Official Music Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdS6c2e9IrQ​

Founding Story

Founders

• Federico “Fede” Vaughan, co-CEO
• Betsy Heneghan, Creative Director
• George Strait, Country music star
• Ron Snyder, Former CEO of the Crocs Footwear

  About 16 years ago, Federico "Fede" Vaughan met his [now] wife, who comes from a family with deep generational roots in Guadalajara. “My father-in-law introduced me to a small distillery that made a few liters here and there. It was mostly for local people who knew what a real tequila should taste like, and they were kind of keeping it a secret for themselves. As I tried it the first time, I just fell in love with it. It was just amazing because it was a tequila that was made to taste the best way with the best products and the best process. I started bringing that to our house in Cabo San Lucas and sharing it with my friends, including Ron, George, and Betsy. Long before we knew it, you know, it started becoming ‘The Good Stuff’”.  The particular product: A wine barrel-aged añejo.
     George recalls, “I first tasted The Good Stuff at a little piece of heaven just outside of Cabo San Lucas. I was playing golf with a bunch of friends, including Ron and Fede. Fede busted out an unmarked bottle of tequila that he wanted us to try. [Once we tasted it], I thought, ‘this is the best tequila I've ever had!’ Most of the tequilas I had were kind of bitter, and you needed a lime and some salt to get it down. But this was so smooth. Over the next few years, we kept begging him to bring more. So, Fede would go to Amatitán to make a tequila run and was kind enough to share with all of us.  We would get it in random bottles that they would have.”
     The love for tequila evolved into group trips to the distillery, where Ron, Betsy, and Fede could enjoy the experience firsthand.  On the team’s first trip to purchase more tequila for personal consumption, they discovered that the distillery used ex-wine barrels, a unique choice in the industry.  This distinctive attribute solidified the idea of starting a tequila brand that would allow friends to share it with others, as they already had been discussing the idea for four to five years prior. Ron noted that the initial feeling was: “Wouldn't it be nice to have this tequila, the best tequila we ever had, everywhere we go the rest of our lives?”  Ron recalled, “We got back to Cabo, put together a business plan, started the business, and got some investors." The company was officially founded in 2016.
     Shortly thereafter, on Betsy, Ron, Fede, and George’s first trip to meet their new team in Amatitán, Ron recalls, “They said, ‘we need more barrels’”. The team, utilizing contacts and friends who own wineries in Napa, successfully sourced 400 barrels in the initial batch.  Upon the team’s arrival in Amatitán, which coincided with the barrels, “Our tequila maker says ‘These barrels are amazing, come back, and in a month and I'll have something special’. So, we came back in a month, and sure enough, the Blanco Tequila that had aged for a month had turned pink. And I had done Crocs shoes before this, and when we came out with a red shoe, they really took off,” recalled Ron. This pink Tequila became Codigo 1530 Rosa Tequila.
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Brand Name
     The name of the brand honors the tequila’s production methodology and its place of origin. “When George, Ron, and I got together, we wanted to have a brand that referenced the origins of tequila and symbolized the best way to make tequila,” shared Fede.
     Código means "codes," such as honor codes or traditions. According to legend, for generations, a distilling family in Amatitán has passionately crafted a spirit with unwavering dedication to centuries-old customs, known as "Los Códigos." These traditions continue to thrive in Amatitán and the broader Los Bajos region (Valle de Tequila/Lowlands). Código 1530 draws inspiration from this heritage, sharing this exceptional tequila with the world.
     1530 refers to the year Amatitán was incorporated by the Spaniards. The town, a five-minute drive away from Tequila town, has a slogan of “donde todo empezó,” which means “where it all began,” an allusion to the fact that tequila was first produced in this part of Mexico. While the origins of tequila (and agave distillates as a whole) are not known, Fede elaborated, “The town that invented tequila was founded in 1530, so it seemed right that we put that in the name of the bottle.”

