Stay Tranquilo - The Story Behind Diplomatico Rum and How it Became a Global Brand 🥃

Episode Date: August 18, 2026

0:00 Intro, the pour & why Diplomático is a legacy brand 4:17 200 years of Venezuelan rum & going global (0 → 103) 10:09 The strategy: craft over budget & smart distribution 16:21 Community, hospitality & the people behind the brand 22:45 Cracking the US: sales, migration & the pandemic years 34:15 The Brown-Forman acquisition & keeping the soul 47:51 What's next: Café Diplomático & the go-to lineup Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Venezuela went to a very dark period of time, and we went through a massive migration. In a period of six years, almost 8 million people left the country. When that massive migration go to countries like Switzerland, Sweden, Czech Republic, U.S., of course, and they saw that diplomatically was there, it became a nostalgic product. Almost Venezuelans, they were kind of like reintroduced to the,

brand by people from other countries. So during that period, Diplomatico became that product that brings something very positive to talk about their country. It became that gift that Venezuela took to their friends, to their new communities, and they went to show something from their culture, and that was diplomatic on the table. All right, welcome back to another episode of Stay Tranquido. So today we have a very, very special guest, very special episode. We are here with Diplomatico Rum and Jose Luis.

Jose Luis, thank you so much for being here. Encanado. Thank you, Andre. Not especially, not even in my house, but thank you very much for inviting me and having me. I stay tranquil, man. Yes, exactly. I mean, diplomatico, we're going to pour a nice little cup here before we get started. But we have a coconut water ice cube.

with what dodea that we're going to have Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva. The flagship of Diplomatico are very smooth, easy sipping rum. And my personal favorite is made a big ice queue from coconut water, which should be the most in every fridge in America. The moment you mentioned it, I was like, how have I never done this before? So I'm only doing coconut water ice cubes from moving forward. Coconut water ice cube. That's it.

So let's pour a little glass here for en passad. Yes, please. Like I told you, I don't have media training. I don't think there's ever a perfect way to do this, but... This is my media training. Ah, right? There you go. Grazie.

A little bit of spilling. How do you say that in English? Pour one for the homies. For the homies. But, but salute, much thanks. Thank you again.

Cheers. Nicissimo. So what I like about this, and you're going to notice, as the ice is melting, is just releasing a saltiness to the drink that blend with the sweetness of the rum,

and it's just a little bit different every sip. Very rich. No. Delicious, just even thinking about it when you mentioned it before. But I do want to talk, obviously, about you,

about the rum diplomatico, a very legacy brand, right, to say the least. One that has been passed on from generation to generation is a representation of Sufamilia, the family of Venezuela. And, you know, something that, whether you're Latino, American, wherever you are,

you can appreciate what the brand represents, right? So talk to me a little bit about the beginning of Diplomatico, right? The inception of it, kind of the thought process of why diplomatico. And Diplomatico is such an impression, the story of resilient, of vision. And like you mentioned, it's a legacy brand, but we're still building that legacy, right? Like every, every day. And building a brand, it takes a village. It's not like one-person job. It takes like a village to help, to believe in the vision and put in the work.

So Diplomatico very briefly, very high level, is a Venezuelan brand. It's a Venezuelan rum brand. From day one, it was conceived to be the premium expression of Venezuelan Rome. So Venezuela, even we've been producing Rome for the last 200 years, it's not like when you think about wrong,

like now change a little bit. But normally it used to be when you were thinking about, when you were thinking about Rome, you were thinking about Jamaica, Cuba, Puerto Rico, but Venezuela is always been there. And the beauty about Rome,

I always said that wrong is the spirit of the Caribbean, you know. And the beauty is that every island, every country have the wrong identity. Venezuela and Rome have a very, very clear personality. It's very smooth. It's sweet but not overly sweet.

