Cierto Tequila
Cierto Tequila is a privately held US brand producing 100% natural, additive-free luxury tequila across two tiers (Private and Reserve Collections), distributed in the US through DTC e-commerce, specialty retail, and on-premise hospitality, targeting affluent spirits consumers seeking premium sipping tequila.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersWilmington, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Cierto Tequila does
Cierto Tequila is a privately held, 100% natural, additive-free luxury tequila brand owned by Elevated Spirits, LLC (Delaware). The company sells two product tiers — the Private Collection (Blanco, Reposado, Añejo, and Extra Añejo priced $55-$200) and the ultra-premium Reserve Collection (above $249 per bottle) — through a multi-channel US distribution model that includes direct-to-consumer e-commerce (processed via Flaviar Checkout and AccelPay), specialty spirits retail (via Park Street Imports), and on-premise accounts at fine dining establishments and resort properties.
All tequila is produced at La Tequileña distillery (NOM 1146) in Jalisco, Mexico, under Master Distillers Enrique Fonseca (fifth-generation agavero) and Sergio Mendoza (fourth-generation agavero). The production process uses estate-grown agave from the Atotonilco Highlands harvested at Maduro and Pinto stages, slow-cooked in low-pressure ovens, double-distilled in copper pots and column stills, and (for aged expressions) matured in French Limousin oak casks previously holding fine wine, cognac, and Armagnac. Pure water is sourced from volcanic springs at Volcán de Tequila. Additive-free status is certified by Tequila Matchmaker.
The company is led by CEO Ami-Lynn Bakshi and Chief Growth Officer Jim Ruane, with a headcount of 11-50 employees headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware. The brand has accumulated 1,127+ international medals and awards (the first tequila brand to cross 1,000), with the "Most Awarded Tequila in History" trademark legally vetted and approved by Mexico's Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT). NielsenIQ ranked Cierto as the #1 top-selling and fastest-growing new luxury tequila and #1 fastest-growing new additive-free tequila in 2023. The brand positions itself in the additive-free sub-category, which comprises less than 5% of all tequila brands but is growing nearly 6x faster than the total tequila category. No external funding rounds or institutional venture capital are disclosed; the company appears to be founder/operator-financed.
Cierto Tequila firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cierto Tequila
- Legal name
- Elevated Spirits, LLC
- Website
- https://cierto.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Cierto Tequila is a privately held US brand producing 100% natural, additive-free luxury tequila across two tiers (Private and Reserve Collections), distributed in the US through DTC e-commerce, specialty retail, and on-premise hospitality, targeting affluent spirits consumers seeking premium sipping tequila.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cierto Tequila industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Premium Tequila
- NAICS
- Distilleries (312140), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (424820), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB)
Keywords
Where Cierto Tequila is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wilmington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Cierto Tequila business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others
Revenue model
- Direct E-commerce Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales through their website cierto.com, with orders fulfilled by licensed alcohol retailers via Flaviar Checkout.
- Retail Distribution: Sales through specialty spirits shops and retailers across the United States, facilitated by Park Street Imports.
- On-Premise/Hospitality: Sales to fine dining establishments, drinking establishments, and leading resort properties.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Private Collection Blanco - Entry-level luxury unaged tequila |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Private Collection Reposado - Aged 2+ months in French oak |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Private Collection Añejo - Aged 18 months in French oak |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Private Collection Extra Añejo - Aged 48 months in French oak |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Reserve Collection Añejo - Premium aged expression |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Cierto Tequila product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cierto Tequila produces and sells 100% natural, additive-free ultra-premium tequila across four expressions — Blanco, Reposado, Añejo, and Extra Añejo — in two collections (Private Collection and Reserve Collection), for a total of eight SKUs. The tequila is distilled from estate-grown Highland Jalisco Blue Weber agave at the La Tequileña distillery in Jalisco, Mexico, using traditional production methods, and is marketed as a luxury, additive-free alternative to mass-market tequila.
Product overview
Cierto Tequila is an additive-free, 100% natural luxury tequila brand produced by Elevated Spirits LLC. The company offers two product collections: the Private Collection (entry-level premium) and the Reserve Collection (ultra-premium limited edition). Both collections include four expressions: Blanco (unaged), Reposado (2-12 months oak aging), Añejo (12-24 months aging), and Extra Añejo (3+ years aging). All tequilas are crafted from estate-grown Highland agave at La Tequileña distillery (NOM 1146) in Jalisco, Mexico, using traditional methods including copper pot distillation and French Limousin oak cask maturation. The brand has earned over 1,000 international medals and awards, making it the most awarded tequila in history.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Private Collection: The core collection of 100% natural tequilas including Blanco, Reposado, Añejo, and Extra Añejo expressions priced from $55 to $200.
- Reserve Collection
Products and services
- Cierto Tequila Private Collection Blanco Unaged, 100% natural, additive-free ultra-premium Blanco tequila from estate-grown Highland Jalisco Blue Weber agave, intended for luxury consumers and premium on-premise programs.
- Cierto Tequila Private Collection Reposado Rested, 100% natural, additive-free ultra-premium Reposado tequila from estate-grown Highland Jalisco Blue Weber agave, targeted at luxury consumers and premium on-premise accounts.
- Cierto Tequila Private Collection Añejo Aged, 100% natural, additive-free ultra-premium Añejo tequila from estate-grown Highland Jalisco Blue Weber agave, intended for luxury consumers, collectors, and premium on-premise programs.
- Cierto Tequila Private Collection Extra Añejo Extra-aged, 100% natural, additive-free ultra-premium Extra Añejo tequila from estate-grown Highland Jalisco Blue Weber agave, positioned for luxury consumers, collectors, and prestige gifting.
