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Cardenas Legacy is a premium, 100% Blue Weber Agave small batch tequila from Arandas, Los Altos de Jalisco, MX.
With a flavor profile created by Marco Cedano and crafted by our world-renowned Master Distiller, Francisco Gonzalez Jr., our tequilas are additive-free and use only the purest of ingredients and a traditional open-air fermentation process.
Take your palate on a journey full of flavors and aromas
with a smooth citric sweetness blended with herbal essences and regional fruits. An authentic taste of highland traditions and history.
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Cardenas Legacy Tequila
Honoring the rich heritage that has been passed on through generations, Cardenas Legacy is tequila steeped in decades of North American history. With an extensive line of U.S. war veterans and crucial settlers in New Mexico, the goal is to carry on the Cardenas name and represent their heritage.
Founder, Chris Cardenas, began his tequila journey in 2018, learning about the history, quality, and tradition from his time living in Puerto Vallarta.
We are proud to be Veteran-owned and operated.
Meet the Team
Chris Cardenas
President & Founder
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Originally from Southern California Chris moved often, splitting his time between California and New Mexico, where his paternal family is originally from. After migrating up to Northern California for high school and college, he made the life-changing decision to join the US Air Force, where he served as an Aerospace Propulsion Specialist for over 4 years and called Alaska his home for the next 17.
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While living in Alaska, an opportunity arose for him to pursue his dream of being involved in the music industry. He became a concert promoter for indie bands such as Portugal the Man, Daughtry, 3OH3, Falling in Reverse, Fuel, Lit, and many more. It is there he met who would eventually become his wife, and took Chris south of the border to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Now, the big question: Why Tequila?
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Like many of us, Chris’ experience with drinking low-quality, high-additive tequila was not a good one. However, while living in Mexico for over 3 years and becoming immersed in the culture, he took the time to learn the art of making a high-quality sipping tequila that was truly enjoyable.
In 2017, Chris decided to retire from the music industry and relocate his family to Santa Clarita, CA. As a thank you to all his music industry supporters, he wanted to offer a quality tequila personalized and branded with his promotion company logo, Anger MGMT. He found a company in Guadalajara, Mexico that not only made the bottles but introduced him to what would eventually become the journey to his own tequila brand.
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Upon tasting that tequila, Chris was convinced this was what he was meant to do. Finding who made this amazing tequila was not an easy task, but after months of missing leads and relentless persistence, he was introduced to Francisco Gonzalez Jr, currently our master distiller and member of one of the most prestigious families in the tequila world. This is how Cardenas Legacy Tequila was born.
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Chris now resides in Santa Clarita, CA, with his wife and their three daughters, the oldest is currently attending the Coast Guard Academy. Chris combines his airline job and his passion for premium tequila by educating and sharing Cardenas Legacy Tequila with the world.
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Dennis Sugasawara
Vice President Operations & Finance
Dennis has been a resident of Santa Clarita since 1990. As a graduate of Cal State University Northridge, he had a 17-year career in the entertainment industry as a producer of independent feature films.
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Dennis transitioned to the insurance and retirement planning profession. He is currently the owner of DS Financial Services. As a partner in Cardenas Legacy Tequila, he has been focused on the growth of the business and has recently become the Vice President of Operations and Finance of the company.
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Since 2017, Dennis has given of his time to local charities and community organizations. He is a member of the Producers Guild of America, a board member of the SCV Boys and Girls Club, a board member of the Circle of Hope, a past board member of the Chamber of Commerce, a board member of the Santa Clarita International Film Festival, and recently joined Soroptimist International of Greater SCV. Dennis served 2 years in the US Army.