It has that vanilla flavor. because it's age, it's an age room. And Diplomatico, we always, the vision was always to make the finest and the most elegant or complex style of that Venezuelan. Right. However, it was a domestic brand. Diplomatico, it was only available in Venezuela until 2002, 2003,

when we started to export the brand for the first time. And in a very, in a relative short period of time, it went from zero countries to 100 countries available across the world. 2020, we reached 103 countries available. So, amazing story of brand building. Also for those who are familiar about brand building have like this general concept, right? from personal branding to selling tires to selling cereal. But the alcohol industry has such a unique matices and such a unique scenario that I was talking recently to a marketer,

high-end marketer, she used to work with Kellogg, she used to work with Procter & Gamble, this profile. It was her first time working in the alcohol industry. And she told me, we were in a bar, actually, here in Miami, shout out to La Troa in Cajie Ocho. The best. We were having a drink. And she told me something that for me is like my daily,

my daily. But she said, it's the first time after 20-something years as a marketer that I get to see the final consumer experience the product. because when you're marketing, when you're building a marketing campaign for, let's say, for a cereal, right? You build a strategy, you fill the

channel, by channel, but it go all the way to the product get to the shelf. Right. The client go to the grocery, buy the product from the shelf, take it home, and consume it at home. As a marketer, you don't get to see how the consumer

is engaging with your product. In the ICA business, you can go to a bar and you will see how the bartender is presenting this product to their client and how the client is reacting to that dream, to the bartender, to that recommendation, to the story of the brand. So as a marketer, that is a very unique scenario. And then when we build Diplomatico, 20-something years ago when we started the international expansion, if today age wrong and CP wrong,

It's still like a small, a small segment, a small category. Twenty-something years ago, it was almost non-existent. So we were one of the first brand as a pioneer to teach or to show that run can be a complex spirit, not only meant to be drink as a mixed product or in sweet drinks that you can actually have on the rocks or even knit. So that was part of like a very intense, very, very fun to a journey to build the brand as we were building also the category worldwide. Also, it was a good timing because it was kind of like the revival of the cocktail thing across the world. You know, like mixology took to a different, like start to bring back the classic, the speakeasy start to open across the world. London, New York, Pioneer markets,

then other markets can lay on the wave. But it definitely, I would say that today, today we probably are in a time where you can have a pretty decent, a really good cocktail, pretty much in any major city. See, I also see. But you talk about, right, the growth, right? You talk about the fact that 103 countries, right,

the scalability, but the reality is it is a competitive market, tam bien, right? So you talk about the marketing, you talk about the branding. What is it to you, right? Obviously, the quality of the product is great, right? An aged rum, something that you could sip like we're sipping right now on a cube, neat, but also there are a lot of good rums out there, right? And there are a lot of other spirits out there, too, right?

You have your whiskeys, your tequila, right? So not only you're computing, category in the spirit space, but you're also competing against other brands. How do you think Diplomatico separates itself? To be completely honest, it was a learning journey. When we started with, we knew and we were confident about the quality of our product, of our liquid, of our presentation. So when we start that journey of expanding to the international market,

we have different SKUs. We have Reserva, always was the flagship, but we also have an entry-level room, part of the label of Diplomatico. We thought because this was on the entry-level, it was more accessible, at one moment we thought that this was the product, you know? But very early, we realized that if we go to the mass volume category,

we start to knocking to the door to the biggest brand. And it becomes a marketing fight who have more marketing muscle, marketing body, right? So we were like we couldn't be in that category. So a couple elements make us change our strategy where we shift the focus to that segment, and we were like, okay, what makes us like really different, Anejo, it was the name of that label.

Some people that know Diplomatico, they still miss that liquid because it was a beautiful run to mix. But what makes us very different, it was the formula of Reserva. It was the fact that we were bringing up a run that it doesn't need to be mixed. The beauty of run is that is the versatility. You can make beautiful cocktails. Right.

And I don't have anything against vodka. But vodka is very clean, very deep. It's very clean. Bodka doesn't change the flavor of your drink. Ron does. But by far, the most distinctive liquid, it was Reserva. So we take the decision or shift the focus, and we're like, let's focus on Reserva,

where we don't have to, like, it's not about, it's not as much as marketing budget. The category of premium is more about the craft and about, you know, the craft and the quality. So in terms of quality, we were sure that we could be next to every other brand in every other spirit, right, side to side. So that was one thing, focus on the product that really differentiate us from the other brands.

