In this case study, we examine how Nosotros Tequila & Mezcal returned to its partnership with Park Street to successfully navigate distributor market disruption in California, maintaining customer relationships and achieving immediate growth during a challenging transition period.
From College Project to Premium Agave Brand
After falling in love with tequila as his drink of choice, Carlos Soto pitched the idea of Nosotros Tequila as a class project at Loyola Marymount University. The idea was persistent enough that, during his last year, he booked a one-way flight to Jalisco, Mexico.
“Carlos spent a lot of time learning the ins and outs of the distillation process,” explained PJ Dwyer, Chief Revenue Officer and Partner at Nosotros. “Just from start to finish, how to go about actually producing the product and how to do it the right way.”
Upon returning to California, Soto walked into a Bank of America to secure a credit card cash advance. Together with co-founder Michael Arbanas, they officially launched Nosotros Tequila in January 2017.
Building from the Ground Up with Park Street
Operating under Park Street’s distribution license in California, they sold bottle by bottle, case by case to bars throughout Los Angeles.
“I think you’re gonna find that most distribution solutions in the U.S. aren’t very welcoming to guys that started a company with an $18,000 personal loan and 160 cases,” Dwyer noted. “Park Street’s solution allowed the guys to even start this company.”
This hands-on approach proved crucial during the brand’s early development. The team controlled their route-to-market entirely, building relationships directly with customers while Park Street handled the operational complexities of compliance and logistics.
Later in 2017, Nosotros won Double Gold, Best Blanco, and Best Overall Tequila at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The recognition provided outside validation that opened doors to retail opportunities, including early placement with Total Wine.
“We were the largest self-distribution company in California using Park Street,” Dwyer said, highlighting the scalability of the partnership model.
Strategic Expansion and RNDC Partnership
By 2020, Nosotros had reached approximately 10,000 nine-liter cases in Southern California. The brand’s methodical approach had proven successful in one of the most competitive agave markets in the world.
From there, the team began state-by-state expansion, taking what Dwyer called a “nail it and then scale it” approach. Rather than rushing into multiple markets simultaneously, they ensured adequate resources and investment in each new state before moving to the next.
This careful expansion led to a partnership with Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC), beginning with Texas and Arizona before eventually transitioning their California business to the distributor in late 2022.
In 2025, Nosotros now operates in seven states: California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Florida.
Navigating the RNDC CA Disruption with Park Street
Earlier this year, the spirits industry faced significant disruption when RNDC announced its exit from the California market, giving suppliers just 90 days’ notice to find alternative distribution solutions. For Nosotros, this created immediate concerns about maintaining customer relationships and service levels.
“The biggest worry for us was really being able to take care of our customers,” Dwyer said. “We understand that when a transition like this happens, you’re talking about 500 other brands plus. You’re gonna have a lot of customers that are upset, confused, and don’t really know what to do.”
With over 2,000 customers in California and significant menu placements and high-volume opportunities at stake, the brand faced the risk of losing business to competitors. In the highly competitive agave space, any service disruption could result in permanent placement losses.
Rather than rushing into the arms of alternative distributors, Nosotros made a strategic decision to return to Park Street.
“The thing that gave us the most confidence was our experience working with Park Street in the past,” Dwyer explained. “Because we had built our brand originally to where it got to—a very sizable brand in California—with the Park Street solution, we knew that we could handle it.”
During their time with RNDC, Nosotros built what Dwyer described as “one of the larger independent spirit sales teams in the state of California.” This internal capability allowed them to leverage Park Street’s platform while maintaining direct customer relationships.
Immediate Results and Operational Benefits
The transition generated immediate positive results across both on-premise and off-premise channels. Since making the switch back to Park Street, Nosotros has experienced on-premise growth of approximately 20% and off-premise growth of approximately 30%.
“The fact that we own this conversation and we are the ones placing orders—our team is having hands-on conversations with every single buying contact in the state,” Dwyer explained. “We are providing second-to-none service between both our team and the backend solution of Park Street.”
Beyond logistics, Park Street’s accounts receivable support has proven valuable for maintaining the sales team’s focus. “Our market managers are able to go out and focus on the things that are most important, which is driving great partnerships,” Dwyer noted. “They aren’t as concerned about the backend of collecting checks and bills, and invoices.”
Advice for Brands Facing Disruption
For other spirits brands navigating similar market disruptions, Dwyer emphasized the importance of building out internal capabilities.
“Invest in resources internally to build your own team, to work on your route to market, and get an understanding of how to be successful on your own. That will only make you stronger with whatever distribution solution ends up making sense for you.”
The Nosotros story demonstrates how brands with strong internal capabilities can use platforms like Park Street not just as a starting point, but as a strategic tool for maintaining control and service quality during periods of uncertainty.