Goodbye Google, Hello Tequila: The Birth of Tesso

Hey, I’m Austin —and a few months ago, I did something a little unhinged: I left my job at Google to start a tequila espresso martini company.

Yes, you read that right. I went from back-to-back meetings in tech sales to figuring out how to source espresso, navigate liquor licenses, and explain to my friends (and my mom) why I thought the world needed another drink in a can.

My company’s called Tesso, and we make ready-to-drink tequila espresso martinis—because I love tequila, I love coffee, and I figured I can’t be the only one who thinks vodka doesn’t belong in an espresso martini. I started this brand from the idea that some of my favorite nights have been hanging with friends at our favorite bar drinking espresso martinis. We know that the night is going to turn up when one of us orders a “Tesso” we all are following suit.

This Substack is going to be my attempt to document the chaos: building a brand from scratch, figuring out manufacturing, raising money, and learning a lot of things the hard way. I’m not a seasoned writer, but I’ll keep it real. Some posts might be about wins (like when someone actually buys a case of Tesso), some might be about existential dread (like when I realize how much aluminum costs).

If you're into startups, CPG, drinks, or just curious about what happens when someone leaves the comfort of corporate America to bet it all on booze—subscribe, follow along, and shoot me a message anytime.

Cheers 🥂

- Austin