Corby introduces Olmeca Altos Plata tequila in Canada

An award-winning tequila made from 100% hand-cut Mexican blue agave

TORONTO, May 5, 2016 /CNW/ - Just in time for Cinco de Mayo, Corby Spirit and Wine is announcing the launch of Olmeca Altos Plata tequila within select Canadian markets. This premium, high-quality tequila is made from 100% blue agave, and produced at the Destilería Colonial de Jalisco in the Los Altos highlands of Mexico. Altos Plata will become available in Ontario stores this month, priced at $31.95 for 750 ml.

Among its many awards and accolades, Olmeca Altos Plata was most recently recognized with a Gold Medal at the 2016 Tequila Masters for its "smooth vanilla" flavours, and was additionally named one of the top ten best value tequilas by The Spirits Business. It was also voted Best Silver Tequila at the 2011 Ultimate Spirits Challenge, earning 96 points – a rating that no other blanco tequila has achieved since then.

"Tequila is an exceptionally unique and dynamic spirit. It is remarkably accessible and versatile, while also reflecting deep heritage and tradition," says Kim Creighton, Brand Manager, White Spirits. "In the last 12 months, the tequila category has grown by over nine per cent in Canada. Consumers are looking for top-quality, 100 per cent agave tequila at an affordable price – and we are proud to offer Canadians exactly that with the introduction of Olmeca Altos Plata."

Created in 2009 by Dre Masso and the late Henry Besant, award-winning UK mixologists, Olmeca Altos is a tequila that's truly made by bartenders, for bartenders. After noticing a gap in the tequila market, Besant and Masso partnered with Maestro Tequilero Jesús Hernandez, who has been at the helm of the Los Altos distillery for 17 years.

To create this distinctive tequila, only the best Blue Weber agave plants are hand-picked by the facility's own crew of Jimadores, who have been harvesting for generations. After slow-cooking in brick ovens for up to three days, the agave juice is then extracted with the help of a roller mill and 2-ton volcanic Tahona Stone. The Destilería Colonial de Jalisco is one of only 11 remaining distilleries that still uses the traditional Tahona stone process – a method which dates back 500 years. Olmeca Altos Plata is then distilled in small-batch 100% copper stills. The final result is a high-quality tequila that captures the authenticity of agave distillation, while being accessible to tequila fans around the world.

For more information, and cocktail recipes specifically designed for Olmeca Altos Plata, visit www.altostequila.com.

About Corby Spirit and Wine
Corby Spirit and Wine Limited is a leading Canadian marketer and distributor of spirits and imported wines. Corby's portfolio of owned-brands includes some of the most renowned brands in Canada, including J.P. Wiser's®, Lot No. 40®, Pike Creek® and Gooderham & Worts® Canadian whiskies as well as Lamb's® rum, Polar Ice® vodka and McGuinness® and Criollo® liqueurs, produced by its sister company, Hiram Walker & Sons Ltd., based in Windsor, Ontario. Through its affiliation with Pernod Ricard S.A., a global leader in the spirits and wine industry, Corby also represents leading international brands such as ABSOLUT® vodka, Chivas Regal®, The Glenlivet® and Ballantine's® Scotch whiskies, Jameson® Irish whiskey, Beefeater® gin, Malibu® rum, Kahlúa® liqueur, Mumm® champagne, and Jacob's Creek®, Wyndham Estate®, Stoneleigh®, Campo Viejo®, Graffigna® and Kenwood® wines. In 2016, Corby was named one of the 50 Best Workplaces in Canada by The Great Place to Work® Institute Canada for the fifth consecutive year, and was also listed for the second time among Greater Toronto's Top 100 Employers. Corby is a publicly traded company based in Toronto, Ontario, and listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbols CSW.A and CSW.B. For further information, please visit our website or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter (@CorbySW), and Instagram (@CorbySW).

SOURCE Corby Spirit and Wine Communications

Image with caption: "Olmeca Altos Plata: an award-winning tequila made from 100% hand-cut Mexican blue agave (CNW Group/Corby Spirit and Wine Communications)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160505_C3997_PHOTO_EN_682901.jpg

Amandine Robin, Director, Communications, Public Relations and CSR, Corby Spirit and Wine, Email: [email protected] Telephone: [phone]