- Cierto Tequila Reserve Collection Blanco Unaged, 100% natural, additive-free ultra-premium Reserve-tier Blanco tequila from estate-grown Highland Jalisco Blue Weber agave, aimed at the highest tier of luxury consumers and prestige hospitality.
- Cierto Tequila Reserve Collection Reposado Rested, 100% natural, additive-free ultra-premium Reserve-tier Reposado tequila from estate-grown Highland Jalisco Blue Weber agave, targeted at luxury consumers and prestige hospitality.
- Cierto Tequila Reserve Collection Añejo Aged, 100% natural, additive-free ultra-premium Reserve-tier Añejo tequila from estate-grown Highland Jalisco Blue Weber agave, positioned for luxury consumers, collectors, and prestige on-premise programs.
- Cierto Tequila Reserve Collection Extra Añejo Extra-aged, 100% natural, additive-free ultra-premium Reserve-tier Extra Añejo tequila from estate-grown Highland Jalisco Blue Weber agave, positioned at the top of the portfolio for collectors and prestige gifting.
Quantifiable outcome
- First tequila brand to exceed 1,000 international awards
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Cierto Tequila
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cierto Tequila technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature4 records
Cierto Tequila partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Flaviar CheckoutcoreE-commerce fulfillment partner managing alcohol orders placed on cierto.com. Processes payments and coordinates fulfillment with licensed alcohol retailers across the United States.
- AccelPay (Paiseh, Inc.)coreE-commerce platform facilitating the sale of alcohol products. Processes payment transactions for orders placed through Cierto's website and coordinates with licensed third-party retailers.
- Park Street ImportscorePrimary importer of Cierto Tequila into the United States. Based in Miami, Florida. Responsible for distribution of Cierto products throughout the US market.
- La Tequileña DistillerycoreNOM 1146 distillery in Tequila, Jalisco where Cierto is produced. Home to renowned Master Distillers Enrique Fonseca and Sergio Mendoza. Cierto's production partner for all expressions.
- The Tasting AllianceminorOrganization behind multiple prestigious spirits competitions including San Francisco World Spirits Competition and Singapore World Spirits Competition. Cierto has been recognized as consistent winner across their competitions.
- Trade CollaboratorsminorApproved collaborators who access trade marketing materials including brand decks, product information, logos, sell sheets, and marketing cards. Contact through [email protected].
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cierto Tequila competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Don Julio: Mass-premium tequila brand owned by Diageo and a category benchmark. Competes with Cierto across Blanco through Extra Añejo expressions but at higher scale and broader distribution; the closest incumbent comparable in premium positioning.
- Patrón Tequila: Bacardi-owned premium tequila, historically the category leader in ultra-premium positioning. Competes broadly with Cierto across price points and channel coverage, with substantially greater scale.
Direct peers
- Clase Azul: Ultra-premium Mexican tequila positioned at the top of the luxury category with hand-painted decanters and gifting-driven branding. Directly contests Cierto's Reserve Collection positioning at the ultra-premium price point.
- 818 Tequila: Celebrity-backed (Kendall Jenner) premium tequila brand. Direct competitor in the lifestyle/aspirational premium segment with significant marketing investment behind it.
- Casamigos Tequila: Premium tequila brand co-founded by George Clooney and later acquired by Diageo for $1B. Directly competes with Cierto in the premium Blanco/Reposado/Añejo tier across the same on-premise and retail channels, with comparable pricing.
- Código 1530: Premium additive-free tequila with NBA/celebrity distribution ties. Competes head-to-head with Cierto in the additive-free, premium-tier narrative and shares similar sourcing/distributor model.
- Casa Dragones: Small-batch ultra-premium sipping tequila positioned for collectors and fine dining. Directly comparable to Cierto's Reserve Collection in target customer, ultra-premium pricing, and limited-production craft narrative.
- DeLeón Tequila: Ultra-premium sipping tequila historically associated with Sean 'Diddy' Combs. Competes in the same luxury on-premise and collectors' segment as Cierto's Reserve Collection.
Emerging players
- Lobos 1707: Young-blend extra añejo tequila backed by LeBron James. Overlaps with Cierto's aged expressions and luxury positioning but with a celebrity-athlete-led growth narrative.
- Flecha Azul: Celebrity-backed (Mark Wahlberg) additive-free premium tequila. Adjacent competitor in the additive-free premium positioning that Cierto helped define.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cierto Tequila social profiles
Digital presenceCierto Tequila financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cierto Tequila leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Cierto Tequila funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cierto Tequila M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cierto Tequila
What does Cierto Tequila do?
Cierto Tequila produces and sells 100% natural, additive-free ultra-premium tequila across four expressions — Blanco, Reposado, Añejo, and Extra Añejo — in two collections (Private Collection and Reserve Collection), for a total of eight SKUs. The tequila is distilled from estate-grown Highland Jalisco Blue Weber agave at the La Tequileña distillery in Jalisco, Mexico, using traditional production methods, and is marketed as a luxury, additive-free alternative to mass-market tequila.
Is Cierto Tequila a public or private company?
Cierto Tequila is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Cierto Tequila founded?
Cierto Tequila was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Cierto Tequila based?
Cierto Tequila is headquartered in Wilmington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cierto Tequila make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct E-commerce Sales are the primary driver. The others are retail Distribution and on-Premise/Hospitality.
Who are Cierto Tequila's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Don Julio and Patrón Tequila. Direct peers are Clase Azul, 818 Tequila, Casamigos Tequila, Código 1530, Casa Dragones and DeLeón Tequila. Emerging players are Lobos 1707 and Flecha Azul.
Does Cierto Tequila have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cierto Tequila.
What industry is Cierto Tequila in?
Cierto Tequila's product category is Premium Tequila. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAIAB, Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands. Its NAICS code is 312140 and its SIC code is 5180.