Pensador owner launches Tequila

London-based company Meanwhile Drinks, owner of Pensador Mezcal, has created its first Tequila brand, Desdeya.

To create Desdeya Tequila, Meanwhile Drinks partnered with Grupo Tequilero México in Arandas in the Highlands of Jalisco. The Gonzales family-run distillery – NOM 1468 – was established in 2020. Desdeya is Meanwhile Drinks’ second brand, following Pensador. The brand’s Uno Blanco expression is made with 100% agave and bottled at 42% ABV. Ben Schroder, founder of Meanwhile Drinks, said: “We’ve been busy working on Desdeya, alongside Pensador, since 2021. Whenever we went to Oaxaca, we would include a few weeks in Jalisco. Over three years, we met with many different distilleries and got a good overview of the category. "We partnered with NOM 1468 because of its flavour-forward production principles, which is basically a commitment to flavour above efficiency and tradition, which is rare in the industry. It also believes in natural processes, working without additives, which we consider essential to making delicious Tequila. We worked with 1468 for another year, creating our bespoke blanco and adapting the process to extract maximum flavour from the blue agave.” The Tequila has been made with red wine yeast isolated in the Burgundy region of France, which, according to Schroder, "results in a liquid that is bold and full-bodied, with a strong cooked agave character and a long finish". Desdeya Uno displays notes of mandarin, cashew nut, cocoa butter, and the honeyed sweetness of slow-roasted agave. It is recommended that the expression be enjoyed neat or mixed into a Tequila Soda or a Tequila Martini with white vermouth and orange bitters. Desdeya is now available through the brand's website and The Whisky Exchange with a suggested retail price of £33.95 (US$44). Like Pensador, Desdeya is B Corp-certified and claims to be the third Tequila brand to receive the certification. It joins Pensador as part of Glass Half Full (GHF) drinks agency's portfolio of premium brands. Tristram Coates, founder and CEO of GHF, commented: “We’re delighted to add Desdeya Tequila to our portfolio and are really excited to work with Meanwhile Drinks to build this brand from launch. "Desdeya joins GHF as our seventh B-Corp brand, and represents our commitment to working with pioneering, high quality, and culturally relevant brands.”