Crafted with Tradition, Rooted in Community: The Casa Maestri Story

From the heart of Tequila, Jalisco, to restaurants, retailers, hospitality partners, and consumers around the world, Casa Maestri has built an extraordinary family-owned business grounded in craftsmanship, authenticity, and tradition.

That same commitment to relationships and community has shaped Casa Maestri’s engagement with the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce. As an active Chamber Leadership Circle member and the Presenting Sponsor of the 2026 Pride In Business Celebration Luncheon + After Party, Casa Maestri has demonstrated what it means to move beyond sponsorship and build a meaningful partnership.

We sat down with Jose Coira, Vice President of Global Business Development at Casa Maestri, to learn more about the company’s story, its growing portfolio of brands, and why supporting Houston’s LGBTQ+ business community is both professionally and personally meaningful to him.

Tell us about yourself, including your role with Casa Maestri, how long you have been with the company, and how you originally got connected to the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce.

Jose Coira
Vice President of Global Business Development
Casa Maestri

My name is Jose Coira, and I’m the Vice President of Global Business Development at Casa Maestri. I’ve had the privilege of growing alongside the company for many years, helping expand our brands into markets around the world while building relationships with distributors, retailers, and partners here in the U.S.

I was introduced to the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber through friends and local business leaders who spoke so highly of the work they were doing. 

Once I attended a few events, I realized it wasn’t just another networking organization. It was a community that genuinely supports people and helps businesses grow. 

That really resonated with me, both personally and professionally.

Tell us about Casa Maestri. How did the distillery begin, and what inspired its founding?

Casa Maestri is a family-owned distillery located in the heart of Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico. It was founded by my mother, Celia Maestri, with the vision of creating exceptional tequila while staying true to the traditions that make it so special.

What started as a passion for craftsmanship has grown into one of Mexico’s leading tequila producers. Even as we’ve expanded globally, we’ve never lost sight of what got us here: quality, authenticity, and treating every brand we produce as if it were our own.

Casa Maestri is known for its portfolio of distinctive tequila brands. Which brands and products would you like our readers to know more about?

Of course, I’d encourage everyone to discover Casa Maestri Tequila, which is our flagship brand, but we also produce an incredible variety of products that each have their own personality.

One of the brands I’m especially excited about is Agave Boom, our ready-to-drink margarita line. It brings premium tequila into a fun, convenient format without sacrificing quality. We also partner with entrepreneurs and companies around the world to help bring their own tequila visions to life, and that’s something many people don’t realize we do.

What makes Casa Maestri’s approach to tequila production unique, from the ingredients and distillation process to craftsmanship and quality?

Everything starts with great agave. We believe you can’t make exceptional tequila without exceptional raw ingredients.

From there, it’s about respecting the process. Traditional cooking methods, careful fermentation, precise distillation, and patience during aging all play an important role. We combine generations of tequila-making knowledge with modern technology where it actually improves consistency, but we never cut corners just to produce more.

Quality has always come before quantity.

What role do heritage, family, and tradition play in the Casa Maestri story?

Family is really the foundation of everything we do.

Because we’re family-owned, every decision feels personal. Our last name is attached to every bottle that leaves the distillery, and that creates a level of pride and responsibility that you can’t manufacture.

I also have the unique privilege of helping grow the company my mother founded. Watching her vision become an internationally recognized business has been incredibly rewarding, and it’s something I never take for granted.

We respect tequila’s history while also recognizing that innovation keeps the industry moving forward. For us, honoring tradition doesn’t mean standing still.

How has Casa Maestri grown over the years, and what have been some of the company’s most meaningful milestones?

It’s been amazing to watch the growth.

We’ve expanded from producing a handful of brands into creating products that are now enjoyed in dozens of countries. We’ve built long-term relationships with retailers, distributors, cruise lines, restaurants, and hospitality partners across the world. Shout out to getting on Disney Cruise line in the Coco Restaurant!

But honestly, one of the biggest milestones isn’t a number. It’s the trust we’ve earned. Many brands choose Casa Maestri because they know we’ll care about their product just as much as they do.

Who are Casa Maestri’s customers, and where can consumers find or experience your products?

We work with everyone from independent restaurants and bars to major retailers, distributors, cruise lines, resorts, and hospitality groups.

Consumers can find many of our products in liquor stores, restaurants, and retailers throughout Texas and across the U.S., with our availability continuing to grow internationally as well.

What would you like people to understand about Casa Maestri that they may not know from seeing your products on the shelf?

I think many people are surprised to learn how many brands are actually crafted at Casa Maestri. More than 300 of them!

