Austria meets Mexico: Coca-Cola HBC Austria expands portfolio with Super Premium Tequila brand Padre Azul

Padre Azul: Elaborate production, premium quality and attention to detail
An Austrian meets a Mexican and discovers not only a love for her, but also for the Mexican way of life, where tequila is a constant companion. Fascinated by the culture, Hans-Peter Eder, founder and El Padre of Padre Azul soon became interested in the agave spirit and its production: "In Europe, there was mainly tequila of inferior quality. Hardly anyone knew that there was also high-quality tequila," explains Eder. Together with like-minded people, the Salzburg native founded a company that would bring premium tequila to Europe - the birth of the super premium tequila brand Padre Azul.

With the distribution partnership, Padre Azul is now taking the next step. "We are pleased that with the team of Coca-Cola HBC Austria we have a strong partner with a powerful sales team at our side to further advance our products on the domestic market," Stefan Lackner, CEO and Don Tequila, is pleased.

On the way to becoming a 24/7 beverage provider
"The tastes and preferences of our consumers and customers are as varied as the course of the day itself. Our claim as Coca-Cola HBC Austria is to offer the right beverage for every occasion and every time of day, e.g. also for the after-work drink or the cocktail in the club," explains Herbert Bauer, General Manager Coca-Cola HBC Austria. "With Padre Azul we can close another gap in our portfolio and come one step closer to our claim of offering our customers everything from a single source," adds Nicolas Nobereit, Director New Business Ventures in Austria.

Marketing remains in the hands of the brand owners, Coca-Cola HBC Austria responsible for distribution & sales
In the future, the Austrian beverage supplier will be exclusively responsible for the distribution and sales of Padre Azul in Austria. In addition, local marketing measures, especially in the gastronomy sector, will be developed and implemented together with the brand partner. Classic marketing as well as social media communication will remain in the hands of the Padre Azul team. "Just like our partners at Padre Azul, we see great potential in the tequila category, especially in the super premium segment. We are pleased to be able to supply the Austrian market with a domestic tequila brand, so to speak," concludes Nicolas Nobereit.

In addition to the three tequila varieties "Blanco," "Reposado" and "Añejo," Coca-Cola HBC Austria will also carry Xiaman Mezcal in its portfolio. The focus is primarily on the HoReCa channel.

Prominent brand lovers
The fact that Padre Azul is unparalleled among tequila brands and that culinary delights and premium tequila go together perfectly is also underlined by the prominent international brand ambassadors: bar legend David Rios, ex-professional handball player Stefan Kretzschmar, and Patrick Knapp-Schwarzenegger, nephew of Arnold Schwarzenegger, are fully convinced of the taste and quality of Padre Azul.