And the other very strategic, a very strategic move that we did, it was in the expansion, of course, we were looking for the volumes to maintain, to make it affordable, right? But with the focus of premium and craft, we pay way more attention into the quality of the distribution

versus the reach of the distribution. So, first, in this, I'm going to make a parenthesis and going back. And the first year, we found an importer in Spain, but we didn't know much about them. Like, we didn't have many networks outside of Venezuela. We were just happy that somebody pays some interest about us. And they first order, it was an aggressive one. The second, it was an aggressive one.

And we're like, wow, this guy are buying by container. And then we were going market visit to Spain. we don't see the product in many places. Then we start to open other markets. And then we realized that this guy, it was buying from Spain, but he wasn't selling in Spain. He was selling all over the world.

In India, Australia, blah, blah. At the moment, it wasn't like, at least he's buying. But as we were building our distributor network network, we're like, okay, this guy is a problem. So that is a perfect example of the, filter that we were applying. We were looking for to be in the right places,

in the right account, versus being everywhere. Right. So that was this, that was the solid pillars that we have with diplomatic. We applied that in every market that we went. And another

thing or another reason why we could build a brand this way, it was because back in Venezuela, we have a major portfolio Venezuela back in this is 20, 2000, from 2003, 2008. Of course, there was a political aspect going on, but economic-wise, it was a relative normal country.

So the business in Venezuela, it was in a good shape and that allowed us to take our time on building diplo outside. Part of the vision and the risk that we took, it was to expand to the international market when we need it because Venezuela was doing great. Year after because we were lucky

to, we've been lucky. Diplomatico is being locked. Our group has been locked. There's only a little bit of luck. It's been left. Always, man. Because then think that Diplomatically was having a good success international-wise,

we could maintain the operation in Venezuela during the dark time of Venezuela, right? So that's why I say that the story of Diplo is a story of vision, of believing in our product, resilient, but also of taking risk. Because if we wanted to play in our comfort zone, we wouldn't, you know, explore the international market. And other brand is interesting,

how now Venezuela and Ron have is a category, they're no in the industry. And other brands, even older than Diplo, they try to follow us, right? But building a brand, you cannot cut corners. It takes time and it takes a lot of effort and passion. See, because in the process of building that brand,

right, which I think DiPromatigo has done a phenomenal job of this, right, is the community, right? Community, huge. The people that drink it, right? Because when you go to the liquor store or you go to your supermarket, right, to go buy anything, right? the cereal, the liquor, whatever it may be,

you're making a conscious decision to choose that bottle, right? And even if it's the first time, sometimes it's just the way it looks, right? And the way it kind of speaks to you, you're like, you know what, I want to try this. Then you let the product speak for yourself and you're like, okay, wow, this is a really good product. I want to drink this again and I want to eat this again and I want to repeat it, right? Because no business can sustain itself if there's no repeatability to it, right? And that's part of that brand aspect where to build a real, brand, right? There is no cutting corners. You have to create a very good product, but you have to

create a sentiment with the consumer so that you can have that consumer, that community aspect. And I will add to that impression, which is 100% true, is that it's not only the people that consume your product, is the people who is selling your product. And it doesn't matter if you are, you know, the flavor of the month. Let's say the popular kids. see. If the people behind your product, they don't care, and they're not like good people, your product is not going to move. And I have, like, I remember he used to have a very good bar here in Miami, Esotico.

And he's a huge guy in the tiki culture. He's called Daniel de la Pola. He told me once, I was like hustling, throwing bottles everywhere. And he's like, Jose, I don't buy brands. I buy brand from the people that I really like. And, bam, he brought Diplo and he was, it's being a beautiful relationship since then. But community is huge.

