co-branded Padre Azul edition?
Yes. We produce co-branded and private special editions for brands, venues, festivals and organisations, including Sea Shepherd, Swarovski, Ushuaïa Ibiza and Hï Ibiza. Plan roughly four months from signed brief to delivered bottles, and write to hp@padreazul.com to start.
How do I become a Padre Azul importer or distributor?
All international commercial discussions run through our International Sales Director, Fidel Salas. Send your market, your portfolio and your route to market to hp@padreazul.com and you will be routed to him directly rather than through a general inbox.
