Tequila Herradura
A historic Mexican 100% agave tequila brand produced at its original hacienda and distillery in Amatitán, Jalisco.
Last updated October 16, 2026
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Overview
Tequila Herradura is a Mexican tequila brand and distillery based at Hacienda San José del Refugio in Amatitán, Jalisco. The business was formally established as a tequila producer in 1870, when Félix López took control of the hacienda, its agave fields, and its distilling operation. The property had earlier associations with Feliciano Romo, who is identified in accounts as one of its first known owners. López and his family developed the estate into a significant tequila operation, and the business remained under family control for more than a century. The Herradura name means “horseshoe” in Spanish. Company tradition attributes the name and the horseshoe emblem to a horseshoe discovered on the hacienda by Aurelio López while he was inspecting the agave fields. The object was treated as a lucky sign and eventually became the identity of the tequila. The brand was formally registered in Mexico City in 1928, with the horseshoe used as its principal mark. Herradura has emphasized production methods associated with traditional tequila making. Its tequilas are made from 100% blue agave and are produced in Amatitán. The brand has historically used clay or brick ovens, extended fermentation, and wild yeast, although production has also incorporated modern laboratories, utilities, and quality-control systems. The original factory was replaced by a newer facility in the 1960s and preserved as a museum. The hacienda and distillery also became attractions connected with regional tequila tourism, including the Tequila Express route from Guadalajara. The portfolio developed beyond the original Herradura range. Añejo was introduced during the 1960s, Reposado followed in 1974, and the extra-añejo Selección Suprema was introduced in 1995. The company launched el Jimador in 1994 and New Mix, a ready-to-drink tequila and grapefruit-soda beverage, in 1997. These products helped make Grupo Industrial Herradura an important participant in the Mexican tequila and tequila-based beverage markets. After disputes involving family ownership interests and agricultural land during the 1990s, the company bought back foreign-held shares in 2004 and became wholly Mexican-owned again. Brown-Forman acquired the company’s assets in 2007. The transaction transferred ownership to a major United States beverage group while leaving production in Amatitán under a Mexican operating subsidiary. Since the acquisition, Brown-Forman has expanded Herradura’s distribution and marketing, and the brand has become available through its network in a broad range of international markets. Today, Herradura is positioned as a premium, heritage-oriented tequila brand. Its range includes Blanco, Reposado, Añejo, Ultra, Selección Suprema, Antiguo, and limited or special barrel-finished releases. The brand combines a historic hacienda story and traditional production cues with contemporary premiumization, collector programs, cultural partnerships, and charitable promotional activity.
History
The site associated with Herradura had been used for tequila production before the brand’s formal establishment. Feliciano Romo is identified as an early owner of the property. The modern corporate history begins with Félix López, who worked as administrator for Josefa Salazar and her sons before taking control of the distillery and agave fields in 1870. He registered the operation under the name Hacienda San José del Refugio. López and his wife, Carmen Rosales, modernized production at the hacienda. After López died in 1878, Rosales continued the business with the assistance of her brother Ambrosio Rosales and Ambrosio’s wife, Elisa Gómez Cuervo. Ownership later passed to López’s son Aurelio and daughter María de Jesús. Improvements to rail transport in the late nineteenth century expanded tequila’s distribution within Mexico and helped the hacienda’s production gain wider recognition. Aurelio is associated with the adoption of the Herradura name. According to the company’s traditional account, he found a horseshoe shining in the agave fields and regarded it as a fortunate discovery. The Spanish word for horseshoe, herradura, became the brand name and supplied its distinctive emblem. During the Cristero War in the 1920s, Aurelio and María de Jesús were sympathetic to the religious movement. Government forces surrounded the hacienda, and the siblings escaped; Aurelio did not return. Their cousin David Rosales subsequently managed the property. He maintained the tequila as 100% agave at a time when producers could reduce costs by blending agave spirits with other sugars. The Herradura trademark was registered in Mexico City in 1928. María de Jesús later returned to the estate and became known locally for charitable work, including projects intended to improve water access around Amatitán. The family retained control of the hacienda and brand for more than a hundred years. In the 1960s, a replacement factory was built and the older production building was preserved as a museum. Herradura Añejo appeared during this period, while the first Herradura Reposado was introduced in 1974. The company expanded its portfolio in the 1990s. The el Jimador brand was introduced in 1994 and became the leading tequila brand in Mexico according to the cited reference material. Extra-añejo Selección Suprema was introduced in 1995, and New Mix, a canned tequila-and-grapefruit-soda drink, followed in 1997. These launches broadened the company from a single heritage tequila label into a wider spirits and ready-to-drink beverage group. Ownership disputes emerged during the 1990s over family share sales and agave-growing land, including questions surrounding shares held by non-Mexican entities. In 2004, Herradura bought back foreign-held shares and returned to wholly Mexican ownership. The company was then sold in 2007 to Brown-Forman for a reported amount, but the financial figure is omitted here because the available reference does not provide an independently verified financial source suitable for this dossier. Brown-Forman kept production in Amatitán through Grupo Industrial Herradura and expanded the brand’s international distribution. The distillery invested in water-treatment facilities, laboratories, and other infrastructure, while maintaining traditional elements such as agave roasting and long maturation. Herradura’s promotional work has included the Kentucky Derby, barrel-purchase programs, and art collaborations. The hacienda remains central to the brand’s heritage, tourism presence, and storytelling.
