9 Women-Driven Tequila Brands That Should Be On Your Radar

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There's no disputing that the tequila industry has long been a boys' club. For decades, men have dominated nearly every part of the business, from agave farming and distillation to branding and ownership. Women have often been excluded from the spotlight, despite playing important roles behind the scenes. But that's finally starting to shift. A growing number of women are carving out space for themselves in the tequila world, and in many cases, they're producing some of the best bottles of tequila on the market.

Some women in the tequila industry are founders running the show from the ground up. Others are maestra tequileras, carrying on family traditions or putting their own stamp on the spirit. Several are pushing for sustainability, championing additive-free production and proving that great tequila doesn't need celebrity backing or flashy marketing to stand out. And their work isn't going unnoticed. Many of these women-led brands have racked up serious awards and loyal followings in recent years.

These nine brands are either founded by women or have women leading the distillation process, and they're making waves for good reason. They've earned high marks from tequila experts and everyday drinkers alike, with standout ratings on platforms like Tequila Matchmaker, Drink Hacker, and Reddit threads where agave fans don't hold back. Some are still under the radar, others are racking up awards, but all are turning out tequilas that are worth paying attention to.

Helmed by maestra tequilera Ana María Romero, Mijenta is an award-winning tequila company that produces a range of expressions made with agave from the highlands of Jalisco. Romero started her career delving into the nuances of wine and how terroir affects the aromas and flavors. As she became more passionate about tequila, she applied that knowledge to the spirit and dove deeply into tequila tasting to identify the unique flavor notes. This led her to write "The Aromas of Tequila: The Art of Tasting," which is now an industry standard. Mijenta is where she draws on her in-depth knowledge of tequila profiles to elevate the characteristics of agave.

Every bottle of Mijenta tequila starts with mature agave grown in the mineral-rich soils of Arandas, which sits at a high elevation, so the plants get ample sunlight during the days and cool temperatures in the evenings. The agave piñas are slow-cooked and fermented with special yeast to bring out the natural flavors. No additives are included, and the company is committed to sustainability throughout the process. In fact, Mijenta is the first tequila producer to earn a B-Corp certification.

There are several Mijenta expressions to choose from, including a blanco, reposado, and añejo. Limited-edition bottles include the Maestra Selection No. 1, a blanco crafted from 8-year-old seed-grown agaves, and the Symphony Series No. 2, a reposado that is aged eight months in oak barrels. Reviewers love that the agave shines through in each expression and that you get fruity, floral notes as well as good minerality.

Chef and restaurateur Dafna Mizrahi pays homage to her Mexican heritage with Curamia, a tequila brand that she founded with marketing maven Melissa Del Savio. The duo wanted to create a tequila that not only celebrated the spirit of Jalisco but was also wellness driven and environmentally sensitive. The result is a collection of additive-free tequilas made with lowland agave grown at the base of the Tequila Volcano along with natural spring water.

There are a few things that set Curamia apart from other tequila brands. For one, the nutrient-rich volcanic soil of the Jalisco lowlands and the hot climate give the agave a unique peppery, herbal profile. The company also employs a steaming process that uses 70% less water than the average tequila producer. Plus, the fact that it's additive-free means there's nothing to mask the flavor of the agave, save for the aging process that some of the expressions undergo.

There are four Curamia expressions to choose from: blanco, reposado, añejo, and cristalino. The blanco is fresh and citrusy, making this tequila perfect for margaritas. The reposado offers hints of vanilla and spices, while the añejo is richer with notes of leather and toasted nuts. The cristalino is the most recent offering, and it shares similar characteristics to the añejo as it's also aged between one and three years but then filtered to give it crystal-clear transparency.

Melly Barajas is a highly respected tequilera who founded the Vinos y Licoreras Azteca distillery in the Valle de Guadalupe region of the Jalisco highlands. She employs a staff of only women who take part in every step of the process, from harvesting the agave piñas to fermenting and distilling the tequilas. La Gritona is one of several tequilas she produces, and it's pretty special thanks to its unique production methods and the artistry that goes into every bottle.

Only mature agave plants are used to create La Gritona, and each one is harvested at the peak of its sugar production. Less than 24 hours after being harvested, the piñas are steamed in an earthen oven, left to rest for another full day, then crushed with a steel mill. The juice is fermented naturally, twice distilled, then rested in American whiskey barrels for six months. The short resting period mellows out the tequila without imparting the strong oak flavors that you get from many reposado and añejo tequilas.