And community is huge. Of course, my experience is in the alcohol business, but it's impressive, like something that I love about, about my job of what I do is our community. The hospital, because we touch different aspects or different industry. But the hospitality industry, the hospitality industry, that is one of the most human communities

that you can found in every pocket of every city. And we are in Miami, based in Miami. I'm as many, I'm a Miami adopted. I'm born and raised in Venezuela, but I live in Miami since 2014. Why should, not Miami. I live in Doral. Doral.

Since 2014. And brother, it's amazing. It's amazing this industry, like in the moment or how in difficult moment, it came together. You know, pandemic, Florida, but Miami, it was a very unique scenario. And we saw the power of community coming together, though. Personally, I felt very closely, like a month ago, Venezuela was hit by two massive earthquake. And it was overwhelming to see how many people. all over the country, all over the world.

They came with their own initiative to raise, you know, funds or to find a way to help. So big shout out to the hospitality and to the liquor industry. No, absolutely. The community, right, the community, exactly. And going to that really quick, it was impressive to see how the people rally together. And it's in those moments when you really get to see. we live in this world, right, where, you know, feels like we're so divided. But in those moments, you realize we're actually more connected.

You put everything aside, you know, politically, emotionally, whatever it is, right, that you have your differences with people. But in those moments, you're like, it doesn't matter what's happening. We're here to help and we're here to support and we're not going to wait for someone. We're going to do it ourselves, right? And I think that's what's more impressive than anything else. I agree. I think we could see a little bit about, like, during the World Cup.

which is like... See, that's the best. The workup year is a good year. But the World Cup also shows us that a lot of time we think through social media, through the different channels, that they're trying to portray that we are more divided that we actually are.

I'm very lucky to... In my job, I get to travel a lot across the country. And I go from a bulletproof liquor store to the most fine dining restaurant in a matter of hours. And you get to see, you know, a really good sample of the country, you know, and there are people.

And I don't think we are as divided as they try to show us. And I'm talking about Miami, Florida. I was in Massachusetts recently, like New Orleans. I think people, people, we get along way much better than people that media try to portray. And I think hospitality, like you mentioned, is a great way that it gets people together, right?

You're sitting at the bar next to somebody that you've never met before. You spark a conversation becomes a person now that you've acquainted, maybe even a friend, right? Sports is another one that, like you said, World Cup, brings people together. So that's why I think this space and specifically is very interesting, right? Because it brings people together, right? When you talk about your best moments and your best memories, it's always around other people, right? And it's not about faking, because when you try to fake, to be polite,

it's rude. It's very rude. So good hospitality. People get picked that up, too. Easily. And we can see it in Esport. You know,

like when you're watching a sport or when you are out there and playing, even with people that you don't know, trash talk is part of the, you know, it's part of the experience. You know, I think. People can handle it very well with respect. Absolutely. So fast forward a little bit of time, right?

You guys make a presence now internationally. You said it, right? It was a risk that you guys had to take. And the timing of it was very important, right? Because Venezuela was kind of going through its moment with the business, right? But you guys start to make market penetration not only here in the United States, but globally. Talk to me about what that process was like, right?

on the sales infrastructure side, right, having the reps going from retail store to retail store. Because I remember early on, I worked in that space before I started to stay tranquil. And I did with kind bars, right, the snack bars. Right. And part of my job was going to the stores, making relationships with the managers, fighting for shelf space, right? And again, another space that was saturated. A lot of protein bars on the show.

and snack bars like Cliff and all these other bars, right? And my job was to say like, hey, kind needs to be on the shelf and this is why and I would sample the product in the store. What was your guys kind of process in introducing the product into the marketplace but also saying, hey, this is where our product should be. This is how we fight for our shelf space.

Absolutely. Again, it's a learning, it was always being a learning journey even today. Yeah. You know, and I think one of the thing is that you have to be aware that you have to be able to pivot. And as soon as you realize that you have to adapt, you know, to certain circumstances, is better. One of the thing is like, for years, our biggest market, it was Europe. So Diplomatico became almost a phenomenal in country like France. France, Czech Republic, Czech Republic is like a county in Texas

and those guys, they were our second biggest market. Really? But in one moment, diplomatico, it was more no and way more the volume it was bigger in Europe than even in Venezuela. That's to give you an idea. So one of the challenge it was to understand that whatever work in Europe is like it doesn't apply to the US and vice versa. Whatever works in the US, it doesn't apply in Europe.

