Circular Economy Innovation & Technology

Astral Tequila Turning Spent Agave Into Bricks to Build Homes for Mexican Families in Need

Astral’s 'This Round's for the House' initiative is part of the Adobe Brick Project — its ongoing upcycling program to build homes and brighten communities in Jalisco.

Published 1 year ago | About a 3 minute read

Image: Astral Tequila

Astral Tequila has announced that the construction of 10 homes for families in Jalisco, Mexico is underway through trusted partners with the brand's ongoing sustainability program, The Adobe Brick Project. Each bottle of Astral Tequila produced helps to create approximately two adobe bricks by upcycling the spent agave from tequila distillation, which are then used to build homes for those in need.

Astral Tequila launched in April 2021 with its first expression, Blanco; followed by Reposado and Añejo in April 2023. The brand believes that the more good energy we put into our world, the more good energy goes around; so, each bottle produced continues the cycle of giving back to build a better future. To continue this ongoing effort to build more homes in Mexico and brighten local communities, Astral invites tequila lovers to join the brand simply by enjoying a cocktail made with Astral Tequila. From Earth Day (April 22) through Cinco de Mayo, those of legal drinking age in their respective areas (especially in the US — where we apparently drink more tequila than any other nation) are encouraged to make every round of drinks 'for the house' by purchasing Astral Tequila on Drizly or ordering at a local establishment to help create more bricks to build more homes for those in need.

Earth Day falls just two weeks before Cinco de Mayo — the holiday when more tequila is consumed in the US than on any other holiday. The brand is calling on those opting for tequila to choose Astral to continue the cycle with the support of our partners and organizations local to the communities in Mexico where its tequila is produced.

Image credit: Astral Tequila

Director of Sustainability and civil engineer Martha Jiménez Cardoso oversees The Adobe Brick Project and has been using her engineering expertise to build bricks for homes in Mexico for those in need since 2017. Cardoso and her team combine spent agave fibers (bagazo) with earth and liquid runoff from distillation (vinasa) to create dobe bricks. The wet molds of compost are then laid out in the sun to dry, yielding a brick that’s then used in construction.

"The Adobe Brick Project was created to help empower and uplift our local communities and provide homes for families in need," Jiménez Cardoso says. "I'm incredibly proud to lead this ongoing initiative with Astral Tequila that provides materials for adobe bricks used to create housing and reduce landfill waste in our community."

The housing construction is taking place in Gomez Farias, Jalisco in partnership with local organizations including Habitat para la Humanidad Mexico, GreenLoop, Grupo Solave and the Mezcal Institute, with the initial 10 homes being built for local families in need.

"One of America's favorite cocktails wouldn't exist without the communities in Mexico that dedicate their lives to the production of agave spirits," shares Christina Choi, SVP of Tequila at Astral parent company Diageo NA. "We're proud to act as a conduit for people to be able to support these communities not only during Earth Day when sustainability is top of mind, but also year-round."