QUI TEQUILA WAS FOUNDED WITH ONE GOAL IN MIND – TO DEMOCRATIZE THE EXTRA AÑEJO CATEGORY
Every idea starts with a problem. Ours was simple: the finest aged tequilas, especially the coveted Extra Añejos - the sipping tequilas aged a minimum of 3 years - just weren’t accessible. Our cofounder Medhat spent years traveling throughout Mexico in the '90s. He'd fallen in love with these fine aged tequilas and brought them back to New York over the years to share with his circle of friends. He’d come to love the incredible flavor and super smooth finish, but it was something that could only be enjoyed on special occasions as most sold for a few hundred dollars a bottle.
Why were the Extra Añejos incredibly expensive? Good question.
It turns out the spirits industry is dominated by a handful of players that focus on volume. And most of the volume comes from the unaged blanco as it is less expensive and less time consuming to produce because there aren't any of the costs associated with the process of aging a tequila.
The finest liquid that had been aged for over three years - the rare and highly coveted Extra Añejo tequila - was produced in limited quantities and brought to market as the “Rolls Royce.” Packaged in hand blown bottles, they are typically sold for hundreds of dollars a bottle as it allowed brands to keep profits artificially high and create brand exclusivity.
QUI as created with the goal of democratizing this Extra Añejo category.
Does an Extra Añejo tequila cost more to produce because of an additional three years of aging, storage in barrels, warehouses, personnel, and evaporation over time? It sure does. But that's an investment we choose to make. We don't spend millions on billboards or TV ads. We invest in people and creating an exceptional (and award winning!) Extra Añejo that we can bring to market within reach.
For that reason, we don't make a Blanco (unaged), Reposado (aged for up to 1 year), or even an Añejo (aged 1-3 years).
Just a single expression - the Extra Añejo - as our goal was to make one the finest sipping tequilas in the world, accessible. We hope you enjoy it.
Medhat, Mike & Pete