I have met so many friends in the industry that they have success in Europe and they came with the mentality of how they do it here. And it doesn't work. Right. It's frustrated. So we were there, but we were able to learn about that very quick. and we kind of like split the strategy. So one thing it was, for instance, about realizing that it's not working

and you have to pivot. The early years for Diplo in the US, we tried to pursue, we were trying to go after the Venezuelan demographic. Very quickly, we find out or we realized that it wasn't resonating. Like we were getting the respond that we were expecting. Venezuelans back in the time, those who were in the U.S., they were drinking whiskey. And when they saw that the price of a rum made in Venezuela, it was similar to their, whatever whiskey blend whiskey they were having, they didn't call us.

So we have a bit, then we're like, okay, we shouldn't go after Venezuela. Let's go to the general market. and again craft premium let's go after those bars who are having a moment right now creating a momentum of craft cocktails

and bringing back the classic with a twist and that is where we have a really success you know like Diplomatico Reserva became that a bartender choice in those bars

many bars they were having diplo just for the staff. And we were getting our ball, our balls rotating for the staff. But then something happened. And Venezuela went to a very dark period of time. And we went through a massive migration. Massive migration.

In a period of six years, almost eight million people left the country. What happened? And not to bring down the vibes in the conversation. But how that affect us, when that massive migration go to countries like Switzerland, Sweden, Czech Republic, US, of course, and they saw that diplomatically was there, it became a nostalgic product, right? And it was when the conversation about Venezuela,

it was always a negative angle from politic, corruption, economic downhill, blah, blah, blah. Diplomatico, it was already in a shelf or in a liquor store, and people were knowing, like, almost Venezuelans, they were kind of reintroduced to the brand by people from other countries. So during that period, Diplomatico became that product that brings something very positive to talk about their country.

And they became, like, big ambassadors. it became that gift that Venezuela took to their friends, to their new communities, and they went to show something from their culture, and that was diplomatic on the table. That's incredible. Then 2020 hit, everybody was, you know, super scared, bars, shut down. The good thing about, like, where we were,

we have a good present in liquor stores. In liquor store, it was a segment that, that, business kind of explode. At the moment, it was this app that it was called Drizzly. Drizley,

I did it. Drizley, they were about to bank up and then pandemic hit. 100% went up and Uber later bought Drisley. Exactly.

But it became like... No, insane. So brands who have a present in liquor store and have some recognition, they did good. We did good during those,

during those years. And also podcast start to, no, start. It was a thing, but during the pandemic went like that. Yes, because everybody was home. So it was like, what hobbies do you pick up? How do you use your, you know, your free time now? If you worked in office job, you were working at home. I remember like, like, like,

a, a martis. I'm there making a piñacalada and in the pool and just there on my computer. Everybody was like, what do you do with your time? You know? But you had to have some sort of brand recognition at that point, right? Because, yes, maybe you were willing to try something, butro, you're like, I don't know when I'm going to leave my house. So I need something that I know I'm going to enjoy in the house, right?

Where I'm not going to a bar, but I can have the bar at the house. So those elements and being always very intentional to whatever we did, it really held the brand to positioning and to be there. Right. Another element, like for us, the New England market, it was a very tough one to crack. And we were able to partner with the Boston Red Sox for a period of time that it really held the brand in that region

because that is a thing or it's a brand that it really called to a mass and the loyalty of the France. Exactly. During that. And I remember, before signing that partnership, the thing it was last, like it was eliminated already. It was a horrible day, freezing, raining.

The thing he was losing, nine inning, and the stadium it was packed. And like, that doesn't happen, you know. It doesn't happen in Miami, unfortunately. Well, always being intentional, always, like understanding or believing in our product, believing in our product that we could be, you know, next to any other brand.