Brand Logo and Bottle
​Código 1530 is packaged in a bottle of bubbled glass, artfully raised to bear the region's symbolic Jerusalem Cross on its shoulder and branded in its base. This iconic cross sits atop Jalisco's Coat of Arms and dates back to 1530. During this time, after colonial struggle, Amatitán was officially recognized as a city of New Galicia and Jalisco was given a coat of arms by the Spanish monarchy, which was anchored by the Jerusalem Cross. “We wanted to make it about the juice, not about the bottle. So we made a very simple bottle that would be easy to differentiate, [that would] carry something you want to drink, and [that] you want to put in your bar,” elaborated Fede.

Approach to Tequila

     Código 1530 draws inspiration from the original recipe and traditional methods.  Fede explained, “We wanted to make the product the best way we could, pay homage to the old customs, and respect the right way to do tequila. We didn't want to take any economic shortcuts.”
     The approach to creating a quality tequila starts with the ingredients. “We only have three ingredients: water, agave, and yeast. Any other flavor or color will come from how we use the barrels,” Fede remarked.
     The agave then undergoes a process focused elaboration into tequila which includes utilizing custom equipment.  Fede elaborated, “Most of the equipment was either made at the distillery or has been modified to do what we're looking for in the process.”
     “The blanco is the purest form of tequila, and we're very proud of this. It is extremely crystal clear, and it has very earthy flavors. We're not looking for any flavor that shouldn't be there in the natural process. We always say you can do tequila by process or by design. By design means you were looking for a flavor. We're looking for the best process and whatever comes with the flavors of the most natural process.  We use the best inputs for the best output.”
     While some brands utilize shortcuts to standardize the color or flavor of their tequila—allowed by the Consejo Regulador Del Tequila (Tequila Regulatory Council) with up to 1% abocantes, such as glycerin or coloring—Código 1530 takes a different approach. Fede noted, “[We believe] you should never try to standardize the color. You should try to standardize your methods, your processes, and your ingredients. So we're additive-free.”
   Additionally, Ron highlighted, “We're a very craft tequila, and the only tequila made at the distillery.” Because the distillery is exclusively theirs, they can play around and be experimental.

Ingredients ​

• Agave
• Water
• Yeast

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Agave

• Target Brix: 32-40
• Approximate Age: 6-7 years old

     “We use the expertise of the local farmers who have been growing agave for generations. It not only helps to keep business in the area, it also guarantees the quality and consistency of our agave for the long term. When agave has been nurtured correctly, it will typically reach extreme maturity around 6 years of age (in some cases, it might be 7 years). After that point, the agave begins to reduce its sugar content, so it’s important to harvest it at its peak ripeness. Historically, our target is to have our agave above 32 Brix (lately, we are now averaging close to 40 Brix, since the agave we source is incredibly good),” Betsy explained
     To ensure the brand uses the best agave possible, Fede notes, “The agave is grown near our distillery, and we only buy from agave, from people that we know grow it the right way. At the end of the day, we need a plant that has the right amount of sugar, and it was grown the right way without chemicals.”
      “We use about three times more agave than the average tequila out there,” added Ron.

Water
​Situated next to the volcano of Tequila, each drop of Amatitán water is sourced from freshwater pools and rainwater, all filtered through the volcanic soil of Los Bajos. “Arguably, the most important part, is that our water is filtered through volcanic rock. When you have the purest water with the right minerals, and you have the best agave, the next thing you have is, you should try to get the best process you can,” said Fede.

YeastA locally sourced, proprietary yeast “specially adapted to the environment” is used. “It works well in our particular climate and altitude. The strain provides sweet and fruity aromas, spices, and even a little cinnamon and soft vanilla leaf due to our low-pressure cooking,” Betsy noted.

Production Process

15 days are required to create Código 1530 Blanco.

• Cooking
• Shredding
• Fermentation
• Distillation

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Cooking

• Stainless steel Autoclaves
• Steam-cooked the agave for ~18 hours
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     “We use stainless steel ovens, but we cook as if they were brick ovens. Meaning, we slow-cook them for about 18 hours using low-pressure steam, keeping the temperature close to 95 ±3 °C, followed by 12 hours of rest while keeping the door closed. IF you cook too fast or with temperatures too high, you risk the possibility of caramelizing the sugar, which then would not ferment as needed later in the process,” said Betsy.

