Olmeca Altos guide
Altos is Pernod Ricard’s 100% agave tequila, created with bartenders in 2009. Choose Plata for citrus-led cocktails, Reposado for some oak, or Añejo for a richer sip. Olmeca is the older, separate range.
Explore the bottles ↓
Two related names
Olmeca’s history and the creation of Altos
Altos, often labeled Olmeca Altos, is Pernod Ricard’s 100% agave tequila range. Its regular bottles are Plata, Reposado and Añejo. Olmeca is an older brand with its own products and history; the shared owner and familiar name do not make every Olmeca product an Altos expression.
Olmeca began in 1967 under Seagram. Pernod Ricard acquired Olmeca in 2001; Altos arrived later, in 2009, through master distiller Jesús Hernández and UK bartenders Henry Besant and Dre Masso.
Seagram had a distribution agreement with Patrón during the 1990s. When Patrón outgrew its original Siete Leguas distillery, Seagram commissioned Colonial de Jalisco for planned Patrón production. Four months after the facilities were completed in 1997, Seagram lost that agreement and switched the distillery to Olmeca and Mariachi.
Olmeca’s official timeline dates its move from the Tequila Valley to Los Altos to 1990. Michael Prentice’s historical account dates Colonial de Jalisco’s completion to 1997; the relationship between the two events is unclear.
Jesús Hernández
Co-creator and tequila maker
The master distiller developed Altos with bartenders Henry Besant and Dre Masso in 2009.
Henry Besant & Dre Masso
Bartender co-creators
The two bartenders created Altos with Jesús Hernández in 2009, after Pernod Ricard had acquired Olmeca.
Pernod Ricard
Owner
Pernod Ricard owns Altos and Olmeca. Its 2001 acquisition concerns the earlier Olmeca brand; Altos launched in 2009.
The combined family sold 1.5 million cases in 2025
Olmeca (including Altos) sold 1.5 million nine-liter cases worldwide in calendar 2025 and ranked tenth in the tequila table in The Spirits Business, Brand Champions 2026. That is volume equivalent to 18 million 750 mL bottles. The ranking covers the combined family, rather than Altos alone.
Pernod Ricard ranked ninth by global tequila volume share in the IWSR 2024 comparison, with 3.1%. Its tequila portfolio also includes Avión. Source: Becle’s March 2026 presentation.
Plata, Reposado and Añejo
Altos Plata is unaged, Reposado is rested in oak, and Añejo ages for at least twelve months in bourbon barrels. The regular US bottles compared here are 40% ABV, or 80 proof.
Flavor notes below are the maker’s descriptions.
- Blanco
Plata
40% ABV / 80 proof (US)
Unaged
$23 · ABC Fine Wine & Spirits · ABC #134 – Loop, Kissimmee FL (pickup)US shop price · 750 mL · 2026-10-02 · named-store pickup listings · tax and fees may be extra
About $11 a shot3 US menus · October 2026 · small sample
cooked agave, citrus, lime and herbal notes.
- Reposado
Reposado
40% ABV / 80 US proof (US)
Oak-rested; see the age note below
$30 · Old Town TequilaUS shop price · 750 mL · 2026-10-02 · online listings; check delivery · tax and fees may be extra
About $12 a shot4 US menus · October 2026
sweet orange, toasted nuts, vanilla and agave.
- Añejo
Añejo
40% ABV / 80 US proof (US)
At least 12 months
$40 · Old Town Tequila
$33 · ABC Fine Wine & Spirits · ABC #134 – Loop, Kissimmee FL (pickup)US shop prices · 750 mL · 2026-10-02 · online and named-store listings · tax and fees may be extra
About $12 a shot2 US menus · October 2026 · small sample
vanilla, dark chocolate, cinnamon, dried fruit and almond.
How long is Altos Reposado aged?
Pernod Ricard’s Mexican 700 mL Reposado listing gives six to eight months in former whiskey casks. Its global brand page and Altos’ general production page instead give a twelve-month minimum for both Reposado and Añejo. The producer gives conflicting ages, so the US Reposado’s aging time remains unclear.
Mexican Reposado record · Pernod Ricard’s global range · Altos production
Olmeca has its own range
Olmeca’s current range includes Silver, Gold, Reposado and Chocolate. Olmeca describes its standard tequila as mixto, with at least 51% of the fermentable sugars coming from agave. Altos’ regular tequila is 100% agave. Both categories are legally tequila; the distinction tells you where the fermentation sugars come from.
Altos Infusionado launched in Mexico in 2023
In October 2023, Pernod Ricard launched Altos Infusionado Cítricos and Café Natural in Mexico in 700 mL bottles at 35% ABV. Cítricos combined mandarin and lemon; Café Natural featured coffee, cinnamon and piloncillo. These infused bottles formed a separate range; current availability is unconfirmed.