And be very responsible. about our community, about our industry, understanding to who we sell and then to who is consuming our product. Right. So fast forward, 2022 Diplomatico became a brand spirit of the year in the U.S., which it was a huge milestone because even we're living in the era of tequila and celebrity. And this is in the middle of celebrity brands, booming. Bourbon also huge. Rung or Dipri was always being a little bit above

of the train of the category. But the flavor of age run is very friendly. Instead of like you have some sweet note but without being overly sweet. If you like more high proof, you have some other expression that go crazy on high proof. if you have more funky, you have the Jamaican style. So the category of age run or sipping run

is a spirit that is very versatile and called to different audience for those more mature to sipping style or just for those who enjoy a cocktail like espresso martini or, you know. I've been putting people on... Because espresso martinis have been notorious with vodka. Of course.

Vodka and gym. When I first ever had my first ever had, first espresso martini with vodka, but I knew, I'm like, like, in my head, I'm like, this is not how an espresso martini should be drank, right? Like, you're talking about the notes of espresso, right, and how it can exasperate other, other flavors, especially in liquor. To your point earlier about vodka, right, nothing against vodka, but it doesn't have that element to it.

So I was like, a rum or even like a tequila reposado, right? Yeah. Could work well with espresso martinis. And now I only do my espresso martinis with rum. Or tequila. To understand flavors. If you follow this rule, it's always going to help.

If grow together, go together in terms of the soil. So flavors like coffee, rung, chocolate, tobacco, those came kind of from the same soil. If you pair those flavors,

regardless how, they're going to work. Like coffee and rung, espresso martini, beautiful, though. A cigar and rung. brown, gray, dark chocolate. And ground, it's really good.

So that always is a good, you know, like that. It grown from the same place. Exactly. I like that. So obviously you guys get the Spirit Award, right? You make the partnership with the Red Sox. But go down the line and you guys have a big acquisition, obviously, what happens? Huge.

So was that the moment that you realize, like, oh, my goodness. like we've we've clearly obviously there was already a level of success that you guys have had to to get to the point for that to happen but when was it for you that you're like we're we've clearly done more than we could have ever imagined oh the engine okay um okay okay the acquisition though that's good got you yeah okay i got you i got you i didn't even notice thank you um so for you guys right you have that transition where you make the deal with the Red Sox, right? And you have that partnership with them.

And then you have kind of a lot of traction already internationally, right? But for you, there was a next step, right? And that was the acquisition of Brown Foreman, right? That came in and said, hey, we want to broker a deal with you guys. But for you, was that the moment that you realize, like, hey, we've made it? Or was there a moment before that you're like, hey, we've been able to accomplish way more than maybe we ever dreamt of. Great question.

I've been very fortunate to have a seat in this story of Diplomatico, a very close seat. To give you a little bit of background, Diplomatico is a multifamily company where we have people from the family that they are in operating roles from the general manager to the COO, CEO, from the guy who operate the distillery, commercial, everything.

They also, most of them, they also bore in this industry. Some of them, one of them are CEOO. He was actually, he used to work for the company who used, it was a multinational who owned the distillery before the group buy it. So with this, like those funders of the company, they had the experience or they have been in this kind of like level. Okay. Maybe not as main players, but they were close. So we knew like already at these years, 22 surviving pandemic when many, like some brands did really good, but many brands, they didn't, right?

And as an independent group, as an independent brand, we were very aware of what we were doing. Because we started to show into global statistics, you know, like now the big players in the industry, they knew that we were around. And it was more like, who are this guy? One of the beautiful things that we get to experience, it was that we never went out to look for a buyer.

But we got approached for years. We got approached, and that is another story about this brand. Before this, more early, we were in a difficult position, and we got approached by a big international company, a French company, and they make us an offer. At the time, I was a kid. And when I heard that offer, I was like, I'm pretty good. They never, like the founders, they didn't even consider.

Wow. They were like, no, this is, this is not our vision. This is not where we went. A year after that situation, everything happened, you know, all this journey, other big players approached to us. because how it works in this industry, similar to other ones. It's like the power of negotiation that you have

is depending on the portfolio that you represent, that you have. Diplomatico is one brand, but in this industry, you have groups that they represent 20, 30 diplomatical, in terms of volume and value. Right. Right.

