Sugarlands Distilling Company is adding tequila to its portfolio, and it's not going the celebrity route. The Gatlinburg-based distiller has partnered with Azulejos Artisan Tequila, a boutique brand that's been producing 100% Blue Weber agave expressions since before premium tequila was a thing.
Founded over 30 years ago by Pedro Quintanilla and Alfredo Miguel, Azulejos launched when less than one percent of tequila on the market was made from 100% agave. That number's now over 40 percent, which tells you where the category went after early movers like Azulejos set the standard. Today, the brand is run by Chris Quintanilla, Pedro's son, alongside his mother Linda Quintanilla through their company Azul Imports.
The brand's calling card is twofold: three-ingredient tequila (agave, water, yeast, no additives) and hand-painted ceramic bottles inspired by Mexican tilework. Each bottle is painted by a team of female artisans, turning every release into something collectors actually want to keep on the shelf. It's a production model that doesn't scale like contract distilling, but that's the point.
For Sugarlands, the deal extends its house-of-brands strategy beyond moonshine and whiskey into agave. Founder and President Ned Vickers has been clear about wanting brands with stories, not just liquid to distribute. Chris Quintanilla's familiarity with Sugarlands came during his time as Chief Revenue Officer at Mexcor, where he watched the company's growth model up close. When he returned to the family business and started looking for a partner, Sugarlands was the call.
"I really identify with the way Sugarlands operates," Quintanilla said. "They are unapologetically authentic. They're creative, they move fast and they know how to take a great product and supercharge it from a sales and marketing perspective."
There are production parallels, too. Azulejos Blanco shares DNA with unaged spirits like Sugarlands' Jim Tom's Unaged Rye—both showcase base ingredients before barrel aging adds complexity. Azulejos even ages some expressions in Tennessee whiskey barrels, creating another natural tie-in.
Azulejos is currently in select U.S. markets. Sugarlands will start selling it at the Gatlinburg distillery soon, then work on national expansion while keeping the craft model intact. The challenge will be scaling a hand-painted, additive-free tequila without turning it into just another premium pour. If Sugarlands can pull that off, it's a blueprint for how regional distillers can grow into agave without losing what made the brand worth buying in the first place.
