Billionaire Patron Tequila Founder Unveils an Unconventional Take on Vodka as First Spirits Release Under New Venture

(Photo: Round 2 Spirits)

In January, Patron Tequila co-founder John Paul DeJoria made headlines when he joined forces with an A-team of his former colleagues to launch Round 2 Spirits. At the time, it was widely speculated that the group — made up of ex-Patron, Grey Goose and Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits executives — would launch an agave spirit as its inaugural release. Months later, those suspicions have been confirmed, albeit with a major twist.

The venture has unveiled Weber Ranch 1902 Vodka, a spirit that forgoes wheat and corn in favor of Blue Weber Agave grown in Jalisco, Mexico. Combining influences from across the border, the vodka is first harvested and distilled in Mexico before undergoing a second round of distillation using local Trinity Aquifer water in Muenster, Texas.

The spirit’s name pays homage to French botanist Frédéric Albert Constantin Weber, who first cataloged Blue Weber Agave as a unique species during an expedition to Mexico in 1902.

“Blue Weber Agave is truly a special plant that creates a superior spirit, and that’s not just limited to tequila,” Antonio Rodriguez, master distiller of Weber Ranch and former production director at Patron Tequila, said in a news release. “Weber Ranch Vodka is unmistakably a vodka, but because we’re using agave, we’re able to develop subtle, smooth flavor notes of tropical fruit and citrus that make this spirit not only better for classic vodka cocktails, but it works equally well in traditional agave-based drinks like a ranch water or paloma.”

Though tequila is frequently cited as the fastest-growing spirits category in America, vodka still reigns supreme as the top seller. As of February, vodka’s annual revenue was valued at $7.2 billion, compared to $6.5 billion for agave spirits like tequila and mezcal.

Amid reports that tequila’s growth may soon be hitting a plateau, alternatives that incorporate its best qualities could emerge as a popular pick for distillers in search of the next big thing. On the liquor store shelf, you’ll find plenty of name-brand vodkas hailing from the U.S., Russia and France; Mexico, by comparison, still has plenty of room to flex its unique twists.

“By volume, vodka is the largest spirits category in the U.S., but let’s be honest, it’s been a long time since there was any meaningful innovation or true disruption in this space,” said Lee Applbaum, President and COO of Round 2 Spirits and former CMO of Patron Tequila and Grey Goose.

“I’m not talking about trendy flavors, clever packaging, or crazy rounds of distillation – that’s just line extension, differentiation and iteration, not true disruption.”

Weber Ranch 1902 is now available online at $32 per bottle.

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