So we were reaching, into a level that in our conditions, we were reaching to our roof. If we wanted to take diplo to another level, like the industry or the business, ask you for a couple of options, either to join another portfolio, to partner, so on. So... And is that because of distribution limitations? More than distribution limitation is more for marketing investment. Okay.

And how this distributor works, again, in this business, let's say you have three chains. You have the producers, right, who make the liquid, the brand owning, and the distributor, right? The distributor is probably the player who have the most influence in the business. Absolutely. Right. So which right the conversation today is to have like two hours, you know, chat about what's happening in the distributor level right now. But that is for another day. Yes.

So in order for you as a brand owner to negotiate with the distributor, you need a portfolio to balance, you know, the table, right? that was the element that we were lacking. So big players approached to us. What they saw is that diplomatically was a global brand. It was in the right account. Really will receive by consumers and by the trade, by the industry. And great product. But we couldn't, it will take us a lot of,

effort and capital to take it to another level. What is to take it to another level? The other level is to make it mainstream. What is mainstream? Mainstream is to be in every menu, in every chain, food chain, or liquor chain, or grossy chain in the country. In order to you do that,

you need to have a biggest negotiation power with those distributors. because it's a very competitive business, you know. So we were reaching to that level, and it was like either we stay as we are and start to grow in a lower pace, which it wasn't bad at all, or we go this direction.

It was a very, very rich experience. It took almost two years of negotiation. To the end, brand four, man, beautiful company, man. It's 158 years old company. 150 year old company. Iconic brands like Jack Daniel, Wood for Reserve, Old Forrester, Erradura, so on. They sit out with us. It was out of the three companies that it was approaching at the same time,

though they were the one that we then. the most in terms of how run business and in terms of value. And we saw that they really will take care of the brand, right? So after years of negotiating almost two years, we came to an agreement where pretty much they buy the brand, the brand. But in terms of the production and the liquid behind, it remained the same. So we still produce the brand in Venezuela, in our distillers. Wow. But they own the brand and they took some of our things, some of our know-how and tradition.

Like me, I'm still diplomatical. I work for diplomat. I work for brand format in diplomatic in North America. But they brought a whole new know-how and expertise. So that was in 2023. this kind of merge or adding a product like Diplo to a portfolio that is well-established, it takes time to align the things, to align the cell for the distribution network. So today, which is like two years and a half after, three years and a half after,

it's like all those pieces felt more, you know, settled or assembled. it. And well, since 23, Diplomatico is part of the Brown Forman family, joining brands like Jack Daniel, Woodford, Forrest, Neradura. And we truly believe that with Brown Foreman

is going to be, like, we have the resources to be diplomatico or make diplomatico that legacy brand. And in the future, we see, like, there is not a different

ambition than diplomatic of being the number one run in the world. Yeah. And the crazy part is you guys are their only run brand too. Yeah. Well, that was one of the thing that made sense for both. Exactly. Instead of like, we get the attention for them. And brown forming, it was interesting enough how this work, how this industry work.

Even brand forming is such a big company and has so much experience. Because their other products are very good, like heredadura, great tequila, you know, Jack Daniels. Fort Jean, Jean Marry, Jack Daniels, Woodford. Woodford, great whiskey, bourbon. But Diplomatically was such a big brand in Europe. That I believe that that was one of the thing that made Brownforma look at Diplomatico as a great opportunity for their portfolio

to increase their present in Europe next to Diplu. And then diplomatico in the U.S., you know, the benefit of all the strength that Brown Forman have in this market. So it was a partner that it really made sense. Absolutely. And that changed the history of everything. Yeah. Yeah.

And the brand. It's incredible because early on in the, you know, in the conversation, you talked about, we talked about legacy, right? and you said the legacy is still ongoing, right? Because, yes, amazing accomplishment to be able to take the brand to get recognized like by a brown foreman and be able to, you know, make something like that happen. But there's still work to be done, right?

