Awards, press releases, and media coverage for Mosto Tequila from Los Altos de Jalisco.
Mosto took home Double Gold for two expressions at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, the industry’s most rigorous blind judging, with a 97-point Reposado and a 98-point Salvaje.
RICHMOND, Va. — Mosto Tequila has won Double Gold at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition for both of its expressions, earning a 97-point score for its Reposado and a 98-point score for Salvaje, its still-strength edition. The recognition places Mosto among the top-scoring tequilas at one of the largest and most respected spirits competitions in the world.
The San Francisco World Spirits Competition is judged blind by a panel of leading spirits experts, buyers, and educators. A Double Gold is awarded only when every judge on the panel independently scores a spirit at the Gold level — a unanimous verdict that is among the rarest and most difficult distinctions to earn in the industry.
The dual Double Gold follows Mosto’s Double Gold sweep earlier this year at the 2026 Agavos Awards, where the Reposado and Salvaje were also both recognized. Back-to-back honors from two of the most demanding competitions in spirits underscore the consistency of what Mosto is putting in the bottle.
Mosto Tequila is produced in Jesús María, in the highlands of Los Altos de Jalisco, under NOM 1580 and master distiller Oscar Vázquez. The agave is cooked in brick ovens, fermented in the open air, and rested in rare American oak bourbon barrels. Mosto was founded as a partnership between brothers Paulo and Nelson Benavides of Degollado, Jalisco, and Dave Michelow and Matt Tarpey of The Veil Brewing Co. in Richmond, Virginia, bringing together Mexican heritage and Virginia craft.
“To be recognized at San Francisco is an honor, and to see 97 on the Reposado and 98 on the Salvaje come back from a blind panel of that caliber means everything to us. Those numbers reflect the work happening at the distillery every day. This is exactly what we set out to build with Mosto.” — Nelson Benavides, Co-Founder, Mosto Brands LLC
Mosto Tequila is available online at mostotequila.com, and is distributed in Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Georgia through Republic National Distributing Company. To learn more, find a retailer, or order, visit mostotequila.com.
Mosto Brands LLC produces Mosto Tequila, an artisanal tequila made in Jesús María, Los Altos de Jalisco (NOM 1580) under master distiller Oscar Vázquez. The agave is cooked in brick ovens, fermented in the open air, and rested in rare American oak bourbon barrels. Founded as a partnership between brothers Paulo and Nelson Benavides of Degollado, Jalisco, and Dave Michelow and Matt Tarpey of The Veil Brewing Co. of Richmond, Virginia, Mosto brings together Mexican heritage and Virginia craft. Mosto Tequila is available online at mostotequila.com, with retail distribution in Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Georgia.
The premium tequila from Mosto Brands LLC took home Double Gold for two expressions — a 95-point Reposado and a 91-point Salvaje, the brand’s still-strength blanco edition — at the agave world’s most rigorous blind tasting competition, judged entirely by agave specialists on retail-purchased bottles.
RICHMOND, Va. — Mosto Tequila has won Double Gold at the 2026 Agavos Awards for both of its expressions, earning a 95-point score for its Reposado and a 91-point score for Salvaje, its still-strength blanco edition. The dual recognition places Mosto among the highest-scoring tequilas in one of the most respected and demanding competitions in the agave spirits world.
The Agavos Awards were created by Grover and Scarlet Sanschagrin, founders of Agave Matchmaker (formerly Tequila Matchmaker), a platform that has served for more than fifteen years as one of the leading authorities on agave spirits. Unlike most spirits competitions, the Agavos Awards require that every bottle be purchased at retail, so judges evaluate the exact product a consumer would find on the shelf. Entries are blind-tasted and graded on a 100-point scale across appearance, aroma, taste, and finish, with top scorers advancing to a championship round.
What sets the competition apart is its panel. Rather than relying on generalist spirits judges, the Agavos Awards use dedicated agave specialists whose palates are calibrated specifically for tequila and other agave spirits, and who are given an extended period to evaluate each entry rather than rushing through dozens in a single sitting. For an emerging brand, a high Agavos score is widely regarded as an honest benchmark of quality rather than a reflection of marketing spend.
Mosto Tequila is the product of a partnership between the Benavides brothers, Jalisco natives with deep family roots in Degollado and years of hospitality experience in the Richmond area, and Dave Michelow and Matt Tarpey of The Veil Brewing Co. in Richmond, Virginia. The tequila is produced in Jesús María, in the highlands of Los Altos de Jalisco, under NOM 1580.
Mosto is made artisanally under master distiller Oscar Vázquez. The agave is cooked in brick ovens, fermented in the open air, and rested in rare bourbon barrels of American oak, a combination that gives the tequila its depth and character. It is an approach that honors traditional methods and the work of the jimadores who harvest the agave by hand.
Though its heart is in Jalisco, Mosto is proudly a Virginia company. Mosto Brands LLC is based in Richmond, and the brand has become part of the city’s growing food, drink, and craft beverage community.
“Earning Double Gold for both our Reposado and our Salvaje means everything to us, because this is a competition that rewards what is actually in the bottle. A 95-point score is rare. It puts our Reposado among the highest-scoring tequilas in a competition where every bottle is bought at retail and tasted blind by people who know agave better than anyone, and to have our Salvaje earn Double Gold at 91 alongside it is a testament to the work of our master distiller Oscar Vázquez and our whole team. We set out to make honest, artisanal tequila that respects our family’s traditions in Jalisco, and this tells us we are on the right path.” — Paulo Benavides, Co-Founder, Mosto Brands LLC
Mosto Tequila is available online at mostotequila.com, with retail distribution in Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Georgia. To learn more, find a retailer, or order, visit mostotequila.com.
Mosto Brands LLC produces Mosto Tequila, an artisanal tequila made in Jesús María, Los Altos de Jalisco (NOM 1580) under master distiller Oscar Vázquez. The agave is cooked in brick ovens, fermented in the open air, and rested in rare American oak bourbon barrels. Founded as a partnership between the Benavides brothers of Degollado, Jalisco, and Dave Michelow and Matt Tarpey of The Veil Brewing Co. of Richmond, Virginia, Mosto brings together Mexican heritage and Virginia craft. Mosto Tequila is available online at mostotequila.com, with retail distribution in Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Georgia.
The Tasting Alliance · August 2026
Finalists: Best Blanco Tequila at the 2026 SFWSC — Mosto Edición Salvaje (98 pts, Double Gold) is in the running for Best in Class
Read on thetastingalliance.com →
The Tasting Alliance · August 2026
Best Reposado Tequila at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition — Mosto Reposado (97 pts, Double Gold) among the finalists
Read on thetastingalliance.com →