Jalisco’s highlands
Brick ovens, stone and roller mills, then copper distillation
Altos uses mature Highland Azul agave (A. tequilana), which the maker says grows for seven to eight years, and cooks it in brick ovens. A tahona stone wheel and roller mills crush the cooked piñas, or agave hearts. The blended liquid and fibers ferment with the brand’s yeast before double distillation in copper-pot equipment.
Olmeca describes roller-mill extraction and column distillation for its own range.
Where is Altos made?
Altos is made at Pernod Ricard México’s NOM 1111 distillery in Arandas, Jalisco.
Altos’ production account · Olmeca’s process · Pernod Ricard’s Arandas distillery
What it costs
Altos bottle prices
At Old Town online and ABC store #134 in Kissimmee, Florida, Reposado cost about $1 more than Plata in our October 2, 2026 US observations, so choose between them mainly for the style you want. Old Town’s Plata bottle size was assumed to be 750 mL; ABC’s 750 mL Reposado was out of stock.
| Bottle | Old Town | ABC #134 |
|---|---|---|
| Plata | $29Size assumed | $23 |
| Reposado | $30 | $24Out of stock |
| Añejo | $40 | $33 |
Old Town also listed 375 mL Plata and Reposado at about $15 each, in stock on October 2.
Prices are subject to change.
Price sources and details
US bottle listings, observed October 2, 2026. ABC prices are for pickup at store #134, Loop, Kissimmee, Florida. Tax is excluded; delivery, deposits and required fees were not verified.
- Old Town Tequila: Plata, about $29 (750 mL assumed). In stock.
- Old Town Tequila: Reposado, about $30 (750 mL). In stock.
- ABC Fine Wine & Spirits: Plata, about $23 (750 mL). In stock.
- ABC Fine Wine & Spirits: Reposado, about $24 (750 mL). Out of stock.
- Old Town Tequila: Añejo, about $40 (750 mL). In stock.
- ABC Fine Wine & Spirits: Añejo, about $33 (750 mL). In stock.
- Old Town Tequila: Plata, about $15 (375 mL). In stock.
- Old Town Tequila: Reposado, about $15 (375 mL). In stock.
Choose Altos for the drink you make most
Buy Plata if most of your drinks are Margaritas or Palomas and you want agave and citrus without oak. Choose Reposado as an all-round bottle when you also want an oak-rested sip. For sipping or a richer stirred drink, I would choose Añejo.
Plata or Reposado in a Margarita
Shake 2 oz tequila, 1 oz fresh lime juice and ½ oz agave syrup with ice. Start with syrup diluted one-to-one with water and adjust for sweetness after tasting. Strain over fresh ice. Use Plata for the unaged version or switch only the tequila to Reposado to compare the influence of oak.
Plata in a Paloma
Build 2 oz Plata, ½ oz lime juice and about 4 oz grapefruit soda over ice, then stir gently. Taste before adding syrup because grapefruit sodas vary. Reposado works as an oak-rested alternative in the same recipe.
Añejo in an Old Fashioned-style drink
Stir 2 oz Añejo, 1 tsp agave syrup and two dashes of aromatic bitters with ice. Serve over a large cube and express an orange peel over the drink. Start with a light dose of syrup so you can adjust to the tequila and bitters you have.
For a sipping comparison, pour small equal measures into the same type of glass and begin neat. Add water or ice afterward if you prefer. I would choose Añejo from the range; Plata or Reposado can be the more useful purchase when you mainly make citrus drinks.
A ready-to-serve Margarita is a different purchase
Altos Lime and Strawberry Margaritas are prepared drinks. They are useful when convenience is the main goal, but they do not replace the three full-strength tequilas in a recipe calling for a measured spirit, fresh juice and sweetener. Follow the prepared drink’s own serving instructions.
Other bottles to compare
Tres Agaves Blanco offers an organic Tequila Valley comparison with Altos’ Highlands production. At Old Town, its 750 mL bottle was about $30 on October 4, 2026; Altos Plata was about $29 on October 2, with its 750 mL size assumed. Ocho Plata adds an estate-and-harvest identity if you want to explore how a named growing place shapes an unaged tequila.
Is Olmeca Altos additive free?
Altos’ additive-free status is unconfirmed.
Pernod Ricard lists agave, yeast and water for Altos Reposado and Añejo at 40% ABV, and for its global Plata entry at 43%, but does not state that these are the only ingredients.
The US Plata bottle covered here is 40%; a separate ingredient declaration for that version has not been confirmed. Olmeca products and prepared Altos Margaritas have their own recipes.
Sources and earlier records
For the separate dietary question, see our tequila and gluten guide.
