Patrón Spirits Company history

In 2000, Seagram’s sold the company and shipped Brown’s position overseas.

When Brown took control in 2001, Crowley and JP had pushed the brand to almost 120,000 cases, a smashing success for a virtually nonexistent category.

Brown was devastated, but he put together a deal with Campari, who would buy Patrón and allow Brown to stay on as president. It was 2003, and companies were acquiring tequila brands, and Crowley felt the time was right.

In 2004, they launched Gran Patrón, a pricey line of top notch tequilas that start at $200.

In 2005, the owners of El Viejito built a new distillery outside of the town of Atotonilco, and sold their original facility – the oldest distillery in Atotonilco, and the first distillery where Francisco worked – to Patrón.

Emboldened by its success, the company pushed the envelope with their Burdeos line in 2007 and today sells unique tequilas in Lalique crystal decanters for upwards of $7,500.

Launched in February 2012, Patrón XO Cafe Dark Cocoa is coffee liqueur based on Patrón Silver tequila and flavoured with Criollo dark cocoa from Mexico's

Launched in global travel retail in April 2013, Gran Patrón Piedra is an extra añejo tequila produced using a traditional Tahona wheel to crush the piña

The most memorable was not at the Hacienda in Mexico but in London over a long lunch in 2017.

In 2018, Patrón Spirits International A.G., proudly joined Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held spirits company in the world.

Francisco retired from his role as Master Distiller in July 2020.