Olmeca Altos™ Completes Its Trifecta With The Addition Of Añejo To The Family

NEW YORK, April 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- This spring, Olmeca Altos welcomes its latest product, Añejo – thereby completing the power of three for the Altos Tequila family. With the same well-balanced and rounded aroma that the Olmeca Altos distillery is known for, Añejo is aged for eighteen months in oak barrels and has woody notes and vanilla and chocolate flavors that is enhanced by the sweet, cooked agave taste and notes of dried fruit and almonds.

Building on Altos' success with Plata and Reposado, Añejo will provide an even greater presence for the brand just in time for spring and summertime sipping in limited markets across the country.  The three options in the portfolio, now available, continue to encompass the mixable 100% blue agave tequila that drinkers love.

Altos was initially created by bartenders for bartenders through a partnership with UK's most prominent mixologists Henry Besant and Dre Masso, alongside Master Distiller, Jesús Hernández, who understood the need for a superior-quality product at affordable prices. Staying true to its brand ethos, Añejo was also developed by Hernández, in collaboration with internationally-known US bartender Charles Joly and UK Altos Brand Ambassador Matthias Lataille. Together they created a new premium addition to the Altos family that sets it apart from other spirits in the category due to its distinguishable flavor and accessible price. Created 7,000 feet above sea level in the volcanic red earth in the highlands of Los Altos, Jalisco, Añejo is crafted in the same artisanal production methods as its predecessors – Altos Reposado and Altos Blanco. Handpicked at peak ripeness, the blue agave is slow cooked at low temperatures and then is extracted, in part, with the 500-year old Tahona method in which a volcanic millstone rolls over the cooked agave to crush the pinas to expose the juice and fiber of the plant. The extracted juice and fiber are added to the fermentation and distillation process to deliver the rich, sweet taste and citric aroma.

"As tequila continues to grow steadily in the US, Añejo is a long-awaited and exciting addition to the Altos family," said Clare Kanter, Vice President, White Spirits & Export, Pernod Ricard USA. "It is crafted with the same traditional techniques revered by Altos drinkers, while enhancing the flavor range for an original and complex taste. We are proud to work with a team that strives to create a superior-quality product and continues to set new standards within the tequila category."

"I'm very excited for the launch of Añejo, as I have used Plata and Reposado at my bars for many years and believe the launch rounds out the Altos family perfectly," said Charles Joly, bartender and mixologist. "I've had the pleasure of spending a great deal of time at the distillery where Altos is expertly crafted and visited their agave fields so I am confident drinkers will enjoy Altos Añejo in cocktails or when sipped neat."

Altos Añejo is available on-premise in select markets including California, Colorado, Illinois, Florida, New York and Texas at a suggested price of $34.99 for 750 mL.

Sip Añejo cocktails at home with the following signature recipes:

AÑEJO NEAT/ROCKS
2 parts Altos Añejo
Build in rocks glass over ice or neat.

ALTOS ANEJO MANHATTAN
2 parts Altos Añejo
1 part Carpano Antica®
2 dashes of bitters
Stirred over ice, strained into a chilled glass, garnished and served straight up.

MEXICAN COFFEE 
2 parts Altos Añejo
2 parts coffee
Heavy cream
Dulce de leche
In a clear coffee mug mix Altos and coffee.
Whip together equal parts heavy cream and dulce de leche. Layer cream on top of coffee.
Garnish the top with grated lime zest.

For additional information please visit https://www.altostequila.com/.

Enjoy with 100% Responsibility.

OLMECA ALTOS™ TEQUILA. 100% Blue Agave. Product of Mexico. 40% Alc./Vol. (80 Proof)/

©2016 Imported by Pernod Ricard USA, Purchase, NY.

About Pernod Ricard USA® 

Pernod Ricard USA is the premium spirits and wine company in the U.S., and the largest subsidiary of Paris, France-based Pernod Ricard SA, which employs a workforce of approximately 18,000 people worldwide and is listed on the NYSE Euronext exchange (Ticker: RI).

The company's leading spirits and wines include such prestigious brands as Absolut® Vodka, Tequila Avión®, Chivas Regal® Scotch Whisky, The Glenlivet® Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Jameson® Irish Whiskey, Malibu®, Kahlúa®, Aberlour Single Malt Scotch, Olmeca Altos™, Beefeater® Gin, Lot No. 40™ and Pike Creek®, Midleton®, Paddy®, Powers®, Redbreast®, Plymouth®, Seagram's® Extra Dry Gin®, Martell® Cognac, Lillet®, Hiram Walker®, Pernod®, Ricard®; and such superior wines as Kenwood Vineyards®, Brancott Estate®, Campo Viejo®, Graffigna® and Jacob's Creek®; and such exquisite champagnes and sparkling wines as Perrier-Jouët® Champagne, G.H. Mumm™ Champagne and Mumm Napa® sparkling wines.

Pernod Ricard USA is based in Purchase, New York, and has roughly 850 employees across the country. Pernod Ricard USA urges all adults to consume its products responsibly and in moderation. For more information, please visit: www.responsibility.org.

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SOURCE Pernod Ricard USA