ShreddingThe agave sugar is gently extracted using proprietary equipment that uses centrifugal force without breaking the fibers. According to Betsy, “We shred in bigger pieces and extract by centrifugal force with warm water. We only do it once. We don’t believe in extracting too much sugar from the fibers, as it will yield unwanted flavors in the fermenting process.”

Fermentation

• Vessel: Open-top stainless steel tanks
• Fermentation duration: Approximately four days
• Not fermented with agave fibers.

“Our fermentation is done in an open vessel (most tequila producers do so as well). In our case, we monitor the temperature and °Bx manually. We actually have higher Brix than most, because we don’t over-extract. Normally, the entry °Bx is 12 ± 1 because it is optimal for the yeast. If it’s higher or lower, the metabolism of the yeast changes and can produce unwanted flavors or chemical compounds (like different alcohol types, acetic, etc),” Betsy explained.

Distillation
Distilled twice in handmade stills designed for Código 1530’s process.

​While the ABV of the cuts vary from batch to batch, Betsy notes, “We are looking for a well-balanced distillation. Meaning, mostly hearts but not disregarding the aromas and flavors that you can pull from heads and tails, when distilled correctly.”

Maturation

Maturation Duration
​1 month to 6 years, depending on the product.

• Oak Type
• Charring and Toasting
• Barrel Maintenance 

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Maturation Duration​

Oak Type: French Oak ex-Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Wine BarrelsTypically, American Oak ex-bourbon casks are used for the maturation of Tequila. The usage of French Oak, according to the brand “allows us to embrace the clean elegance of winemaking and produce a uniquely delicate finish.”  From a technical flavor perspective, the usage of French Oak results in more eugenol (clove/baking spice aroma) and less Oak Lactone (coconut aroma). For more on oak barrels: hawaiibevguide.com/oak-barrels

Former usage: Maturation of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Charring and Toasting
     “After we've used the barrels for Rosa we char the barrel by grabbing one of the actual barrels burn and burning it inside another barrel [until] we have the right toast”, explained Fede.
     Betsy elaborated, “We char our barrels by hand, using fire from only the same French White Oak barrels, in order to guarantee quality. We believe a medium-high charring is where our barrel will develop at its best. Our French White Oak charring process will develop the following characteristics [in the tequila]: vanilla leaf, chocolate, cinnamon, red fruits, citrus, nuts, hazelnut, tobacco, prune, and leather.
     “Normally we will char it only once or twice during the entire lifespan of each barrel, [with the number of times] depending on the unique lifespan of every barrel, and also the specific batches that we are creating,” Betsy remarked.

Barrel maintenance“We constantly monitor the physical condition and use of our barrels to guarantee the quality of the aging process. Not always, but sometimes, we will steam-clean our barrels in between batches to remove any residual, natural solids inside,” Betsy explained.

Tequila: Core Product Line

Produced in 50 mL ,375mL 750 mL, 1L, 1.75mL sizes

• Codigo 1530 Blanco
• Codigo 1530 Rosa

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Maturation
Unrested

Awards

• 2022 – Gold Medal, San Fransisco World Wine & Spirits Competition
• 2022 – Gold Medal, PR%F Awards

Brand Tasting Notes

• Look: Clear
• Taste: Herbaceous
• Aroma: Mint, grass & flowers
• Finish: Black pepper & citrus

Production Notes
Certified Kosher
“What are we trying to accomplish with our blanco tequila is to have a smooth tequila that tastes a little bit like agave, very natural, and the whole point of our tequila is to have something you can sip, you can mix if you want to, but it should be something that you can enjoy by itself,” said Fede.

