The Story:

The Sotelo family opened Triple-S Express in Brownsville, Texas on September 28, 2007. The drive-thru convenience store was named as a tribute to their newborn daughter Salma Sophia Sotelo. Aside from selling sodas, milk and snacks, the establishment soon became popular for its main attraction – the Michelada. Sasha’s version of Michelada was tomato juice, celery salt, and key lime along with other secret ingredients. Shortly thereafter, long lines of customers would drive up to order and on many occasions opted to purchase the refreshing beverage mix by the gallon rather than by the cup.  That’s when the husband and wife team discovered they had something very good in their hands.  Juanito, as referred to by his friends and family, decided he was going to turn Sasha’s recipe into a formula he could mass produce for everyone to enjoy by simply mixing it with their drink of choice like beer, vodka, tequila, gin or mineral water among other concoctions. Soon thereafter, the process began of turning his idea into a product.

Three years and 53,000 Triple-S Express Micheladas later, his dream turned into a reality when the mixture was bottled.  Triple-S Michelada Mix was officially borne into a 32oz plastic bottle in September 2010.  “Our main focus was getting into local liquor and grocery stores first and expanding upstate one city at a time” says Juanito.  Today, “Brownsville’s Own” Triple-S Michelada Mix can be found spread across 180 communities in Texas via the state’s largest private company, HEB Grocery Company, LP. 

The Sotelo’s have since added another “official taster” to their team – their son Jian Jesus Sotelo -- a 4oz version of the drink was introduced in 2013 in his honor. Both brother and sister taste every single batch to this day!