Awards, press releases, and media coverage for Mosto Tequila from Los Altos de Jalisco.
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.