There's still so much room to continue to increase on that legacy, right? And carry the brand even further than you could have even imagined, which I think is impactful, right? And having a strategic partner like them allowing you, not only to work with them, but keep the same distillery, right? Be able to, because that's how legacy's built, right? Sometimes legacy's destroyed the other way, right? It's like you sell and then you lose everything

and then you've lost touch of what made the brand early on where this feels obviously the complete opposite of that, right? It's still at the core, at a corazon, right, that you're like, holy cow, this is just a perfect marriage between two really great part, and great people that we can make this bigger and better than it's ever been. Because again, like what we say also at the beginning, it really matters the people behind the brand.

If this brand was by but anybody else, you know, and the next day they start to change the values or everything, you know, like the bartender or the buyer who has been buying your product for a year, if he don't feel right, he's going to stop buying that and there is a lot of cases that you can see that experience so another thing that you mentioned

and I think everybody who have been in sales relative in certain way experience is about consistency you know and that's something that I really admire from salesmen from sales rail to hospitality is not about having a great day. It's about doing that five times, six, time, eight times during the same week. And then

doing it again the next. Do it again. Yeah. No. It's the truth. So what, what excites you most about Diplomatico now moving forward? The future. I want to see Diplomatico and what we are building. Something that I'm very exciting this year is that we are building a diplomatic. We are building a We are bringing the Hispanic of the Latino culture to, like we always have done it. But now, and that is the things that partner with a bigger company, give you more resources, more people on the ground to build this kind of message. So we have a few really cool programs that we are launching across the country like Cafe Diplomatico, where we bring the coffee culture of the Hispanic culture of the Latino. Latino culture, with run, and we bring in those experience, you know. We just have a great activation or a great week in New Orleans.

For Tell of the Cocktail is a festival. It's the biggest bartender festival in the world. It's been running for 20 years. Wow. It brings bartenders and hospitality and bar from all over the world. one week in New Orleans attending seminarios, but also doing really cool activation. So we did the Café Diplomatico

where we have like a coffee truck doing espresso martini. We have a raspao. Raspao is like safe ice. Okay. Safe ice. Everything with Diplo, of course. But we try to replicate that culture of, not just Venezuela, of what we

Caribbean and Latino have in common, which is a lot about community and I think it's a universal message. So that is what I'm very exciting about to see life a lot of our culture and bringing into the general market. Oh, that's exciting.

And the cafe is the universal language. That's very. So one last question for you. What is your go-to drink on the Diplomatico? My go-to with Diplomatico, I have a lineup. Okay, talk to me. So, and this is a life advice, non-cham. But classic daquiry.

Okay. A classic daquiry is fresh line use, simple syrup, and a good run like Diplomatico. World shake. If you go to a bar and you order a classic daquiry and somebody said, oh, we don't have a blender, you have an opportunity there to teach, I will say,

that the classic, the classic dacary is in a shaker, very cold. So that is my first one. Line juice, fresh line juice. Simple. Simple syrup or sugar, a spoon of sugar, and rum. In diplomatic line, I like the planas, which is a high-proof white rum. So that on a dachary. Then I can pivot from a Ron Negroni with Reserva or honestly this, man. Like this was the when the coconut water was, oh my God.

That's my dream, man. I'm like, that's dangerous. Coconut water ice cube, Diplomatico Reserva. If you want to add another layer, chocolate bitter. That's your dream. Wow. No, that's it. You heard it there.

We're going to have to do a little bartending video here, a demonstration. I have to get you the 50 ML, man. Like Diplomatico in a day of golf, it's a really good. It's a really good thing. Absolutely. Last time we played, this is our birdie juice. So we need more birdies on the course, that's for sure.

But Jose Luis, thank you so much for taking the time to share the story of Diplomatico, a legacy that has been built and will continue to be built. And we're excited to help share that story. and have you here in the studio. Thank you and congrats, man. And congrats for I stay tranquil. Much gracias, much,

all right, guys. Thank you always for tuning in. And as always, stay tranquil.