In the 2010 industry classic special report entitled Tequila Appreciation for USA Today, it listed five tequila trends to watch. Here, we’re focusing on one of them…

The role of women in the tequila industry.

The report predicted that more women, in particular Latina/Hispanic women with family ties to agave growers and tequila producers, would join the ranks of tequila brand owners and also become influential in other areas of this traditionally male dominated industry.

Current numbers suggest that 70 percent of new businesses are started by women and that 20 percent of new home sales are driven by single women. It’s no secret that Hispanics and Latinos are also the largest US minority, either.

Up to 85 percent of the buying market is women. This translates to $5-$7 trillion dollars every year! It’s no wonder that the Spirits Industry, and particularly the tequila segment, is finally taking notice.

We asked a short list of five questions to prominent women leading the charge for change in the Tequila Industry and beyond. As you’ll read, it hasn’t been all margaritas and roses for these tequila boss ladies.

We begin our series of Women In The Tequila Industry with Maestra Tequilera, Ana Maria Romero Mena. You can read a brief summary of her accomplishments in our earlier article on Tequila Boss Ladies.

[Editor’s note: For the convenience of our interviewee and our Spanish speaking audience, this article is in both English and Spanish.]

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TA: How would you describe your experiences as a high ranking woman in your position in a primarily male dominated industry?

(¿Cómo describiría sus experiencias como una mujer de alto rango en su posición en una industria dominada principalmente masculina?)

ARM: [My experiences have been] dynamic, enriching, and in constant evolution despite the tequila industry having a long history and a bright future. There’s lots to do in the arena of research and innovation.

(Dinámicas, enriquecedoras y en constante evolución, a pesar de ser una industria con un largo pasado y un gran futuro; hay mucho que hacer en el campo de la investigación y de la innovación.)

The dynamic experience [has been] because it’s an industry in expansion in that the study of new forms of interpreting tequila by the [olfactory] senses are different due to culture, age and sex [of the individual]; enriching because there’s so much to learn from those men who are behind every bottle, from the [brand] owner to the jimador, have been generous in imparting their experiences [to me]; and in constant evolution because the markets have globalized and they permit the generation of new strategies for the positioning of Tequila. Finally, I’d like to say that [the industry] is male dominated but not male chauvinistic.

(La experiencia dinámica es porque es una industria en expansión en la que el estudio de nuevas formas de interpretar al tequila desde los sentidos son diferentes debido a la cultura, la edad y el sexo; enriquecedoras porque hay mucho que aprehender de esos hombres que están detrás de cada botella, desde el dueño hasta el jimador, han sido generosos en compartir sus experiencias y en constante evolución porque los mercados se globalizan y nos permiten generar nuevas estrategias para el posicionamiento del Tequila, para finalizar me gustaría decir que es masculina pero no machista.)

TA: How have you been able to change things within your industry?

(¿Cómo han sido capaces de cambiar las cosas dentro de su industria?)

ARM: By studying the behavior of the industry in all its arenas, detecting areas of opportunity, completing the research of that opportunity and presenting it for the betterment of the industry as in the case [of the investigation] of the aromas of tequila, where its source was placed in accordance with its behavior in the development of the sensorial profiles of tequila and then delivered to the mind of the consumer by means of the cata (tasting).

(Estudiando el comportamiento de la industria en todas sus aéreas, detectando aéreas de oportunidad, realizando la investigación de esa oportunidad y presentándola para el mejoramiento de la industria, como lo fue la investigación de los aromas del tequila, su procedencia para ubicarlos de acuerdo a su comportamiento en el desarrollo de perfiles sensoriales del tequila y llevarlos a la mente de los consumidores por medio de la cata.)

TA: What do you see as the future of women working within the Tequila Industry?