The Capitalyst: El Cristiano sits at the intersection of heritage and high-end branding. What personal conviction led you to enter the tequila space, and why did this feel like the right category to build a long-term luxury business in?
Karan Khanna: My relationship with fine spirits and wine began long before El Cristiano. It started with my first sip of a Paul Hobbs Pinot Noir at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa—a moment that fundamentally changed how I understood craftsmanship, terroir, and intention in a bottle. From that point on, I developed a deep appreciation for wine, whisky, and eventually tequila—not simply as beverages, but as expressions of culture, time, and human care.
Tequila is one of the few spirit categories where heritage, geography, agriculture, and time are inseparable from quality. That deeply resonated with me. I wasn’t interested in building a trend-driven brand; I wanted to create something with cultural gravity and longevity.
Tequila, when done correctly, rewards patience, respect for craft, and long-term thinking—qualities that align naturally with true luxury. El Cristiano was born from the conviction that there was room for a tequila brand that honored its origins while presenting itself with the same discipline and refinement expected of the world’s great luxury houses. We started the company with 3 CORE Principles:
Purity: El Cristiano is an additive free tequila made with the finest Jalisco Highlands blue weber agave. Our tequila is the cleanest expression of the true taste of the agave plant harvested after a minimum of 6 years in the ground with fully mature sugars and a meticulous distillation and oxygenation process to create a pure and delicious tequila.
Passion: Passion is the driving force behind everything we do. Our brand is an homage to Mexico, its people, and its national drink: from the agave fields to the bottling line, our team is united by a shared love for tequila and a commitment to excellence. This passion can be experienced across all the senses from the visually stunning packaging to the delicious and lingering taste.
Purpose: Inspired by the original Aztec goddess Mayahuel, the deity of the maguey (agave) plant, we are committed to making a meaningful impact. Our efforts begin with supporting the women and children in Arandas, located in the Highlands of Jalisco, and in San Luis del Río, Oaxaca—home to our mezcal, crafted with care by third-generation mezcaleros and mezcaleras.
The Capitalyst: Launching a tequila brand today means competing not only with legacy houses, but also with celebrity-backed labels. From day one, how did you think about differentiation—beyond marketing—at the level of product and philosophy?
Karan Khanna: Differentiation had to begin with restraint. We made a conscious decision to let the product lead and to resist shortcuts that prioritize speed over integrity. From agave maturity to production choices, every decision was filtered through one question: Does this elevate the liquid and honor the category? Philosophically, El Cristiano is not personality-driven—it’s principle-driven. We focused on building credibility with those who understand tequila deeply, trusting that authenticity and quality would ultimately speak louder than visibility alone.
The Capitalyst: Authenticity is often used loosely in the spirits industry. For El Cristiano, what does authenticity actually mean in practice—across agave sourcing, production, and decision-making?
Karan Khanna: Authenticity, for us, is operational rather than performative. It means sourcing mature agave responsibly, respecting traditional methods while applying modern precision, and being transparent in our decision-making—even when it’s commercially inconvenient. It also means knowing when not to intervene. Tequila doesn’t need to be over-designed; it needs to be respected. Authenticity shows up in the discipline to do fewer things, better, and to remain accountable to the land, the craft, and the people involved in the process. Use Purity to achieve the delicious quotient, not additives.
The Capitalyst: As a founder-CEO, how do you balance the patience required for craft-led products like tequila with the pressure to scale and perform in a competitive global market?
Karan Khanna: You balance it by being clear about what you will not compromise. Growth is important, but not at the expense of the brand’s foundation. In tequila, impatience shows up in the glass. We’ve chosen to scale deliberately, prioritizing the right partners and markets rather than the fastest expansion. Long-term value is created by consistency, not acceleration for its own sake. That mindset allows us to perform while protecting the integrity of the product.
The Capitalyst: Luxury spirits today are as much about storytelling as they are about taste. How have you approached building a brand narrative that resonates with both seasoned connoisseurs and a new generation of premium consumers?
Karan Khanna: The narrative of El Cristiano is rooted in clarity and confidence, not excess. We don’t over-explain or embellish. For connoisseurs, the story is in the details—the agave, the process, the balance of the liquid. For newer consumers, it’s about accessibility without dilution of standards. The goal is to invite people into the category without lowering the bar. When the product is honest and the brand language is disciplined, the story becomes timeless rather than trend-dependent.
The Capitalyst: India and other emerging markets are developing a stronger appetite for premium spirits. What opportunities and challenges do you see in introducing high-quality tequila to these audiences?
Karan Khanna: The opportunity lies in education and aspiration. Consumers in emerging markets are increasingly sophisticated and curious, but tequila is still widely misunderstood. The challenge is to shift perception—from a party spirit to a sipping spirit worthy of appreciation. That requires patience, on-the-ground engagement, and a willingness to build the category responsibly. When done thoughtfully, these markets offer tremendous long-term potential for brands that lead with quality rather than novelty.
The Capitalyst: Sustainability is becoming a strategic imperative in agave-based spirits. How is El Cristiano thinking about long-term responsibility—environmentally and economically—while remaining commercially viable?
Karan Khanna: Sustainability in tequila isn’t optional—it’s existential. Agave takes years to mature, and irresponsible practices today create scarcity tomorrow. We think about sustainability holistically: responsible sourcing, long-term relationships with growers, and production decisions that prioritize regeneration over extraction. Commercial viability comes from planning across decades, not quarters. A tequila brand that ignores this reality may succeed briefly, but it won’t endure.
The Capitalyst: Every entrepreneurial journey involves calculated risk. Was there a moment while building El Cristiano that fundamentally reshaped how you think about leadership or growth?
Karan Khanna: One of the most defining lessons was realizing that leadership often means slowing things down when momentum is pushing you to move faster. Saying no—to opportunities, partnerships, or shortcuts—can be more impactful than saying yes. That shift reframed growth for me as something intentional rather than reactive. It reinforced the idea that leadership is about stewardship, especially when you’re building something meant to last.
The Capitalyst: Looking ahead, how do you define success for El Cristiano—not just in terms of revenue or distribution, but in its standing within the global luxury spirits landscape?
Karan Khanna: Success for El Cristiano means being respected—by producers, by bartenders, by collectors, and by consumers who understand quality. It means being referenced not as a trend, but as a benchmark. If, years from now, El Cristiano is recognized as a tequila that helped elevate how the category is perceived globally, that will matter more than any single metric. Longevity, relevance, and integrity are the ultimate measures of success.
