José Cuervo Rebuilds a Tequila Empire

José Cuervo Rebuilds a Tequila Empire

Author: The HISTORY® Channel | Back Pocket Studios August 25, 2025 Duration: 34:06
August 28, 1920. In the town of Tequila, fireworks burst overhead as people celebrate Mexico’s independence. Then… gunshots. Malachías Cuervo, heir to the famous tequila dynasty, has just reignited a bitter feud with his family’s rivals, the Sauzas. For decades, his brother José Cuervo fought to rebuild the family business through drought, revolution, and political upheaval—turning a struggling operation into an empire. His tactfulness allowed Cuervo to survive as one of the most popular tequila brands in the world today. How is José Cuervo able to navigate the Mexican Revolution, and a cutthroat industry? And what does his life reveal about the history of his country? Special thanks to Ted Genoways, author of Tequila Wars: José Cuervo and the Bloody Struggle for the Spirit of Mexico. Artwork: José Cuervo, ca. 1914 (colorized) -- Get in touch: historythisweekpodcast@history.com  Follow on Instagram: @historythisweek Follow on Facebook: ⁠HISTORY This Week Podcast⁠ To stay updated: http://historythisweekpodcast.com

This week, something big happened. You might have never heard of it, but this moment changed the course of history. A HISTORY Channel original podcast, HISTORY This Week gives you insight into the people—both famous and unknown—whose decisions reshaped the world we live in today. Through interviews with experts and eyewitnesses, each episode will give you a new perspective on how history is written. Stay up-to-date at historythisweekpodcast.com and to get in touch, email us at historythisweek@history.com.HISTORY This Week is a production of Back Pocket Studios in partnership with the History Channel.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

HISTORY This Week
Podcast Episodes
Why the Crusades Became Cool Again [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:59
June 8, 1191. The Crusaders and Muslim forces are locked in battle over the city of Acre. On one side is Saladin, the great Muslim leader who has already recaptured Jerusalem. On the other, an armada arrives carrying Eng…
How Higgins and His Boats Won the War [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:17
June 6, 1944. As thousands of Allied soldiers prepare to storm the beaches of Normandy, they climb down rope nets into small wooden landing craft bobbing in the dark waters of the English Channel. Within hours, these boa…
WWII with Tom Hanks (Episode 1 – The Beginning) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:14
Search "World War II with Tom Hanks" wherever you get your podcasts! New episodes drop every Tuesday. World War II with Tom Hanks reexamines history’s most devastating conflict for a new century. Across twenty hours, the…
The Secretary of War Who Feared the Bomb [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:00
May 30, 1945. In Washington, Secretary of War Henry Stimson calls General Leslie Groves to his office and demands answers: which Japanese cities are about to become targets for the atomic bomb? What follows will pull Sti…
Bonnie and Clyde’s Final Ride [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:18
May 23, 1934. On a muggy Louisiana morning, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow speed toward the Texas border. They’ve been on the run for over a year—wanted for robbery and murder—and the lurid news accounts of their exploit…
The Berlin Airlift and the Birth of the New World Order (Part 2) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:15
May 12, 1949. After eleven months under Soviet blockade, the people of West Berlin flood into the streets to celebrate. The lights are back on. The autobahn is open. The siege is over. But just months earlier, West Berli…
Introducing: Family Lore [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:58
Family Lore is a weekly narrative podcast that celebrates and investigates ancestral mystique. Each episode begins with a guest sharing a fascinating family legend, followed by a historical deep-dive to uncover the truth…
Surviving the Mad Propagandist of Nazi Berlin (Part 1) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:51
May 9th, 1942. In the Lustgarten, a sprawling park in the center of Berlin, a strange new attraction opens to the public. It’s a maze of tents, glowing under red lightbulbs. Inside: a staged vision of the Soviet Union. F…
Parting the Desert Between Two Seas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:10
April 25, 1859. About 150 people have gathered on the shores of Lake Manzala in Egypt. And one of them, a mustachioed, retired French diplomat, steps forward. He raises his pickaxe and strikes a ceremonial blow. The auda…
One Eco-Arson After Another: The Earth Liberation Front [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:02
April 20th, 2004. A quiet suburban development outside Seattle. Brand-new homes. Fresh lawns not yet grown in. Then, in the middle of the night—sirens. Flames ripping through two houses. Investigators quickly find the ca…