People may recognize one bottle on the shelf without realizing there’s an entire team behind it that has spent years perfecting the product. Whether it’s our own brands or one we produce for a client, we approach every project with the same level of care and craftsmanship.

Why was it important for Casa Maestri to become involved with the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce?

Business is about people, and Houston has an incredible LGBTQ+ business community filled with entrepreneurs, professionals, and innovators. 

We wanted to be part of that community, not simply as sponsors, but as partners.

For me personally, it was also meaningful. As a gay business leader, I’ve experienced firsthand how valuable it is to have spaces where people can build relationships, support one another, and create opportunities together. The Chamber does exactly that, and we’re proud to be involved.

How does Casa Maestri’s engagement with the Chamber align with the company’s values and commitment to the LGBTQ+ community?

At Casa Maestri, relationships matter. We believe everyone deserves to feel welcome, respected, and valued, whether they’re our employees, customers, partners, or members of the community.

As someone who’s part of the LGBTQ+ community, this partnership is especially meaningful to me. It isn’t just a sponsorship on paper. It’s a chance to represent both a family-owned Mexican company that believes in inclusion and a community that has given me so many opportunities. 

Seeing those two parts of my life come together has been incredibly rewarding.

Casa Maestri has supported numerous Chamber events and initiatives, including serving as Presenting Sponsor of the 2026 Pride In Business Celebration Luncheon + After Party. What has Casa Maestri valued most about its partnership with the Chamber?

Without question, it’s the relationships.

We’ve met entrepreneurs, restaurant owners, retailers, nonprofit leaders, and professionals who genuinely want to help each other succeed. That spirit of collaboration is something you don’t always find, and it’s one of the reasons we continue to stay involved.

Personally, I’ve built friendships through the Chamber that extend well beyond business. 

That’s something you can’t measure, and it’s probably been the most rewarding part of our partnership.

Why is it important for brands in the spirits industry to demonstrate meaningful and visible support for LGBTQ+ consumers, businesses, and communities?

Because support shouldn’t only appear during Pride Month.

The LGBTQ+ community includes customers, employees, business owners, distributors, friends, and family. Showing up consistently sends the message that people matter every day of the year, not just when it’s convenient.

Authenticity is something people recognize, and I think consumers appreciate companies that genuinely live their values.

What does authentic community engagement look like to Casa Maestri beyond a single event, campaign, or celebration?

It’s about consistency.

Showing up, listening, supporting local businesses, building partnerships, and finding ways to contribute throughout the year. We want our involvement to be measured by the relationships we’ve built, not simply by logos on event banners.

How can Chamber members, restaurants, hospitality partners, retailers, and consumers support or collaborate with Casa Maestri?

The easiest way is to start a conversation with us.

Whether someone is interested in carrying one of our brands, creating a cocktail program, partnering on an event, or even developing their own tequila brand, we’d love to connect.

We’re always looking for long-term partnerships where everyone grows together.

What is next for Casa Maestri? Are there new products, partnerships, expansions, or other developments you are excited to share?

There’s a lot to be excited about.

We’re continuing to expand internationally, introducing new products like Agave Boom to more markets, and growing our partnerships with retailers and hospitality groups around the world.

We’re also investing in innovation while staying true to the traditions that define great tequila. I think the next few years will be some of our most exciting yet.

Is there anything else you would like the community to know about Casa Maestri and its family of brands?

At the end of the day, we’re still a family business.

No matter how much we’ve grown, we haven’t lost the personal approach that has always defined us. Every bottle represents years of work, tradition, and pride from our team in Tequila, Mexico.

We’re grateful to call Houston home, grateful for the relationships we’ve built through the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber, and excited to keep growing alongside this community. Whether someone enjoys one of our products, partners with us, or simply stops by to say hello at an event, we hope they experience the same authenticity, hospitality, and passion that have always been at the heart of Casa Maestri.

And don’t forget…DRINK RESPONSIBLY!

Relationships at the Heart of the Partnership

Casa Maestri’s story is about much more than what goes into each bottle. It is a story of family, heritage, innovation, and relationships—the same values that have made the company such a valued part of the Chamber community.

We are proud to have Casa Maestri as a Chamber Leadership Circle member and partner and deeply appreciate the company’s visible, year-round commitment to Houston’s LGBTQ+ business community. We look forward to continuing to grow this strong partnership and raising a glass to many more shared milestones ahead.

Learn More

Explore Casa Maestri’s family of brands, distilling capabilities, and global partnerships at CasaMaestri.com.

Learn more about Agave Boom ready-to-drink margaritas at AgaveBoom.com.

Watch the Casa Maestri video to learn more about the distillery and its story.