Two craft spirit veterans have joined forces to acquire Goza Tequila, the company announced yesterday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Paul Hletko and Dave Schmier will now bring their experience in aging and blending whiskey to the agave spirits category. Hletko is the founder of FEW Spirits, a craft distillery acquired by Heaven Hill in 2022. Hletko previously sold his business in 2016 to Samson & Surrey, a spirits portfolio founded by two former Bacardi executives. Hletko became a partner in that company, and Samson & Surrey followed with the acquisition of five other spirits brands, including Widow Jane Whiskey and Tequila Ocho, all of which were acquired by Heaven Hill.
Redemption Rye Whiskey creator Dave Schmier is the founder of Proof and Wood, which develops and invests in spirit brands, mainly in the whiskey and rum categories. Prior to launching Proof and Wood, Schmier co-founded Bardstown Barrel Selections, where he led Redemption Rye Whiskey to acquisition by Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits in 2015. Schmier also founded the Independent Spirits Expo in 2005.
“We are thrilled to join forces with Goza Tequila,” Schmier said in a statement. “The brand has a strong reputation for quality, and we believe that with our combined expertise and resources, we can re-energize the brand and find a place for Goza in the crowded but growing tequila universe.”
He added that the duo will be applying their barrel management skills to bottle some “exceptional tequila.” Hletko and Schmier have already selected some of their favorite barrels and bottled them individually for limited-release single barrel offerings available in select markets.
Launched in 2015 by two friends in Atlanta, Goza includes a range of expressions in the premium plus segment, including a blanco ($38), reposado ($40), and añejo ($50). Founder Jacob Gluck and business partner Adam Hirsch will continue to be involved.
Hletko and Schmier are also investing in a new family-owned distillery in Jalisco, Mexico where Hletko is working with the distiller to use a cover crop, corn, to distill Mexican whiskey. Only a few brands have used the country’s ancestral grain for whiskey, Casa Lumbre’s Abasolo Mexican Whiskey was the most recent entrant, which launched in 2020.
The acquisition comes as high-end tequila continues to drive growth for the spirits category. Ultra tequila (+$50) picked up 11% of the category’s share in dollars over the past four years. On-premise tequila sales were up 23% in the latest 52 weeks on-premise compared to last year, and 7% off-premise, according to new data from NIQ.