La Gritona is a reposado tequila, but it's lighter than most other versions you find. It maintains its crisp, agave flavor, but it also has softness with a touch of pepper on the finish. Reviewers like that it's smooth and sippable and that there are no additives or overpowering oak flavors to detract from the true flavors of the agave. Plus, the bottles are unique in that they're made with 100% recycled glass and hand-blown by artisans in Mexico City.

Established in 1886, Casa San Matías is a distillery that's made history in more ways than one. In 1997, it became one of the first tequila distilleries to be owned and operated by a woman when Carmen Villareal Treviño took over after her husband passed away. Since then, she's used her business and marketing acumen to grow the company into a powerhouse that produces numerous tequila brands. In 2022, Casa San Matías also became the first tequila company to own property in The Sandbox metaverse, a virtual space where people can engage in interactive experiences. 

Tequila San Matías is the distillery's flagship brand, and it includes a variety of expressions, most of which score high on tequila rating sites. The añejo and extra añejo tequilas get particularly good reviews for their rich notes of caramel, oak, and dried fruit. The brand also offers some interesting expressions, like the San Matías Tahona line that is made with artisanal methods like steaming the agave in brick ovens and crushing it with the original stone tahona wheel that dates back over 100 years.

Casa San Matías also produces Pueblo Viejo tequila, which includes four expressions: a blanco, blanco 104 (named because it's 104 proof — 52% alcohol content), reposado, and añejo. In addition, Rey Sol is a special extra añejo that's aged six years and comes in a sun-shaped decanter. All of the distillery's tequilas are made with highland agave that's aged seven to 10 years and baked for 48 hours.

Tiffany Capri Hainesworth is a woman who wears many hats. The Maryland native works for the federal government, sells a line of boozy gourmet snacks, and is the first Black woman to solely own a tequila company. Her journey to create TCapri Tequila started in 2018, when she hopped on a plane to Mexico and started exploring tequila distilleries in Jalisco. She discovered that highland tequila has unique sweet notes that she prefers, and that led her to strike up a partnership with the Tepozán distillery and master tequilero Carlos Padilla.

TCapri tequila is made in small batches with agave grown and harvested on the Tepozán estate. The piñas are roasted in traditional brick ovens, and the juice is fermented with fruit pectin from trees on the estate. It's then filtered and distilled twice before being bottled, labeled, and packaged by hand. There are three expressions: blanco, reposado, and añejo. All are additive-free.

Most reviewers are thoroughly impressed with the TCapri tequilas. The blanco in particular gets high scores for its clean aromas and flavors. Many say it gives cooked agave and tropical fruit on the nose and follows through with agave flavors as well as notes of citrus, fresh herbs, and white pepper. Hainesworth recommends sipping it on its own, but it also works well in tequila-based cocktails, including margaritas, palomas, and ranch waters.

When Melly Barajas decided to pivot from a career in fashion design to producing tequila back in 1999, she knew she was up against some pretty stacked odds. At that time, very few women held positions of power in the tequila industry. Not only did she persevere, but she changed the paradigm by hiring only women to work with her. The company would go on to produce award-winning tequilas, including the aforementioned La Gritona. Leyenda de Mexico is another of her celebrated brands.

Leyenda de Mexico tequila is made with a seven-step process. First, the agave is planted in the highlands of Jalisco and left to grow for about nine years. Then, the piñas are harvested and cooked in stone ovens for 24 hours. After resting for another 24 hours, they're crushed in mills and fermented in vats. The tequila is twice distilled and either bottled right away for blanco expressions or aged in barrels anywhere from three to nine years.

There are five expressions to choose from: a regular blanco, a blanco with gold flakes, a reposado, an añejo, and an extra añejo. There is also a special Wixarika extra añejo edition that comes in a beautiful bottle featuring Huichol beadwork. All of the expressions receive great ratings from experts and casual sippers alike. The only complaint some have is that the bottles can be rather pricey, but many say they're worth it for their complexity and great balance.

