OUR PROCESS
DON JORGE’S DEEP ROOTED PASSION FOR CRAFT AND QUALITY IS A TRUE REFLECTION IN THE EXCEPTIONAL TEQUILA THAT IS PRODUCED TO THIS DAY.
EACH STAGE OF THE PRODUCTION PROCESS HAS BEEN CAREFULLY CONSIDERED TO ENSURE THE HIGHEST QUALITY RESULTS
AGAVES
THE HIGHEST QUALITY AGAVE ARE SOURCED FROM THE HIGHLANDS OF JALISCO. THIS REGION IS RENOWNED FOR BEING THE PREMIER GROWING REGION FOR THE BLUE AGAVE. THE MINERAL RICH SOIL PRODUCES AGAVE WITH A NATURALLY HIGHER SUGAR CONTENT. THIS IS THE FOUNDATION FOR MAKING EXCEPTIONAL TEQUILA AND DON JORGE EXPECTED NOTHING LESS.
A TRUCK LOADED WITH AGAVE TAKES FOUR HOURS TO TRAVEL FROM THE HIGHLANDS TO OUR DISTILLERY IN THE TOWN OF TEQUILA BUT FOR DON JORGE, THE LABOR, TIME AND TRANSPORTATION WERE A SMALL PRICE TO PAY TO ACHIEVE THE CHARACTER HE DESIRED FROM HIS TEQUILA.
COOKING
DON JORGE SALLES CUERVO PIONEERED THE USE OF STEAM PRESSURE AUTOCLAVES IN 1959. WE CAREFULLY COOK OUR AGAVE FOR OPTIMAL RESULTS. EXTRA ATTENTION IS TAKEN TO REMOVE THE COGOLLO OF THE AGAVE BEFORE COOKING, THIS IS A BITTER PART OF THE PLANT WHICH CAN NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE FINAL PROFILE OF YOUR TEQUILA.
milling & water source
PURE VOLCANIC SPRING WATER IS USED THROUGHOUT THE MILLING PROCESS TO EXTRACT THE NATURAL SUGARS FROM THE COOKED AGAVE. THIS MINERAL RICH SPRING WATER FLOWS FROM THE EXTINCT “VOLCAN DE TEQUILA” DIRECTLY THROUGH OUR DISTILLERY. WE ARE ONE OF ONLY 4 DISTILLERIES THAT HAS ACCESS TO THIS NATURAL RESOURCE WHICH CONTRIBUTES TO THE SMOOTH BALANCED FLAVOR FOUND IN EL TEQUILEÑO.
fermentation
150-YEAR-OLD MANGO TREES, FOUND ONLY STEPS AWAY FROM OUR OPEN FERMENTATION TANKS, HAVE A PROFOUND INFLUENCE ON THE RESULTING CHARACTER OF OUR TEQUILA.
DISTILLATION
ALL OF OUR TEQUILAS ARE DISTILLED EXCLUSIVELY IN COPPER POT STILLS. WE USE THIS TYPE OF STILL SINCE COPPER BETTER REMOVES UNWANTED IMPURITIES, RESULTING IN A PURE TEQUILA THAT IS FULL OF CHARACTER.
SUSTAINABILITY
SUSTAINABILITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN IMPORTANT FOCUS FOR EL TEQUILEÑO SINCE IT WAS FOUNDED IN 1959. WE ARE CONTINUALLY ADAPTING TO OPTIMIZE OUR PROCESS AND POSITIVELY IMPACT LOCAL CONSERVATION EFFORTS. CURRENTLY, 98% OF OUR PRODUCTION RESIDUALS ARE CONVERTED INTO ORGANIC COMPOST. THIS COMPOST IS THEN USED AS FERTILIZER FOR OUR NEXT GENERATION OF AGAVES. WE ARE ALSO LEADING EFFORTS TOWARDS THE PRESERVATION OF LOCAL WATER SOURCES. OUR MASTER DISTILLER, TONY SALLES, HOLDS THE POSITION AS PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL WATER BOARD.
AGING
AGING PLAYS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE PROCESS AT EL TEQUILEÑO. WE USE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT SIZED BARRELS TO AGE ALL OF OUR TEQUILAS. EVERY EXPRESSION AT EL TEQUILEÑO EXPERIENCES VARYING LENGTHS OF AGING TO OBTAIN OUR EXCEPTIONAL FLAVOR PROFILE.