The Tasting Panel magazine

November 2012

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by Rich Manning / photos by Leigh Castelli AZUÑIA TEQUILA REFLECTS THE PERSONA OF ITS ADVENTUROUS CEO F Above: Azuñia CEO Jim Riley. The brand's trio of tequilas is crafted to refl ect his adventurous spirit. 116 / the tasting panel / november 2012 november 2012 rom a business standpoint, Jim Riley markets Azuñia Tequila with a viewpoint that reaches beyond the norm. Perhaps that's why they can get away with having a full-fl edged, honest-to-goodness recording studio built into their San Clemente, CA headquarters. And rest assured, the compact room is fully operational; the night I hung out there with the Azuñia CEO and noted thrill-seeker in his second-fl oor offi ce, the faint strains of local county rock act Angel and the Badman (named after the John Wayne western) can be heard below, plucking and picking in a style that would have made Gram Parsons proud. "I've always been a big fan of live music," Riley explains. "I like to think of us as being in the entertainment business, and I want to cre- ate a cool, fun work environment, so I decided to build a soundstage." The workplace studio is the newest toy for Riley, the former Ketel One executive who founded Azuñia with the idea of building a beverage brand that would serve as an extension of his lifestyle. The fe ofhe L Life of Riley

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