Nathan was the driving force behind the creation of the Colorado Agave Collective. As the co-proprietor of Ni Tuyo Denver, an elevated Mexican restaurant recently named one of “The 7 Best Mezcal Bars in the U.S.” by Food & Wine, he recognized that customers were deeply passionate and wanted to connect over agave spirits. With that spark of inspiration, he recruited Ryan to help him develop the concept that would become the Colorado Agave Collective. They weren’t willing to just copy and paste the typical tequila club model, so together they built something undeniably special that the agave world had never seen before.
Nathan is a bit of a Renaissance man. While earning his stripes in restaurants all over the US, he formally studied philosophy, literature, and education. Nathan even piloted a program that later became Youth on Record, Colorado’s premier music education program. He fell in love with the history and culture of Mexico through its distillates. He has traveled extensively throughout Mexico, learning and seeking out the stories that best represent the spirits he adores. Your grandma would think he’s scary, but by the end of a conversation, she would be smiling ear to ear and hugging him goodbye because his endless supply of positive energy is so contagious. Nathan is a genuine person who remains forever loyal to the juice.
Ryan is one of the original founders of the Colorado Agave Collective. This guy is a database of information! He knows the facts, and he’s typically the one presenting the educational portion of our events. He’s the guy behind our social media presence, our email, pictures and videos, event registrations, and he plays a significant role in collaborating on event concepts. Plus, he reaches all the things way up high that the rest of us can’t. We often ask ourselves what we would do without him!
Ryan has modern medicine to thank for his love of agave spirits. As an adult, he had the inner airways of his nose surgically reconstructed. His renewed ability to breathe unlocked his palate and opened a whole world of taste and smell that he had never known before. For the first time in his life, he could truly taste. From there, it took one neat pour of a great tequila, and he was hooked. He fell hard and fast for all things agave, and he’s never looked back. His professional background is in automotive and aerospace engineering, where tiny details have huge impacts, so everything is planned, performed, and documented to the extreme. He brings this mentality to spirits, constantly digging deeper and deeper into often-overlooked fine details. Ryan wants to know everything, see everything, do everything, learn the how and why, and then analyze it all to poke holes in the theories and processes. Through his dedication to learning, he’s earned a CRT-issued diploma in the Professionalization of Tequila Culture, a WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits, Agave Spirits Institute Mezcal Specialist, and an International Tequila Academy Level 3 Tequila Sommelier certification. He’s also an ITA instructor. He can train and certify you in agave spirits and in building electrical assemblies for spacecraft and military applications. If you want to nerd out, Ryan is your guy.
Spencer became a partner of the Colorado Agave Collective very early on. Known for his youthful enthusiasm, Spencer wears many different hats that ensure our events run smoothly. From behind the scenes planning and setup to working the bar and MCing tasting note discussions, he’s a jack of all trades and an integral part of what we do.
Spencer first worked at an agave-focused Mexican restaurant in his early teens. This is where he fell in love with the hospitality industry, and through it, the agave culture. His passion even led him to ditch high school classes to attend brand training sessions. Over the years, his career has evolved across many areas of the spirits business, but his specialty has become sales, with a focus on agave. For over a decade, Spencer has been doing extensive independent research and training. In recent years, he has started focusing on further developing his palate. Spencer is passionate about sharing agave spirits and is always pushing to raise awareness of some of the hidden gems in the agave world.
Colorado Agave Collective 