Juan Pablo “JP” De Loera

Co-Founder and certified lead Catador

Hailing from Guadalajara, Mexico, and San Antonio, Texas, a career and love for Agave was inevitable for Juan Pablo. In 2008, he embarked on a journey to learn about tequila by immersing himself in the world of agave growers, jimadores, and master distillers. Juan Pablo’s passion for tequila led him to travel the world, where he had the opportunity to meet top bartenders and mixologists. Inspired by the talent surrounding him, he opened ‘400 Conejos,’ a tequila and agave spirits cocktail bar in Guadalajara.

With a desire to share his knowledge and passion for tequila, Juan Pablo joined Pernod Ricard Mexico in 2011. In this role, he developed and executed global tequila education programs for Olmeca Tequila, including Tezon and Altos. One of his main focuses was the development of bartenders worldwide through the Tahona Society, an initiative that brought bartenders together to exchange tequila knowledge and its application in their bars.

Each year, the Tahona Society selected a winning bartender from each Pernod Ricard affiliate to participate in the international cocktail competition in Jalisco. Juan Pablo had the opportunity to visit and lead seminars in various countries, including Ukraine, UK, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Russia, Greece, Turkey, USA, Canada, and Austria, further extending the brand equity of Olmeca Tequilas at phenomenal bars across these regions.

From 2012 to 2016, Juan Pablo joined William Grant as the Milagro Ambassador for Texas, focusing on building the brand through media outreach, creating events, and educating distributors, consumers, and food and beverage teams on tequila origin, production, and cocktails. In 2016, he broadened his skill set with The Edrington Group as a Market Manager.

Transitioning from a marketing background to a commercially driven role for the first time, Juan Pablo managed the distributor relationship in Austin and San Antonio, Texas, for both on-premise programming and off-premise independents. His goal was to ensure a balance between distributor, consumer, and accounts, driving growth for the entire portfolio, increasing brand awareness, creating demand, and generating sales.

Continuing his dedication to the growth and development of the Agave spirits industry, Juan Pablo took on roles with El Tequileño Tequila and Dos Hombres Mezcal. As part of these teams, he worked closely with distributors, retailers, and industry professionals to promote and educate about their respective brands.

Juan Pablo has received several notable accolades throughout his career. He earned the “Técnico Tequilero” degree jointly from the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara (UAG) and the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT), the official governing body of Tequila. In addition, he holds a Master Taster certification from the Academia Mexicana de Catadores de Tequila, Vino y Mezcal AC, and has received recognition from Cultura y Capacitación de Tequila.

Juan Pablo’s expertise has been highlighted at some of the country’s most renowned cocktail events, including the San Antonio Cocktail Conference, Tales of the Cocktail, Arizona Cocktail Week, Austin Food & Wine, and New Mexico Cocktails & Culture. He has also been featured on various media outlets, including Telemundo Dallas & Indianapolis, Univision Dallas, Fox KABB San Antonio, CW Dallas, ABC KSAT 12, and the San Antonio Express News,

Ignacio De Loera

Co-Founder

JP on the left, Ignacio on the right.

Ignacio De Loera, a seasoned technology professional hailing from Guadalajara, Mexico, who now lives in  San Antonio, Texas, has a remarkable track record of working with top technology companies selling to US and Latin America.

With extensive experience in companies like Rackspace, Google, Spark Cognition, and his current position at Snowflake, Ignacio has developed a strong aptitude for delivering innovative solutions and results to organizations in the region.

One of Ignacio’s key insights in the corporate world is the importance of team building for increasing employee engagement and driving higher performance. Recognizing this need, he has dedicated himself to fostering strong and cohesive teams within organizations, understanding that collaborative and motivated teams are essential for achieving success in today’s competitive landscape.

Ignacio’s charismatic personality and exceptional relationship-building skills have allowed him to establish meaningful connections with colleagues, clients, and partners. He firmly believes that nurturing positive relationships and promoting team building activities are essential for creating a thriving work environment and fostering a culture of collaboration and excellence.