Tequila Wars: José Cuervo and the Bloody Struggle for the Spirit of Mexico

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I am amazed by the research that Ted Genoways has done on the Cuervo family. I treasure these stories of more than two hundred years of my ancestors, particularly the stories of the life of my great-uncle Jose Cuervo--and every word of it is true. . . . May Tequila Wars be read widely, now and for generations to come.--Luís Cuervo Hernández, author of La Familia Cuervo

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Ted Genoways is one of the most intoxicating scribes in the country today. If he can knock you out with his prose, imagine what he can do with an unlimited flow of tequila! This is the best kind of history book--one that reveals astonishments, surprises and even mythology about something we think we know so well. After you read this book, every sip of tequila will put you back on the road with Ted, sharing the mystery, history and delight of this Spirit of Mexico. I will travel anywhere with him.--Luis Alberto Urrea, author of The Devil's Highway

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A dizzying tale... Mexico should be grateful to Mr. Genoways for bringing [José Cuervo] back from the dead.--Tunku Varadarajan "Wall Street Journal"

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Full of spirit and spirits... An excellent choice for those interested in the history of spirits as well as readers of Mexican history.--Caitlin Cundiff "Booklist"

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The comprehensive story of a liquor empire built during a pivotal period in Mexican history... This rich, edifying book remedies a striking gap in the historical record.-- "Kirkus Reviews"

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Finally, Ted Genoways brings us the real truth . . . the vibrant and violent past of the Cuervo and Sauza families, brought to life as only Genoways knows how, and all of it backed by detailed research in the historical documents. Tequila Wars is the book we've been waiting for.--Guillermo Erickson Sauza, director general of Tequila Los Abuelos

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In Tequila Wars, Genoways shows us how important a part of Mexican history José Cuervo was, both the man and the brand.--Camper English "Food & Wine"

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A nuanced portrait of an elusive figure... Genoways has dug deep to find [a complex life behind this name].--J. D. Biersdorfer "New York Times"

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Lively... Genoways offers a rigorous and unique lens on Mexico's revolutionary period.-- "Publishers Weekly"

Brief Description:
"At the dawn of the twentieth century, Josâe Cuervo inherited his familys humble distillery, La Rojeäna, in the Tequila Valley. Within a decade, he had transformed it into a complex national enterprise that would become Mexicos leading producer of tequila. Cuervo grew his kingdom of agave by acquiring thousands of acres of estates throughout the valley; he brought electricity and a railroad line to Tequila, so he could reach drinkers across the country. But when the Mexican Revolution erupted, a charge of treason and a death threat against him by Pancho Villa forced Cuervo to flee. His disappearance turned him into an obscure, shadowy historical figure--despite having one of the most famous names in Mexican history."--

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A twist of historical intrigue, stirred with revolutionary violence and Prohibition smuggling... Genoways brings [Cuervo] to life.--Clifford Krauss "Air Mail"

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The best books fundamentally alter your sense of history. Ted Genoways's Tequila Wars is a little bit Gabriel García Márquez, a little bit Mario Puzo, maybe a little bit Deadwood, and even a little bit Cormac McCarthy, at times. It's the history of a man who becomes a brand.--J.C. Hallman "The Brooklyn Rail"

Publisher Marketing:

At the dawn of the twentieth century, José Cuervo inherited his family's humble distillery, La Rojeña, in the Tequila Valley. Within a decade, he had transformed it into a complex national enterprise that would become Mexico's leading producer of tequila. Cuervo grew his kingdom of agave by acquiring thousands of acres of estates throughout the valley; he brought electricity and a railroad line to Tequila, so he could reach drinkers across the country. But when the Mexican Revolution erupted, a charge of treason and a death threat against him by Pancho Villa forced Cuervo to flee. His disappearance turned him into an obscure, shadowy historical figure--despite having one of the most famous names in Mexican history.

In Tequila Wars, award-winning author Ted Genoways restores Cuervo to his place as a key player in Mexico's formative period. Before the revolution, Cuervo's acclaim spread worldwide, and once war broke out, Cuervo remained an impresario, kingmaker, and cultural force. In the face of his own government's corruption and the nationalism of his northern neighbors, Cuervo reached American drinkers by establishing Mexico's covert form of cross-border commerce with the United States. As the largest and most important distilleries in the Tequila Valley recognized the threat posed by Mexico's unraveling, Cuervo also lobbied for suspending normal competition in favor of "a union of tequila makers"--what would become the first Mexican cartel.

With extensive original research, including access to the secret archives of the Cuervo and Sauza families, Genoways follows the violent, unpredictable, and hugely profitable world of tequila through the story of its most successful maker. The first biography of Cuervo, Tequila Wars uncovers the history of the man who would forever change not only the business of tequila, but international relations between Mexico and the United States.

Review Citations:

• Kirkus Reviews 04/01/2025 (EAN 9780393292596, Hardcover)
• Publishers Weekly 05/19/2025 (EAN 9780393292596, Hardcover)
• Booklist 05/19/2025 (EAN 9780393292596, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:Genoways, Ted
Ted Genoways is a two-time James Beard Award winner and the author of six books, including Tequila Wars and This Blessed Earth. He is a senior editor at the Food & Environment Reporting Network and a President's Professor at the University of Tulsa, where he edits Switchyard.