David Suro Piñera

Born and raised in Guadalajara, Jalisco David, Suro Piñera migrated to Philadelphia in 1985. Excited to showcase the food and spirit of his homeland, he opened Philadelphia’s first upscale Mexican eatery, Tequilas Restaurant, in 1986. It has since become world-famous for serving authentic cuisine as well as offering a list of artisanal, sustainable brands of fine 100% agave tequilas.

As a restaurateur and a tequila aficionado, he was determined to find the highest quality tequila. This quest propelled him to develop and produce his own boutique tequila brand, Siembra Azul — a small batch, artisanally crafted tequila, which is made from only the finest blue agave. In the 1990’s, Suro-Piñera returned to Jalisco, Mexico to assemble a dream team of tequila experts, scholars and producers to collaborate on creating this innovative new tequila. After over 5 years of painstaking efforts, Siembra Azul launched with the first batches of Blanco and Reposado in the spring of 2005 to rave reviews. Siembra Azul’s slogan, “The Future of Tradition” is Suro Piñera’s mission.

Suro Piñera’s passion for his culture and heritage continues to expand with every project he pursues. In 2010, he helped found the Tequila Interchange Project, a non-profit organization that advocates for sustainable, traditional and quality practices amid concerning trends in the tequila industry. This group is composed of passionate and well-respected bartenders, academics, educators, consumers and tequila enthusiasts. In July of 2011, he was selected to be a Board Member and President of this organization.

He also founded the Siembra Suro Foundation (formerly Siembra Azul Foundation), a non-profit organization that empowers Mexican migrant workers and Hispanics in the U.S. to achieve their goals. This undertaking has been another one of Suro Piñera’s dreams: to give back to his community and champion the needs of Mexicans living in the U.S. A portion of proceeds from the sales of his tequila benefit this organization. One of SAF accomplishments was to help build an education, health, and arts program in San Mateo Ozolco, Puebla. This achievement was accomplished with the help of the First Lady of Mexico, Margarita Zavala de Calderón, First Lady of Philadelphia Lisa Nutter, and the community clinic in Philadelphia, Puentes de Salud.

Suro Piñera has also served on several Boards including Philadelphia’s Mexican Cultural Center and the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation. He is currently on the following Boards: Puentes De Salud, Board of Advisors for Drexel University’s culinary school, Philadelphia Academies Inc. and Friends of Farmworkers. In 2006, the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce awarded David Suro Piñera “Businessman of the Year” for his tenacity and entrepreneurial spirit. In 2010, Philadelphia Academies Inc. named him a CEO Ambassador for 21st Century Skills.

Since 2006, Suro International Importers has been importing David’s products as well as other artisanal agave spirits and craft Mexican beer. Since launching Siembra Azul, he has worked tirelessly to make Siembra Azul a symbol for quality, transparency and ethical business practices. After 9 years of setting a standard in the agave distilled spirits industry, David Suro Piñera has expanded by creating Siembra Spirits and is preparing to release a line of new agave distillates that will challenge the consumer to explore the different terroirs of Mexico. In November 2014, Siembra Valles Blanco Tequila was released. This new spirit represents an unprecedented collaboration led by a desire to create the most traditional tequila on the market. In 2015, a line of unique agave distillates will be released under the name Siembra Metl. The creation of Siembra Spirits is an invitation to celebrate responsible producers who honor the history, the land, and the people of Mexico. David Suro Piñera is always finding new ways to integrate education, celebration, and tradition.