For more
codigo1530.com/en-us/products/codigo-1530-blanco-tequila

Maturation
1-month French Oak, ex-Cabernet Sauvignon wine barrels

Production Notes
         “We created Rosa by realizing that we had such incredible barrels. When you make older expressions of tequila like reposado and añejo, you have to char the barrel. We wanted to see what happened if we use these barrels that once contained wines that scored in the high 90s (points),” said Ron.
     “After 1 month, we get some of the oak [aroma] out of them, and it softens the Blanco just a tad. With the Rosa, sometimes you'll get more of the red color from the Cab barrel, and sometimes you get less because we're not putting anything in it,” he added.
     “Rosa is the Blanco with a kiss. You have a Blanco that has more floral notes. I think people who don't like Blanco tequila are going to really appreciate this expression because it is something unique. The floral notes from the agave and the grapes—you can taste them, you can smell them—and it complements the entire process we went through with the agave,” said Fede. “We kind of created this category, and we're very proud of it,” he added.
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Awards

• 2021 – Gold Medal, SIP Awards, Internation Consumer Tasting
• 2021 – SIP Innovation Award, World Spirit Competition

Brand Tasting Notes
Cabernet barrels imbues Rosa with delicate red wine and floral notes that complement the natural bright agave flavor. Bright, natural agave sweetness meets deep fruit notes to produce an elegant, flavorful tequila.

Recommended usage
Enjoy Rosa on the rocks or use it to craft bright, complex cocktails.

Sizes
50 mL ,375mL 750 mL, 1L, 1.75mL

​For more
codigo1530.com/en-us/products/codigo-1530-rosa-blanco-tequila/

• Codigo 1530 Reposado
• Codigo 1530 Anejo
• Código 1530 Origen

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Maturation    
6-months French Oak, ex-Cabernet Sauvignon wine barrels (recharred)

Production Notes
        “After we've used the barrels for Rosa, we char the barrel by grabbing one of the actual barrels and burning it inside another barrel [until] we have the right toast. We [then] put Código 1530 Blanco Tequila in there for approximately six months. We age to taste, so sometimes a little less, sometimes a little more. When the reposado comes out, you have the perfect balance between an aged spirit and a young spirit that hasn’t been aged,” described Fede.
     “You're getting a lot of flavors from these amazing barrels that we use”, Ron added.

​Awards

• 2022 – Consumers’ Choice Award, SIP Awards
• 2022 – Silver Medal, San Fransisco World Wine & Spirits Competition
• 2022 – Gold Medal, SIP Awards

​Brand Tasting Notes
The pure agave flavors of Blanco tequila meet the elegant complexity that comes from our distinct resting processes. Código 1530 Reposado derives its bright, natural sweetness from Blue Weber agave that’s harvested at peak ripeness. The resting process, six months in French White Oak Napa Valley Cabernet wine barrels, fosters some of the warm, smoky undertones often found in whiskey, like vanilla, oak, and caramel.

Recommended usage
Savor neat or in the indulgent cocktail of your choice.

For more
codigo1530.com/en-us/products/codigo-1530-reposado-tequila

Maturation    
18-months in French Oak, ex-Cabernet Sauvignon wine barrels (re-charred)

Production Notes
     Fede commented, “After we're done with the barrels for Rosa, we dry them, we re-char them. To be an añejo, it needs to be over 12 months, but for the flavor profile we're looking for, we get it at approximately 18 months,” said Fede. “What we love about this one is that even though it's oaky because of 18 months [of rest] it's not burnt, you can taste the barrel that had wine inside, and you can taste the agave all the way through. [This is] because our barrels are so good, our juice is so good, and we don't age our tequila at very high proof, so it's not very aggressive.”
     “When we're all together, we might drink different SKUs during the day, but at night, when we all sit down—maybe it's straight, maybe with an ice cube—this is what we tend to enjoy together,” he added.

Awards

• 2022 – SIP Consumer Choice Awards
• 2022 – Double Gold, SIP Awards, Internation Consumer tasting
• 2023 – Double Gold, Tag Global Spirits Awards

Brand Tasting Notes
Cabernet barrels imbues Rosa with delicate red wine and floral notes that complement the natural bright agave flavor. Bright, natural agave sweetness meets deep fruit notes to produce an elegant, flavorful tequila.

Recommended usage
Designed to be sipped and savored.