From the time that Lindsey Davis Stover, Alison Kiehl Friedman, and Shivam Mallick Shah came together to create a tequila brand, they knew that they wanted it to be women-centric. With that in mind, they traveled to Mexico in search of women working in the tequila industry. The trio partnered with distillery owner Adriana Lopez and brought on Rocio Rodriguez as their master distiller. They also found an agave farm run by four sisters. The women named the company 1953 Tequila after the year women secured the right to vote in Mexico.

1953 Tequila is interesting in that it only produces añejo tequila. It starts with highland agave that's slow-roasted, then fermented with proprietary yeast. After distillation, the tequila is aged in American bourbon barrels for 15 months. Rodriguez draws on her degree in chemical engineering and time-tested traditions to oversee the process, ensuring that the flavors develop naturally without the use of additives. The result is a rich, multi-layered añejo that's perfect for sipping.

There's a lot to love about 1953 Tequila, starting with the sleek white bottle that's long and thin and has pleats for easy gripping. The tequila itself gives aromas of vanilla, cinnamon, and oak on the nose. Take a sip and you'll get agave and vanilla, followed by hints of caramel and chocolate. It finishes sweet, making this a great after-dinner sipper. It also pairs well with foods that lean on the richer side, like mole, cured meats, and chocolate.

Often called the "First Lady of Tequila," Bertha González Nieves was the first woman to be certified as a maestra tequilera by the Academia Mexicana de Catadores de Tequila. She's also one of just a handful of Mexican women to co-found and be the CEO of a tequila company. After a decade of working for Jose Cuervo, she decided to set off on her own, and in 2009, Casa Dragones was born. The first expression she released was a joven featuring a blend of silver and extra aged tequila.

González Nieves isn't afraid to try new things, like using a diffusion method to extract the agave juice, which uses less water and energy, or aging tequila in Japanese Mizunara oak casks. Attention to detail is also key, from the use of volcanic spring water down to the bottles that are hand-engraved, labeled, and signed. In terms of marketing, González Nieves made it a mission to partner with esteemed chefs from around the world to highlight how well the tequila pairs with foods from a wide range of cuisines.

Casa Dragones currently offers four expressions: a joven, blanco, reposado, and añejo. Overall, the tequilas get positive reviews from tasters, with many commenting on how smooth the expressions are. The añejo gets the most praise for its notes of agave, toasted sugar, and licorice as well as its long finish with hints of black pepper. It's a tad pricey, but many reviewers say it's worth adding to your bar cart.

The seeds for Tequila 1349 were quite literally planted in 2016 when Lizzy Lopez's father gifted her one of the family's agave fields in Arandas, Jalisco. She immediately set to work planting 1,349 agave plants in the highland soil, situating them on a slight incline to allow for good water drainage. As Lopez waited for the plants to mature, she formed a partnership with master distillers from Casa Aceves Spirits who are known for their award-winning spirits. In 2022, she launched Tequila 1349, naming it after those first agaves.

Tequila 1349 is produced using a mix of traditional and modern methods. The agave piñas are cooked low and slow and rolled in a mill to extract the juice. The juice is fermented with just yeast and water, and sometimes classical music is played to create vibrations that help stimulate the yeast. The tequila is then double distilled in stainless steel with copper coils. The blanco tequila rests for 45 days to mellow it out a bit, and the reposado is aged in American and French oak barrels for four months.

Although Tequila 1349 is a newer brand, it's already making waves in local and international markets. Reviewers say the blanco hits all the right notes with its fresh and cooked agave flavor highlighted with citrus, minerals, and black pepper. The reposado is also agave-forward, but with hints of caramel and oak. The bottles are reasonably priced and a great value, considering you're getting additive-free tequila produced by folks with generations of agave-growing and distilling experience.

As more women are stepping up to the plate in the tequila industry as founders, master distillers, and brand leaders, the number of standout bottles to choose from has grown. That also means it's getting harder to narrow down which ones are actually worth your time and money. For this list, we focused on women-owned or women-led tequila brands that have earned strong recognition from both professional tasters and everyday drinkers.

We looked at expert reviews and scores from sources like Tequila Matchmaker and Drink Hacker as well as feedback from Reddit threads and tequila forums, where enthusiasts tend to be brutally honest. Awards from respected competitions like the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the SIP Awards also factored into the equation. In the end, we selected brands that are consistently praised for flavor, production quality, transparency, and value, whether they're heritage labels or newer names shaking things up in the category.