How an Underdog Tequila Company From Virginia Won Best Overall Tequila at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Two years after launch, Mosto Reposado also takes Best of Class Reposado Tequila and a Double Gold medal with 97 points.

RICHMOND, Va. (November 12, 2026). Mosto Tequila, a small batch brand that launched in 2024, has been named Best Overall Tequila at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Mosto Reposado also earned Best of Class Reposado Tequila and a Double Gold medal with a score of 97 points.

Every entry in the competition is tasted blind, so judges score what is in the glass without seeing the label, and a Double Gold is awarded only when every judge on the panel votes gold. Mosto competed against tequilas from established houses with decades of history and national distribution.

"Mosto is a serious tequila made for a good time," said Nelson Benavides, Managing Partner of Mosto Brands LLC. "It belongs at fiestas, cookouts and any table where friends get together. This award belongs to every friend who helped build this brand and spread the word."

Mosto began as a project between friends. Brothers Paulo and Nelson Benavides are from Degollado, Jalisco, a small town where fiestas, weddings and family gatherings always have a bottle of tequila on the table. Mosto is made for those moments: a serious tequila for a good time with friends.

Mosto Reposado is made from 100% Blue Weber agave at Hacienda El Olvido (NOM 1580) in Los Altos de Jalisco under Master Distiller Oscar Vázquez Camarena, and rested in rare bourbon barrels. It is bottled at 80 proof.

The San Francisco win caps a strong year. Mosto Reposado and Mosto Edición Salvaje both earned Double Gold at the 2026 Agavos Awards, with 97 and 98 points, and Edición Salvaje was a Best of Class finalist for blanco tequila in San Francisco.

"A few years ago this was just an idea and a handful of bottles, and nobody expected us to be here," said Paulo Benavides, Managing Partner of Mosto Brands LLC. "There is a lot of mystique and romance around tequila. We would rather keep it simple: make it well and have a good time. Against all odds, that was enough to win."

Mosto Reposado is available at Virginia ABC stores, at select retailers on the East Coast, and online at mostotequila.com. High resolution photos and the press kit are available on request, and both managing partners are available for interviews.

ABOUT MOSTO TEQUILA

Mosto Tequila is a majority Mexican owned craft tequila brand made for fiestas and good times with friends. It is produced at NOM 1580 in Los Altos de Jalisco from 100% Blue Weber agave. Launched in 2024 and based in Richmond, Virginia, Mosto makes three expressions: Mosto Blanco, Mosto Reposado and Mosto Edición Salvaje Still Strength.

MEDIA CONTACT

mostotequila.com

(804) 386-9308

Instagram: @mostotequila