- 2013
Colección de la Casa releases
[1]Herradura released limited-market Reposado expressions finished or partially matured in Port and Cognac barrels.
- 2012
142nd-anniversary art program
[1]The brand invited 142 artists to participate in an expanded Arte en Barricas program, with works later exhibited and auctioned for charity.
- 2011
Arte en Barricas begins
[1]Herradura began an art competition in which artists transformed tequila barrels into artworks.
- 2008
Official Tequila of the Kentucky Derby
[1]Herradura was promoted as the official tequila of the Kentucky Derby.
- 2007
Brown-Forman acquisition
[1]Brown-Forman acquired Grupo Industrial Herradura and added the tequila business to its international beverage portfolio.
- 2004
Foreign-held shares bought back
[1]Herradura repurchased foreign-owned shares and returned to wholly Mexican ownership.
- 1997
New Mix introduced
[1]The company launched New Mix, a ready-to-drink tequila and grapefruit-soda beverage.
- 1995
Selección Suprema introduced
[1]Herradura launched its extra-añejo Selección Suprema expression.
- 1994
el Jimador launched
[1]The company introduced el Jimador, a 100% agave tequila named after agave harvesters.
- 1974
Herradura Reposado introduced
[1]The company introduced its first Reposado expression, establishing a major long-aged category within the portfolio.
Products and positioning
Premium, heritage-led Mexican tequila distinguished by 100% blue-agave production, traditional methods, extended maturation, and its historic Amatitán hacienda.
Tequila
Herradura Blanco
A 100% blue-agave tequila presented without the extended wood maturation associated with Herradura’s aged expressions. Blanco serves as the base expression for the brand’s range and emphasizes the character of the cooked agave and distillate.
Aged tequila · 1974
Herradura Reposado
Herradura’s Reposado is matured in wood barrels for an extended period and is one of the brand’s principal flagship products. The expression helped establish the company’s reputation for combining traditional production with substantial barrel aging.
Aged tequila · 1960
Herradura Añejo
An aged 100% agave tequila introduced during the 1960s. Añejo is positioned around deeper oak influence and a fuller, more mature flavor profile than Blanco or Reposado.
Extra-añejo tequila · 1995
Herradura Selección Suprema
Herradura’s extra-añejo flagship, introduced in 1995 and described in the reference material as receiving 49 months of oak maturation. It occupies the luxury end of the portfolio and has been presented in premium packaging intended to communicate its long aging period.
Extra-añejo tequila
Herradura Ultra
A premium Herradura expression associated with the brand’s extra-aged and luxury offerings. It is marketed as a collectible-style tequila rather than as an entry-level expression.
Tequila
Herradura Antiguo
An additional Herradura tequila expression included in the company’s broader range. It extends the portfolio beyond the core Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo architecture.
Limited-edition tequila · 2013
Colección de la Casa
A limited-market collection introduced in 2013 featuring Reposado tequilas that used non-traditional finishing or maturation combinations, including Port and Cognac barrels alongside traditional oak.
100% agave tequila · 1994
el Jimador
A tequila brand launched by the Herradura group in 1994 and named for the workers who harvest agave. It became one of the strongest products in the Mexican tequila market and is described in the reference material as the country’s best-selling tequila brand.
