Suburban Binny’s to hold Tequila 1349 tastings June 21, as local founder/agave farmer celebrates first year

Tequila 1349, a new premium tequila brand that is produced in Mexico and headquartered in Chicago, will host an extensive tasting event at suburban Binny’s Beverage Depots from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, June 21 (see locations below).

The tastings, which also will be held in the city and downstate, are designed to give customers the chance to sample the small-batch, additive-free Blanco and Reposado that were created by local woman Lizzy Lopez and launched one year ago.

Lopez, who grew up in Chicago and is based in the area, also happens to be a third-generation agave farmer in the world-famous Golden Triangle highlands region of Arandas, Jalisco. That’s where she inherited some of her family land back in 2016 and began growing 1,349 blue weber agave plants. It was initially an investment, but in 2020, she had the opportunity to partner with master distillers Aceves Spirits to begin creating a tequila profile and bringing it to life – and Tequila 1349 was born.

The upcoming tastings will be held at 25 suburban Binny’s locations, including Arlington Heights, Crystal Lake, Des Plaines, Glen Ellyn, Lake Zurich, Naperville, Oak Brook, Schaumburg, Vernon Hills and more. There will also be tastings in Rockford, Bloomington, Peoria and Springfield, Illinois.

Lopez says the events are coming at an exciting time for her company. She is celebrating the anniversary of the launch of her Blanco and the growth of her Reposado that debuted last November, while preparing to bring a new profile to the market – an Añejo that is currently aging in barrels in Mexico and expected to be ready this fall and winter.

“I’ve been so pleased with the local response to Tequila 1349 over the past year, both at Binny’s and at the many bars and restaurants that serve it,” Lopez says. “The tastings are a great opportunity for me to say thank you to our current loyal customer base, while introducing our tequila to potential new customers all over Illinois.”

Lopez says she has expanded her farming significantly since planting her first crops in 2016, each year adding thousands of agave plants in the sun-soaked fields of Arandas, where all Tequila 1349 production takes place. The tequila is produced using methods rooted in longstanding family traditions combined with modern innovations and a focus on sustainability.

Lopez left her nonprofit career in the suburbs and is now overseeing the business, splitting her time between Chicago and Mexico so she can be hands on and ensure growing methods are “ecologically friendly, as well as supportive of the local community.”

She says her role as CEO of Tequila 1349 is something she has been preparing for ever since she was a young girl, when she would travel to her family’s community in Arandas and watch her grandfather and father farm agave.

Lopez says she is proud to have successfully broken into the competitive tequila industry, an industry often reserved for fathers and sons. “I have the greatest respect for the rich traditions and craftsmanship that go into tequila making, from the long days of labor in the fields to the delicate distillation process,” she says. “I’m proud to build on my family’s legacy and bring these truly unique profiles to market.”

In addition to Binny’s stores, Tequila 1349 Blanco and Reposado are available at Chicago’s Moreno’s Liquors, in Florida and Texas, and online in 24 markets.

The tastings will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, June 21, at these Binny’s locations:

• Algonquin, 844 Randall Rd.

• Arlington Heights, 35 W. Rand Rd.

• Bloomingdale, 353 Army Trail Rd.

• Bloomington, 1409 N. Veterans Pkwy.

• Chicago, 4901 W. Irving Park Rd.

• Chicago, 1720 N. Marcey St.

• Crystal Lake, 5380 US-14

• Des Plaines, 767 W. Golf Rd

• Downers Grove, 2020 Butterfield Rd.

• Evanston, 1111 Chicago Ave.

• Evergreen Park, 3447 95th St.

• Glen Ellyn, 670 Roosevelt Rd.

• Gurnee, 6911 W. Grand Ave.

• Highland Park, 153 Skokie Valey Hwy.

• Joliet, 3150 Tonti Dr.

• Lake Zurich, 975 S. Rand Rd.

• McHenry, 4610 W. Elm St.

• Mokena, 21410 Wolf Rd.

• Montgomery, 1150 W. Ogden Ave.

• Naperville, 790 Royal St. George

• North Riverside, 7250 Cermak Rd.

• Oak Brook, 1500 16th St.

• Orland Park, 15820 S. 94th St.

• Peoria, 2601 W. Lake Ave.

• Plainfield, 12307 IL-59

• Rockford, 6363 E. State St.

• River Grove, 3121 Thatcher Ave.

• Schaumburg, 323 W. Gold Rd.

• Skokie, 5100 W. Dempster St.

• Springfield, 2490 W. Wabash Ave.

• Vernon Hills, 290 Hawthorn Village Commons