Inspiring Conversations with Zack Lister of Hecho Tequila Soda

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zack Lister.

Hi Zack, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have been in the beverage space for about eight years, starting in cold pressed juice and then moving into cannabis infused beverages. A few years ago I saw the insurgence of canned cocktails hitting the market with some of the bigger hard seltzer names which didn’t seem to have a focus on premium ingredients. Being that I am also huge fan of agave spirits, I thought there could be a great opportunity to launch a premium canned tequila soda brand which took pride in quality ingredients and maintaining the integrity of the agave spirit we all love. That is what led me to launching Hecho Tequila Soda, where almost three years later we now have distribution across Canada and the US with plans to continue to expand our reach to tequila lovers everywhere!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Inevitably there are always ups and down when starting any business, but the alcohol business is one that definitely throws a lot of curveballs at you. One of the biggest hurdles initially was navigating the supply chain out of Mexico. There are many additional checks and balances you have to go through in order to export a finished product out of Mexico containing 100% tequila unlike most canned tequila brands that produce in the US. Another struggle has been navigating the distribution laws in each state. This is an area that has taken time to learn and understand, especially being an independent brand in a category that is predominantly dominated by larger players.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Hecho Tequila Soda is made with 100% blue agave tequila, and natural lime flavour. Each can of Hecho has only 96 calories, and is gluten free with zero sugar. We are currently partnered with one of the largest producer of Blue agave in the world and we believe the 100% tequila we use in our can is truly what sets us apart from the majority of our competition in the canned Tequila space who are using a mixto (under 51% tequila).

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Luck is half the battle! You always win some / lose some but at the end of the day it’s all about staying patient and the right opportunities will find their way if you a positive, optimistic mindset.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.siphecho.com