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818 TEQUILA + S.A.C.R.E.D
At 818 we emphasize the earth’s importance in everything we do - that’s why we partnered with s.a.c.r.e.d. (Saving Agave for Culture, Recreation, Education, and Development) for our 818 Community Program in Mexico. We are taking agave waste and other byproducts from tequila production and using them to create usable building materials like bricks that we donate to community initiatives across Mexico. We are excited to continue working closely with s.a.c.r.e.d. on a variety of projects that touch all elements of the local economy, environment, and community.
HOW WE MAKE OUR 818 BRICKS
818’s community program in Mexico, developed and realized in tandem with s.a.c.r.e.d., is one of many ways we fight for our planet.
1
OUR BRICKS ARE CRAFTED FROM AGAVE BYPRODUCTS COMBINED WITH CLAY-RICH SOIL AND SAND. THE AGAVE FIBERS (BAGAZO) AND LIQUID BYPRODUCT OF TEQUILA PRODUCTION (VIÑAZA) MAKE FOR A MATERIAL THAT IS STURDY, WATERPROOF, AND FLEXIBLE.
2
THE MIXTURE IS “DANCED” TOGETHER TO BREAK APART THE CLAY AND COMBINE ALL THE INGREDIENTS.
3
THE MUD IS THEN HAND-PRESSED INTO MOLDS, CREATING BRICKS THAT ARE INDIVIDUALLY UNIQUE. THE BRICKS ARE THEN LAID OUT TO DRY IN THE SUN.
4
OUR BRICKS ARE USED IN A VARIETY OF INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AROUND MEXICO TO CREATE MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY CENTERS, LIBRARIES, AND MORE.
1
OUR BRICKS ARE CRAFTED FROM AGAVE BYPRODUCTS COMBINED WITH CLAY-RICH SOIL AND SAND. THE AGAVE FIBERS (BAGAZO) AND LIQUID BYPRODUCT OF TEQUILA PRODUCTION (VIÑAZA) MAKE FOR A MATERIAL THAT IS STURDY, WATERPROOF, AND FLEXIBLE.
2
THE MIXTURE IS “DANCED” TOGETHER TO BREAK APART THE CLAY AND COMBINE ALL THE INGREDIENTS.
3
THE MUD IS THEN HAND-PRESSED INTO MOLDS, CREATING BRICKS THAT ARE INDIVIDUALLY UNIQUE. THE BRICKS ARE THEN LAID OUT TO DRY IN THE SUN.
4
OUR BRICKS ARE USED IN A VARIETY OF INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AROUND MEXICO TO CREATE MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY CENTERS, LIBRARIES, AND MORE.
Working towards a better planet
Discover our current projects
PROJECT #1
Location: Zapotitlán de Vadillo, Jalisco
Broke Ground: January 2022
Estimated Completion: Spring 2023
818’s first incredible project is building a library in Zapotitlán de Vadillo, Jalisco. The library will also serve as supplemental classroom space for a community middle school that focuses on regenerative agriculture, ensuring that this knowledge will be preserved and passed onto future generations. The roof on the library will be comprised of wood that is sourced from responsibly managed forests.
PROJECT #2
Location: Southern Jalisco
Broke Ground: Sept 2022
Estimated Completion: July 2023
Our second project is rebuilding a tachica (a small, pre-industrial distillery) in southern Jalisco. A fifth-generation mezcalero faced erosion of his hillside distillery as the result of climate change. In order to save his tachica and preserve the cultural heritage of his incredible legacy, we are helping him restore and strengthen his land so he can continue providing heritage agave spirits to his community.
PROJECT #3
Location: Rio de Parras
Broke Ground: May 2022
Estimated Completion: Early 2023
At 818, we recognize that physical meeting spaces are essential to any strong community. We’re building a town center that will merge many aspects of local culture -- sports, family celebrations, and other recreation. Young people will be able to practice basketball --- the prefered sport in the region --- while the town will be able to celebrate their local festivities in the same space.
PROJECT #4
Location: Oaxaca
Broke Ground: Early 2023
Estimated Completion: Ongoing
818 is also supporting the construction of independent offices for SiKanda --- a registered charity in Oaxaca, Mexico --- that designs and implements poverty reduction programs and advocates for the promotion of human rights. They also support the informal recycler communities in Oaxaca, helping strengthen the schools in the community and teaching residents how to develop organic gardens.
PROJECT #5
Location: Zapotitlán de Vadillo, Jalisco
Broke Ground: July 2022
Estimated Completion: Ongoing
Finally, beyond the waste-reduction benefits of our 818 bricks, we are committed to building an agave spirits industry that rebuilds even as it produces. We are helping to deconvert the 3.32 hectares of monoculture Blue Weber Agave fields adjacent to the Mayahuel Library into a living example of biodiverse, regenerative agriculture, which can serve as a pedagogical tool for the Secundaria Técnica 38, and set an example for how sustainable agriculture should be practiced.
Come Again Soon