SB LIFE & STYLE profiles
Fight Fire with TEQUILA
by DELANEY WILLET Photographs by SILAS FALLSTICH
AUGIE’S TEQUILA BUILDS AN 805 EMPIRE WITH A HOMEGROWN MISSION
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or all, the 2017 Thomas Fire 2018 Montecito mudslide caused destruction and devastation to the quintessentially idyllic Santa Barbara lifestyle. For Berkeley “Augie” Johnson, the natural disaster, and the fires which preceded the flows, were also a call to action. Johnson explains, “My family and I thankfully survived the mudslides—but it was neardeath.” Augie, of the eponymous tequila brand, has resided in Santa Barbara with his family for 25 years. Alongside his VP of Operations, Marvin Gutierrez, the pair have created an agave kingdom across Santa Barbara County. The aftermath of such tragedy motivated Johnson to make a positive environmental change within the community, as well as cultivate the rich culture encapsulated in this sacred oceanside landscape.
36 | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021