Chad Allen, a Boise State University alumnus, and his wife Cristina have built Volans Tequila into an award-winning brand, according to a March 16 announcement. The couple’s journey began in Idaho and now extends internationally, with their tequila available in the United States, Mexico, Australia, and Thailand.
The story of Volans Tequila highlights how personal heritage and education can shape entrepreneurial ventures. The name “Volans” refers to a Southern hemisphere constellation shaped like a flying fish—a nod to Allen’s passion for fly fishing and his family’s history running the Three Rivers Ranch fishing lodge in Eastern Idaho.
After spending time in Georgia and Los Angeles, Allen returned to Idaho during the Great Recession. He enrolled at Boise State as a non-traditional student and earned a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship in 2012. “I felt like I should finish something, so I went into entrepreneurship,” Allen said. “That education gave me the opportunity and the skill to develop and execute on an idea.” After graduation, he opened TRR Outfitters, which has since expanded across Idaho.
The Allens’ connection to tequila began through Cristina’s family in Guadalajara. In 2014, her father Miguel proposed creating a tequila brand using his expertise as an agricultural scientist. They partnered with master distiller Felipe Camarena of El Pandillo distillery in Jalisco’s Los Altos region. Their process uses estate-grown Blue Weber agaves cooked traditionally before fermentation and double distillation in copper pot stills. “What we’re talking about is industrial versus craft,” Allen said. “Volans is created with intention… For us approaching the business with more intention and more authenticity means you actually enjoy it. And that comes through in the product.”
Volans’ first release was an extra anejo aimed at whiskey drinkers visiting their family lodge; it sold out quickly and won medals at every competition entered. The lineup now includes blanco, reposado, anejo, still strength tequilas, and special editions—all reflecting stories from their agave fields or family history. Over two dozen major awards have followed for Volans Tequila.
Reflecting on his experience at Boise State University, Allen said: “Boise State was where I started my family, where I started having ideas and saw that things were possible… It made me able to take the subjective and turn it into something concrete.” The Allens are now based in Guadalajara as they work to expand Volans Tequila into new markets.