For more
codigo1530.com/en-us/products/codigo-1530-anejo-tequila/

Maturation
6-years in French Oak, ex-Cabernet Sauvignon wine barrels (recharred)

Awards
2022 – Gold Medal, PR%F Awards

Brand Tasting Notes
Código 1530 Origen is aged for six years in French White Oak Napa Valley Cabernet wine barrels, placing it among the world’s most decadent añejos. This extended maturation process marries the bright agave flavors of tequila with the rich, warm, spicy oak, vanilla, and dried fruit notes of a fine cognac or aged whiskey.

Production Notes
    “Origen, which is over six years old, comes with a wax cork around it. I think it's a very special spirit because even after six years you can still taste the agave. For us, [the agave taste] means that it's natural, that the process is done well, it was aged right, and that we didn't have to add anything to bring in flavors that shouldn't be in a tequila. That, to me, represents part of being a great tequila,” said Fede.

For more
codigo1530.com/en-us/products/codigo-1530-origen-tequila/

Mezcal

Limited Availability in Hawaii
     The Código 1530 founders value the time-honored art of premium tequila and mezcal making and the natural evolution has brought them to join forces to refine and bring two new premium mezcals to the market.
     "After many years of going to Oaxaca, we were able to partner with trusted local producers from different regions in the San Juan del Rio region. With their help, we have had access to a wide variety of palenques and communities, hence the ability to make a very unique and exceptional ensemble," says Co-Founder/co-CEO Ron Snyder.
     Código 1530 has opted to use a Mezcal Master to adjust the process such as the temperature and different types of agave rather than machinery. This human effort guarantees the highest quality and efficiency, while keeping sustainability in mind. Código 1530 uses agave from three different regions to ensure that the company is never over-harvesting any of its agave, and prioritizes the time needed for land regeneration from harvest.

• Código 1530 Mezcal Ancestral
• Código 1530 Mezcal Artesanal

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Código 1530 Mezcal Ancestral Joven

Process

• Agave: 100% papalome maguey (Locally-sourced)
• Cooking: Earthen Pit
• Crushing: canoas y masos  (Hand crushed With a wooden stick/bat)
• Fermentation vessel: Leather vat (open air)
• Distillation: Filipino still (Clay pot still)
• Final ABV: 43.1%

Production notes
     The ancestral mezcal process, done without machines or automation, can only be done by a master distiller with vast experience and knowledge of mezcal. It also makes the mezcal inherently sustainable because the process is so slow, and so careful, that overproduction is not possible.

Brand Tasting Notes
Starting with a sweet, earthy nose, notes of honey, tobacco, and salinity from clay can be tasted, followed by bright minerality and a smoky, vanilla, cantaloupe, and hazelnut finish.

For more
codigo1530.com/en-us/products/codigo-1530-mezcal-ancestral/

Código 1530 Mezcal Artesanal

​Process

• Agave: Espadin and Tobala (wild harvested)
• Cooking: Earthen Pit
• Crushing: burro-pulled tahona
• Fermentation vessel: wild fermentation with begasso
• Distillation: Copper alambique (pot still)
• Maturation: Rested in Sauvignon Blanc wine barrels from Napa Valley
• Final ABV: 42.2%

Production notes
"By carefully combining different agave types, using espadín and tobalá from different terroirs, an incredibly well-balanced mezcal was found that can be enjoyed either straight or in a cocktail, Fede explained.

Brand tasting notes
Layered notes of vanilla and citrus meet earthy, herbaceous flavors. The Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc wine barrels take advantage of the herbaceous aroma to create something unique with notes of floral, light woody vanilla, citrus, dark cherry with hints of earth and clay and a delicate, subdued smoke.

For more
codigo1530.com/en-us/products/codigo-1530-mezcal-artesenal/

Tequila: George Strait (Limited Edition) Collection

Currently Unavailable in Hawaii
George Strait (Limited Edition) Collection: George Strait has hand-picked a selection of the finest tequilas for fans to enjoy. Each limited-edition bottle features an engraved Jerusalem cross and an image of George Strait.