Meet Andrew de Neef | Tequila Corrido Sales Manager & Singer of Remember the Monsters

We had the good fortune of connecting with Andrew de Neef and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrew, Let’s talk about principles and values – what matters to you most?
Honesty. There simply isn’t enough honesty in this world. That was a large factor that drew me from my previous career in alcohol distribution to working with the award winning, additive free Tequila Corrido. My work in the beverage industry over the last 20 years has made me a living encyclopedia of Spirituous Liquors and I am all too aware of the dishonesty of alcohol producers, especially in the world of Tequila. I really enjoy and respect agave spirits and have watched in recent years as high margin chasing celebrity brands have made a mockery of category, infusing ingredients like sugar, glycerin, flavor concentrates, as well as the common use of coloring agents to give their brands more perceived value. These brands all claim to be 100% Agave on the label because it is not required to disclose the additives they use as long as they don’t exceed limitations set by the governing body of Mexico that regulates the Tequila Industry. This is very confusing to the consumer. I was so excited to be a part of a certified additive free product, where 100% Agave truly means 100%.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My career has been an interesting web woven with music and alcohol. In what i like to call my past life, aka 2010’s, i was an international touring Vocalist in a band called Close to Home. We were signed to a major record label, part of the Sony Universal records umbrella, Razor & Tie Records. We had partnerships with brands like coldcock and fireball whiskey back then. When i was not on the road with the band i was bar tending and collecting spirits as a hobby. I no longer tour actively, however i have recently been recording a lot of new original music and a couple of cover songs in Tempe, AZ with renowned producer Matt Good. The new group i am fronting is Arizona’s own Remember the Monsters.
I still have an outrageous spirits collection but i have slowed down on collecting as I’m running out of space to store any more in my home. Today i work with a locally owned Tequila producer who’s brand identity is steeped in music, down to our name Corrido which means “ballad” in Spanish. The harmony of our pairing was the perfect marriage of my life’s passions. Being a part of this small but impactful company has been one of the best things I’ve done and i am so proud of what we are achieving together here in Arizona and throughout the 11 states we are now available in.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Arizona is such a fun and diverse place. I love to show outsiders the beauty of this place. I moved here from Holland Michigan in 2004 and in the last 2o years have seen so much of AZ. The nightlife in Old Town rivals that of hot spots like Las Vegas. The mountains and forests of northern Arizona like Flagstaff are fun to hike, ski, and camp. i would make sure to show them watering holes like the crack at wet beaver and lake pleasant so they understand how we survive summers here, maybe a pool party at Hotel Adeline.
I like to show visitors local breweries like Fate & AZ Wilderness, and hidden gems like Que Chevre, Worth takeaway and Espiritu in downtown Mesa. If we are really celebrating i would take them to Cafe Monarch in Scottsdale to experience one of the counties greatest fine dining experiences, and since life is all about balance i would make sure we also try some classic Filiberto’s.
The cocktail scene has some amazing experiences here that cant be missed. I would start with a visit to the amazing Maxwell Berlin at Quartz, a visit to Undertow or Platform 18 to experience Jason Asher’s brilliant concepts, and a stop at Kim Haasarud’s Garden Bar in downtown Phoenix.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shoutout to my mentor and friend Clint Spotleson. On my journey to where i am today Clint was the one who inspired me with his knowledge of spirits and craft cocktails. He took the time to help me understand both the art and science of mixology and helped to impart the passionate spark that really drove me to continue to learn and grow as a Certified Spirits Specialist and Mixologist.

Website: https://ilovetequilacorrido.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/tequilacorrido

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClZC9tJUKHc1lCFjj0f2iQQ

Image Credits
Whitney Otte