A staple on the Whyte Ave strip, El Cortez Cantina is an established favourite for locals and a destination for tequila lovers. Boasting the most robust tequila selection in western Canada, El Cortez is proud to source and connect guests with artisanal, additive free and direct-from-distiller batch-produced spirit. Prioritizing the customs and tradition of Mexican culinary offerings, the El Cortez experience is one where fun and entertainment meets quality and authenticity.

Presented with a rebrand for this legendary room,  it was essential to tap into the customs and influence of food and beverage throughout Latin American street culture . The identity and visual language I developed for El Cortez is based on the legend of fire and death in an ill-fated love story between serpent and deity. The ancient Aztecs believed tequila to be a gift sent from the gods to bridge the distance between the living and dead. Digging deep into this folklore, mythology and magic, the use of natural motif's in the power pinks and rich tone reds of Mexican Day of The Dead celebrations, and the power of Santa Muerte are used to tell the El Cortez story. 
 *Professional photography via El Cortez; videography via @elcortezyeg