Estes, Tomas (1945–2021), was a restaurateur and co-owner of the tequila brand Ocho. A tireless agave spirits advocate, he was known as the tequila ambassador to Europe. Raised in the predominantly Mexican neighborhood of East Los Angeles, Estes (born Thomas; he was actually of British descent) became fascinated with Mexican culture early on. He opened his first restaurant, Café Pacifico, in Amsterdam in 1976 and went on to launch sixteen more establishments, all Mexican in concept, across Europe and Australia over the next four decades. The more he learned about tequila and Mexico’s other spirits, the more he strove to share his discoveries, conducting bartender training sessions, writing for trade publications, and accepting speaking engagements. Mexico’s National Chamber for the Tequila Industry took note of his efforts and in 2003 named him the spirit’s official ambassador to the European Union.
Intrigued by the subtleties of terroir, Estes had another great love, burgundy wine. When Carlos Camarena, who made some of Estes’s favorite tequilas, asked him to create a new brand, Estes envisioned a terroir-driven tequila. Ocho is the first major brand to offer single-rancho expressions, designed to showcase agave from a specific field.
tequila.Estes, Tomas. The Tequila Ambassador. London: Diffordsguide, 2012.
By: Chantal Martineau