Midwest Agave bets on craft tequila

Beer may have made Milwaukee famous, but increasingly residents are turning to spirits when they choose to drink. Consumption of distilled spirits in Wisconsin climbed 32 percent over the past decade, mirroring a national shift toward premium and craft offerings.

While vodka and rum remain perennial favorites, tequila has emerged as one of the fastest-growing spirit categories. Between about 2003 and 2023, U.S. tequila sales volumes rose roughly 294 percent. Despite tequila’s rowdy reputation, its new fans are choosing a refined experience, favoring aged styles and additive‑free or small‑batch products, treating tequila as a sipping spirit.

Milwaukee-based Midwest Agave, founded in 2023, is betting that the state’s strong drinking culture is ready to embrace tequila in a new way. The company is the owner of Manuscrito Tequila, a craft tequila produced in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, and now sold in liquor stores and restaurants across the state.

Building a tequila company from Wisconsin

Midwest Agave was founded by Jacob Taylor, CEO, alongside co-founders Michael Bogard, CFO, and Chad Pizur, COO. Taylor recalls the idea to launch the company took shape as he began to explore the nuances of tequila.

“I started learning that tequila could be a very complex spirit,” Taylor said. “There’s a lot of craftsmanship and history behind it that people don’t always associate with tequila, especially here in Wisconsin.”

As the group researched the market, they noticed many of the additive-free, small-batch tequilas gaining traction nationally were difficult to find in Milwaukee. At the same time, Wisconsin’s shelves were dominated by globally known but industrialized brands.

“That gap stood out to us,” Taylor said. “We saw an opportunity to bring a high-quality, craft tequila to Wisconsin and build a brand around transparency and storytelling.”

From concept to production

The creation of tequila is governed by Mexican law. Only liquor made from the Blue Weber Agave grown in authorized areas and following strict production standards can be called tequila. Within the classification, there are subsets based on the percentage of agave sweetener used and the aging time and technique.

The company worked with a Jalisco-based master distiller to develop Manuscrito’s taste and production profile, emphasizing traditional methods such as brick ovens and copper pot distillation.

Midwest Agave launched its first two expressions in mid-2025: a blanco tequila and a high-proof blanco. Additional expressions, including reposado varieties, are expected later this year.

Rather than emphasizing batch numbers, the brand leans into a narrative approach. Manuscrito, which translates to “manuscript” in Spanish, frames each release as a chapter in an ongoing story, with individual batches labeled as pages within that chapter.

“We wanted the brand to reflect the idea that every bottle has a story behind it,” Taylor said. “And that the person drinking it brings their own story to the table as well.”

Finding a place in the Wisconsin market

Although tequila is not traditionally associated with Wisconsin, Midwest Agave believes the state’s strong spirits culture makes it fertile ground for growth. Manuscrito is now available at major retailers including Sendik’s, Pick ’n Save, Woodman’s, and Otto’s Liquor, as well as select restaurants and cocktail bars in the Milwaukee area.

The company is also beginning to expand beyond Wisconsin, with distribution in several additional states and plans to enter more markets as production scales.

“Our goal is to become Wisconsin’s tequila,” Taylor said. “We want to build that recognition here first, then grow outward.”

A growing category, locally owned

As spirits consumption continues to evolve and tequila’s popularity rises nationwide, Midwest Agave is positioning itself at the intersection of national trends and local ownership. In a state better known for beer and brandy, the company is helping to introduce tequila into that conversation.

As Wisconsin drinkers emerge from Dry January eager to mindfully reintroduce alcohol into their lives, Midwest Agave hopes Manuscrito becomes part of their 2026 stories.