Additive Free Alliance (AFA) has relaunched as an independent, nonprofit entity with a board of directors and a new mission, according to a press release. The move was in response to what the company describes as “overwhelming consumer demand” for increased transparency in the labeling of not just tequila, but various other spirits.
The AFA was initially founded in 2020 by tequila transparency advocacy site Tequila Matchmaker. This relaunch marks a new chapter for the AFA, following the March 2024 raid on Tequila Matchmaker cofounders Grover and Scarlet Sanschagrin’s Jalisco home on behalf of the Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT).
Now based in Kentucky, the new AFA — which has filed for nonprofit 501(c)(3) status with the IRS — has expanded to include additive-free certifications for other agave-based spirits and agave-adjacent products, according to the release. These include raicilla and mezcal, with products like agave syrups and other agave-related products expected to join the Alliance soon. The first product to receive this new certification is Weber Ranch 1902 Vodka, which was developed by the team that created Patrón and is distilled from 100 percent agave.
“Consumers are increasingly thoughtful and deliberate about the products they purchase and the food and drink they consume, particularly in a world filled with misinformation and clever marketing,” said Lee Applbaum, president and COO of Weber Ranch Vodka parent company Round 2 Spirits, in the release. “The Additive Free Alliance provides consumers, bartenders, and retailers objective, verifiable information they need and deserve, while giving producers
