My Story

JULIOUS GRANT
CHAIRMAN/CEO, THE BRAND HOUSE GROUP

This story begins with the who — who am I and what gives me the right, even the permission, to create a tequila brand like O’RTE.

I am not a celebrity or your average American tequila admirer or drinker. My story is different. My first language, my maternal language, is Spanish. I was born in Mexico and for the first 8 years of my life, I was raised there with my aunts, uncles, siblings and cousins. When we moved to the states, I spent another four years living within a vibrant Mexican American community that continued to expose me to all the joys and colors of Mexican culture. My mother took great pride in meticulously preparing authentic Mexican cuisine, a passion that resulted in delicious specialty dishes and everyday mouthwatering staples. Perfect ingredients with perfect cooking skills made for a very happy boy. In our home, we didn’t just eat, we savored. And when I was old enough to drink, I was taught to sip tequila, to recognize flavors and to distinguish the bad from the good, the average from the exceptional.

Tequila is my heritage. The name O’RTE is an acronym of two words much like I am made in Mexico and have an American name. The O represents the art of the iconic piña in the agave used to create real tequila excellence; art references the art of tequila making.

I am a 30-year wine and spirits industry veteran formerly holding C-Suite roles for Beam Suntory, Bacardi, Moët Hennessy, Diageo and Seagram, among others. I founded the Brand House Group in 2019 to create and market innovative spirits brands across a variety of categories.

The Brand House Group is parent to OMAGE, a California artisanal brandy crafted in the style of French cognac; Iconic Spirits, a line of high-quality Japanese spirits that currently includes Shunka Shuto, a variety of super-premium blended Japanese whiskies evoking the four seasons; Bikoku, a pure malt made from the underground waters of Mt. Fuji; Teitessa, a super-premium Japanese single-grain whisky and Awayuki Gin, infused with the finest pink and white strawberries grown in Japan’s Nara Prefecture.