“Gratefulness is a privilege of civilized societies and human beings,” says Pepe Zevada, one of the most reputable visionaries and entrepreneurs of our time.
Pepe believes in tradition, family and one’s behavior as being an indicator of one’s character. He believes that success does not change people, but rather magnifies who they are.
Today, Pepe is the tried-and-true brand owner of Z Tequila, which originated here in Austin in 2008 and derives from a long line of brands and businesses Pepe has had the opportunity to be a part of throughout his life. Pepe created a whole new concept of liquor in Austin when he launched Z Tequila, and today, people all over the world celebrate over his all-natural, smooth-tasting spirits.
More importantly, Pepe is known as a renowned, beloved family member and friend of many. He is a man of class, honesty and compassion and lives by these values daily which have built his unforgettable legacy over the years.
He was born on Jan. 21, 1942, in Montpellier, France, where he then moved to Mexico shortly after being born with his family and grew up as a young man under the guidance of his two wonderful parents, Jose Angel Zevada and Maria Del Socorro Gomez Molleda. He was their beloved only child, and he looked up to them throughout his life and to this day.
Pepe moved from Mexico to Austin in 2008 and was approached in the same year to start his own tequila line by a local distiller and friend who believed in Pepe’s legacy.
Pepe has worked over the years, providing for his family and steadily creating a legacy by branding his name, Z Tequila and working in the liquor industry throughout his life all around the world. He says the liquor business is a people’s business, and he wants to be a part of bringing good people together to celebrate life.
He left Mexico City at the tender age of 18 after attending a boarding school from the age of 9. Pepe came from a long line of bankers in his family on his father’s side, and when the time came for him to be a banker, he made the brave decision to choose his own path. Some may have branded him as a rebel or a free spirit; however, Pepe knew there was a bigger life out there for him to find, and he set out to do just that.
He traveled back to Europe in hopes of getting back to his roots. He lived all over Europe in places such as Cortina d'Ampezzo, commonly referred to as Cortina, which is a town and comune in the heart of the southern (Dolomitic) Alps in the Veneto region of Northern Italy.
He can remember the happiest moment of his life being when he met his beautiful wife, Kathy, and married her on March 17, 1973. They had their first child, Monica nine months later. He says he inherited many values from his family, which is what has kept him headstrong in overcoming any major obstacles he has faced.
Pepe was given an opportunity of a lifetime when he was first introduced to the liquor industry by promoting Jack Daniels all over the world from 1980 to 1987. He was able to create long-lasting relationships with restaurants and bar owners as well as distributors and retailers, which would aid in his accomplishment of creating his own brand in 2008.
Pepe is a strong believer that life is the best university and that it is life that teaches your most important lessons.
“The spirit of survival peps up in you, and if you know how to use it, then that’s when you survive,” he says.
He believes how you treat yourself is how you will treat others around you, and his parents taught him to put himself first and to always remember the significance of his contribution to this world. Pepe says faith is when you believe in something, and without faith, then you are merely an empty shell.
One of Pepe’s philosophy is, “Good things happen to good people, and when you are good to others and good to yourself, then that is when good things happen.” He believes that life is two things: Life will pay you back or collect from you. If you are good to others and respectful, then life will pay you back accordingly. When you harm people, then life will collect from you accordingly. You choose your own destiny.
Asked who he would like to recognize for their support in his life accomplishments, Pepe said his wife, Kathy; his two daughters, Monica and Marcela; his son-in-law, Jose Baez; and his four grandchildren, Daniela, Jose Pablo, Patricio and Cayetana.
“Thank you, Austin! I couldn’t have done it without everyone in the community supporting my dreams,” Pepe says.