The never-before-told story of Patrón Tequila—the brand that revolutionized an industry

The Patrón Way takes you on a fascinating journey from an ancient tequila distillery in the highlands of Mexico to the glittering and rarefied world of Hollywood—the Governor’s Ball, the Playboy Mansion, and the movie sets of Tom Cruise, David Bowie, and other stars.

In this deeply personal business narrative, Ilana Edelstein reveals how she and her life partner Martin Crowley, the cofounder of Patrón, built a leading brand with highly unorthodox methods, pushing their creativity and marketing ingenuity to the limit and changing countless lives along the way. Edelstein was involved in every aspect of the business—from the brand’s iconic bottle to designing the sexy and attention- getting outfits worn by the famous “Patrón Girls” at promotions and parties to running the back office.

Patrón is a tequila so sumptuous—and so brilliantly marketed—that it has become the world’s leading ultrapremium tequila and has changed the way the spirit is experienced: what was once “gasoline” slammed back in a shot glass is now poured from an exquisite hand-blown bottle into a chilled glass and sipped to attain a “Patrón high.”

Patrón single-handedly transformed the face of the liquor industry, yet there were casualties. The bigger the brand got, the more there was at stake, as evidenced by the power struggle for control of Patrón, the strong-arm tactics of corporate giants seeking control of the business, and the scandalous and devastating jury trial at the end of the love affair.

A tale of love, sacrifice, celebrity, dizzying success, and ultimate betrayal, The Patrón Way reveals for the first time all the details behind the intimate relationship and marketing genius of the “power couple” that transformed the spirits industry.