Ready-to-drink tequila beverage · 1997
New Mix
A canned tequila-and-grapefruit-soda beverage introduced in 1997. New Mix broadened the group’s presence beyond bottled tequila and became a leading product in Mexico’s tequila-based ready-to-drink category.
Marketing campaigns
- 2012142nd-anniversary Arte en Barricas program
Mexico
For its 142nd anniversary, Herradura expanded the barrel-art initiative to 142 artists, including established figures such as José Luis Cuevas and Sebastián. The program offered several cash prizes and organized public exhibitions. The resulting works were exhibited and auctioned for the benefit of Bécalos, Museo de Arte Popular, Sólo por Ayudar, and Hogar Cabañas.
Outcome. The resulting works were exhibited and auctioned for the benefit of Bécalos, Museo de Arte Popular, Sólo por Ayudar, and Hogar Cabañas.
- 2011Arte en Barricas
Mexico
Herradura invited artists to transform used tequila barrels into artworks. The initiative connected the brand’s production heritage with contemporary Mexican art. Works were displayed in museums and later auctioned, with proceeds directed to charitable organizations.
Outcome. Works were displayed in museums and later auctioned, with proceeds directed to charitable organizations.
- 2010Buy-the-Barrel
United States
Herradura offered tequila enthusiasts the opportunity to purchase an entire barrel of Reposado, said to yield approximately 240 bottles. The program targeted collectors and knowledgeable tequila consumers. The program created a direct premium and collector-oriented experience; no financial or volume outcome is provided in the reference.
Outcome. The program created a direct premium and collector-oriented experience; no financial or volume outcome is provided in the reference.
- 2008Kentucky Derby official tequila partnership
United States
Herradura was promoted as the official tequila for the Kentucky Derby, linking the heritage tequila brand with a major American sporting and hospitality event. The partnership increased the brand’s visibility in the United States; the available reference does not provide quantified campaign results.
Outcome. The partnership increased the brand’s visibility in the United States; the available reference does not provide quantified campaign results.
Brand decisions
2013
Launch of Colección de la Casa barrel-finished ReposadosProduct launchBackground
Herradura sought to extend its premium aging credentials through experimentation with casks beyond standard oak.
Action taken
The company released limited-market Reposado expressions involving Port and Cognac barrel maturation or finishing.
Aftermath
The releases added limited-edition and barrel-experimentation dimensions to the Herradura portfolio in Mexico, the United States, El Salvador, and Australia.
2012
Selección Suprema packaging redesignOtherBackground
The extra-añejo Selección Suprema was positioned as a premium, traditionally made product whose packaging needed to communicate its long maturation and heritage.
Action taken
Herradura redesigned the Selección Suprema package to emphasize the traditional character of the production process.
Aftermath
The redesign supported the product’s luxury and heritage positioning; no quantified commercial result is provided.
2007
Sale to Brown-FormanM&ABackground
After more than a century of family ownership and a period of ownership disputes, Grupo Industrial Herradura became an acquisition target for a large international beverage company.
Action taken
Brown-Forman acquired the company’s assets and integrated Herradura and related brands into its global distribution network while maintaining production in Amatitán through a Mexican subsidiary.
Aftermath
Herradura expanded its international reach and continued to operate from its historic Jalisco facilities under Brown-Forman ownership.
2004
Reacquisition of foreign-held sharesStrategyBackground
Family ownership disputes in the 1990s included disagreements over share sales and agave-growing land, with some legal issues connected to interests held by non-Mexican entities.
Action taken
Herradura bought back foreign-owned shares and restored wholly Mexican ownership before the later sale to Brown-Forman.
Aftermath
The company remained Mexican-owned until Brown-Forman acquired its assets in 2007.
Recent events
- 2013
Herradura launches Colección de la Casa barrel-finished releases[1]
Product launch · Product generation
Herradura introduced limited-market Reposado expressions that combined traditional oak maturation with finishing or partial maturation in Port and Cognac barrels.
- 2007
Brown-Forman acquires Grupo Industrial Herradura[1]
M&A
Brown-Forman acquired the assets of Grupo Industrial Herradura, bringing the Mexican tequila producer and its brands into the United States beverage company’s portfolio while retaining production in Amatitán.
- 2007
Herradura named distillery of the year[1]
Other
Wine Enthusiast recognized Herradura as its distillery of the year during the period in which the brand entered Brown-Forman ownership.
Sources2 sources
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