‘Just The Beginning for Us’: Komos Builds Schoolhouse in Mexico from Tequila Byproducts

Tequila brand Komos opened a schoolhouse made from materials taken from agave waste. (Photo: Komos Tequila)

Tequila Komos announced on Wednesday that the luxury tequila brand opened a schoolhouse in Amatitlán, Mexico. The schoolhouse was constructed from adobe bricks made with abazo — cooked agave pulp — and vinaza — liquid waste.

“The heart of this endeavor is to leverage sustainable solutions to have a truly significant impact on the well-being of the local community in Tequila, Mexico and beyond,” said co-founder and co-CEO Richard Betts said in a news release. “The new Amatitlán classroom is truly just the beginning for us – we’re developing additional projects that aim to address social and economic inequality, meaningfully transforming communities in the state of Jalisco.”

The tequila brand shared it was made from 42,500 kilograms of bagazo and 16,000 liters of vinaza, which was used to create 2,500 adobe bricks. The tequila brand shared the schoolhouse was designed to house 39 students during the school year. Komos brought on Elias Campollo, the Komos Foundation’s Director of Operations to assist with the project. The team worked very closely with the local government to approve the bricks and make sure the schoolhouse could endure the elements.

Komos refers to itself as the “world’s fastest-growing luxury tequila.” The luxury tequila brand released a reposado cristalino expression with a suggested retail price of $130 in August. The 40%-ABV reposado cristalino’s release followed a $2,000 11-year-old Extra Añejo tequila, which dropped in October 2023.

The tequila brand’s goal is to achieve zero waste, and the completed schoolhouse is meant to be the first project supporting this initiative.

“With determination, tequila byproducts and a commitment to education, we have crafted a space where learning can take root, dreams can flourish and futures are forever changed,” Campollo expressed. “By being at the forefront of these transformative efforts, we hope to inspire the industry to join in and ensure we all give back to the land and people who make it possible to drink tequila.”