Questions about Olmeca and Altos
Who owns Olmeca Altos tequila?
Pernod Ricard owns Olmeca and Altos. It acquired Olmeca in 2001; the Altos range launched in 2009.
Where is Olmeca Altos tequila made?
Altos is made at Pernod Ricard México’s NOM 1111 distillery in Arandas, Jalisco. The October 1, 2026 CRT list also registers Olmeca and Tequila Avión at NOM 1111. Explore NOM 1111 and its brands.
Is Olmeca Altos 100% agave tequila?
Yes. Regular Altos Plata, Reposado and Añejo are 100% agave tequila made from Azul agave. Olmeca is a separate range that describes its standard tequila as mixto.
Is Olmeca Altos additive free?
Altos’ additive-free status is unconfirmed. Pernod Ricard lists agave, yeast and water for 40% Reposado and Añejo and 43% Plata without stating that these are the only ingredients. The US Plata compared here is 40%.
Is Olmeca Gold the same as Altos Reposado?
No. Olmeca Gold belongs to the Olmeca range; Altos Reposado is a 100% agave Altos tequila rested in oak.
Which Altos tequila should I buy for a Margarita?
Altos Plata is the starting choice for a Margarita when you want agave and citrus without oak. Choose Altos Reposado when you want oak in the drink. Their October 2, 2026 US prices differed by about $1 at each of the two sellers we checked.
Which Olmeca Altos tequila would Michael Prentice choose?
Michael Prentice would choose Altos Añejo. That is his preference across the range; Plata can be a more useful choice for citrus-led cocktails, while Reposado offers an oak-rested middle option.
Is Altos Añejo stronger than Plata?
No. Regular US Altos Plata and Añejo are both 40% ABV, or 80 proof. Other markets have different strengths: Pernod Ricard’s global page lists Plata at 43%.
Can I use an Altos prepared Margarita as tequila in another recipe?
No. An Altos prepared Margarita contains its cocktail ingredients and has its own serving directions. Use full-strength Altos tequila when a recipe calls for a measured tequila dose; the prepared drink changes both strength and sweetness.
Does Olmeca Altos tequila go off?
A sealed bottle of regular Altos tequila keeps well when stored upright, away from direct sunlight and high temperatures. Once opened, aim to enjoy it within a couple of years for its flavor.
Is Olmeca Altos tequila gluten free?
Yes. Regular Olmeca Altos tequila is gluten free. Our tequila and gluten guide explains the distillation and ingredient questions; prepared Margaritas and flavored products have their own ingredients.
Is Olmeca Altos tequila kosher?
Yes. OK lists Altos Plata, Reposado and Añejo as kosher for year-round use, with the OK symbol required on the bottle.†
Was Altos the tenth bestselling tequila in 2025?
The ranking groups Altos with Olmeca: together they were tenth in the Brand Champions 2026 tequila table, with 1.5 million nine-liter cases worldwide in 2025.
† OK’s product search names those Altos products. Match the exact label and OK mark. Olmeca mixto tequila is a separate line and is not covered by these Altos records. Sources checked October 14, 2026. See Is tequila kosher? for bottle checks, agency differences and Passover requirements. ↩
Is Olmeca Altos tequila organic?
Organic certification is unconfirmed for Olmeca and Altos tequilas. Altos is a 100% agave range; Olmeca makes mixto tequila. Check the exact bottle for an organic claim and named certifier.
Pernod Ricard: Altos core products
Organic sources checked October 14, 2026.
Continue the comparison
Blanco or Reposado explains how oak changes a drink; Reposado or Añejo compares the two aged classes. Explore Tres Agaves, Casa Noble or Tequila Ocho for another brand’s approach.
Sources and photographs
Product facts and flavor notes: the producers linked below. Retail price sources appear beside the price comparison. Bottle photographs: brand and importer sources.
- Pernod Ricard: Altos range and ingredientsChecked 2026-10-04.
- Altos: founders and productionChecked 2026-10-04.
- Altos: PlataChecked 2026-10-04.
- Altos: ReposadoChecked 2026-10-04.
- Altos: AñejoChecked 2026-10-04.
- Pernod Ricard: Altos Reposado MéxicoChecked 2026-10-04.
- Olmeca: brand history and current product listChecked 2026-10-04.
- The Spirits Business: Tequila Brand Champions 2026Checked 2026-10-01.
- Pernod Ricard: México distillery and productionChecked 2026-10-04.
- Altos Infusionado: Mexican launch, October 15, 2023Read October 12, 2026. Historical launch; current availability unconfirmed.
- Becle: March 2026 investor presentationIWSR 2024 global tequila volume-share comparison.
- STAR-K: tequila guidanceRead October 12, 2026.