Today we’d like to introduce you to Rick “Rico” Olivo
Hi Rico, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Rick “Rico” Olivo was introduced to the world of 100% de agave tequila in 2008 when he became general counsel of a national tequila brand. Rick grew a new appreciation and love for this sweet elixir from Mexico and set out to learn as much as possible in the years that followed.
His journey included many trips to Jalisco, hundreds of tequila tastings, and new friendships in the industry that guided him toward a new vision: to share his life-changing experience with the world. Together with family and friends, they developed a small batch, traditional tequila that symbolizes friendships and creates lasting memories.
Rico has spent a lifetime traveling the world and immersing himself in the cultures and traditions of the countries he visited. This journey started with a two-year stint in the Philippines. His elementary school years were spent in Spain where he learned about the finer delicacies of food and wine from his maternal grandparents. His father’s career as a diplomat eventually took him to Cairo, Egypt, where he graduated from high school and made lifelong friends. During college, he took advantage of the opportunity to intern at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, for two summers and traveled extensively throughout Europe. His travels also took him to Ecuador, Belize, Mexico and various Caribbean nations.
Tequila is fast becoming the spirit of choice for consumers across North America in 2022. However, 10-20 years ago, drinking 100% de agave tequila was about being cool. Even then, Rico was fascinated with how harvesting, production and distillation affected the taste. His vision was to share the tradition, culture and mystique of Mexico’s Tequilana Blue Weber agave with the rest of the world.
The comparison between tequila and wine was obvious and Rico wanted to learn about the complexities of tequila production. So he traveled to Jalisco and explored the agave fields in Los Altos and El Valle. He visited dozens of distilleries and met with their master distillers to inquire about their passion and how its reflected in the flavor of tequila. This included tasting hundreds of tequila profiles.
Rico then spent time with the experts at the Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT) and was introduced to the science of tequila production, including learning about the soil, the agave plant, variations in cooking, crushing, fermentation, distillation, aging and the use of additives. Eventually he participated in and passed a three day long class presented by the CRT certifying him in “Professionalism in Tequila Culture”.
Rico, his wife Sharon and their children Christian and Tiana partnered with his former high school classmates Ken Long and Bassem Ahmed to create a tequila that “stimulates your senses” and symbolizes friendships and memories. Don Rico Tequila represents the culture and tradition of Mexico with a little influence from around the world.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No road is without its obstacles. Along the way we encountered distilleries that changed their minds on how to proceed, glass companies that sold our bottles to a higher bidder during a worldwide glass shortage caused by the pandemic, to not having product available for our launch party. We have had to deal with production delays and transportation regulations. We have had to change customs brokers on three different occasions that have given differing levels of advice when it came to importing our tequila.
Since then, we have also had to deal with distribution interruptions to the supply chain. This has affected our ability to make our product available in the mainstream market such as the chain liquor stores and restaurants. As a result, our focus has been on engaging “on premise” (bars, restaurants, night clubs) locations and building a following to show the “off premise” (liquor stores) locations that there is a demand for Don Rico Tequila.
Of course, all of this is expensive and cash flow is always a concern. But the list goes on.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Rico Spirits, LLC d/b/a Don Rico Tequila?
Don Rico is crafted with passion and precision, paying every detail to the traditional production methods of the finest master distillers in the business. The result is a great tasting premium tequila that is very affordable to the consumer. We are also confirmed additive-free through Tequila Matchmaker.
Don Rico has won numerous international awards and is highly regarded in the industry. Specifically, our Blanco is a 2024 Double Gold winner at the San Francisco Spirits Competition and a finalist for Best in Class to be awarded in October. We will be featured in Forbes magazine at that time. Our Reposado won first place overall as Best Agave in a Margarita at the 2023 Beverage Testing Institute Competition. Finally, our Anejo is a Top Ten highest rated Anejo with Tequila Matchmaker. You can find out more about our story and process at linktr.ee/donricotequila.
Our vision has always been to “stimulate your senses”. Whether you’re seeing and hearing the crisp, clean tequila fill your glass, smelling and tasting the natural sugars of cooked agave with a hint of caramel, vanilla, citrus and pepper, or feeling the natural viscosity of this magic elixir in your mouth, Don Rico is a bold, artisanal tequila that will…“stimulate your senses”. More importantly, we want to be a tequila that appeals to everyone. We have created a profile that the aficionados can respect and appreciate while still being open to the novice that is new to the world of tequila. We want to be approachable in flavor, aroma and affordability.
Finally, we are a minority-owned, family business that recognizes the value of hard work and our roots. We are a local brand that appeals to local businesses. Each of us in the organization brings value and a unique skill set that is needed for the overall success of our business.
Ultimately, we want to build a legacy that will last far into the future. It is imperative that we produce a product that we can be proud of and that we are honored to share with others. We want our consumers to see Don Rico Tequila as a brand that they can celebrate with and create lasting memories.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
There are numerous partners that have helped us succeed and that ensure the future growth of the brand. As mentioned previously, each person brings a unique skill set that promotes Don Rico Tequila. Rico is the vision of the company and his passion for the culture and tradition of tequila is the impetus for Don Rico Tequila. He oversees the day-to-day operations and is responsible for the overall management of our vision. Sharon Olivo is responsible for all administrative matters and the overall marketing of the brand. She is the glue that keeps everything together from managing finances to implementing the vision. Christian Olivo brings his experience in the world of entertainment to manage our social media presence and is responsible for sales through on-premise and off-premise placements. Tiana Olivo is the creative visionary that designed our logo and has painted murals inspired by Don Rico Tequila. Her contribution is key to how the public sees our packaging, marketing and overall presentation.
Ken Long and Bassem Ahmed joined the team first as investors but bring a world of experience in business and entrepreneurship. Their friendship started 40 years ago while attending high school together in Cairo, Egypt, and they have an understanding of each other that exceeds friendship. They have similar world experiences and yet, serve as a balance to Rico’s analytical world of law.
Finally, there are numerous influencers in the tequila world that have rated our tequila as an ultra premium brand and spoken so highly of our products. Tequila Matchmaker is a tequila database that tracks every tequila ever produced and allows experts as well as novices to rate tequilas based on their owned preferences. The app identifies each brand, its distillery, production methods and flavor and aroma profiles as a guide when delving into the complex world of tequila tasting. They also independently test participating brands for transparency in labeling. We are proud to carry the additive-free banner on all our products.
Pricing:
- Blanco – $42
- Reposado – $50
- Anejo – $75
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ayquerico.com
- Instagram: @donricotequila
- Facebook: @donricotequila
- Twitter: @donricotequila
- Other: @donricotequila – TikTok
