Introducing Tepozán: Jalisco’s Best Kept Secret

Tepozán Tequila is produced with a steadfast commitment to the traditional method of tequila-making using only the highest-grade, mature blue agave, natural yeast and volcanic filtered well-water from Master Distiller Don Carlos’ estate. One of the only remaining tequilas in the world that is entirely additive-free and fully grown, distilled and bottled at the source, Tepozán’s BLANCO, REPOSADO and ANEJO Tequilas are some of the first truly clean, farm to glass tequilas on the market, and are now available for the very first time in the United States.

Tepozán’s Master Distiller Don Carlos Padilla started his career over a quarter century ago when he and his family set out on a purposeful expedition to discover the perfect plot of land to plant agave, using a simple divining rod to help him locate a volcanic-filtered natural spring over a quarter of a mile below the earth’s surface. That very spring has served as the special ingredient to the distillation process of Tepozán tequila which contains only water, agave and naturally occurring yeast from nearby fruit trees. The estate’s organically-grown blue agave is harvested by hand by local jimadors and meticulously processed using no additives of any kind. This labor of love not only produces the highest quality and best tasting tequila, but is the most sustainable production process possible for the planet. The family has been using the same method for 25 years and Tepozán is known throughout Jalisco as “a sipping grade tequila produced to the highest standards,” and the tequila of choice for other distillers in the area.

Crafting a truly great tequila starts with exceptional raw materials, then preserving and bringing out the natural flavor of the plant through the production process. This takes skill on the part of the producers and is something Don Carlos and the Padilla family has perfected over many years. To make their BLANCO, AÑEJO and REPOSADO Tequilas, pinas are cooked in pressurized clay ovens before the roller mill at the distillery separates the juice and fibers. Juice is then fermented using local yeasts in open air steel tanks, filtered and twice distilled, before the AÑEJO and REPOSADO are aged in used white oak bourbon barrels from Kentucky. Lastly the tequila is hand-bottled, labeled and dipped in wax to seal. The three types range from the fresh and energetic Blanco, best enjoyed during the day, on the rocks or in a favorite cocktail, to the round and generous Reposado, rested for 4 months and best enjoyed neat or on the rocks, and finally the Añejo, aged for 14 months for a bold and smooth taste best served neat and sipped slowly. The aroma and taste of each are a direct expression both of the estate’s terroir and the unique barrel regimens used in the aging process:

Blanco ‘pure’: Straight from the field, verdant and wild, allowing the flavors of the agave to be tasted in its purest form

Reposado ‘rested’: Rested 4 months in Kentucky White Oak Bourbon Barrels adding a honeyed aroma and generous taste of brown sugar and pineapple sage

Añejo ‘aged’: Aged 14 months in Kentucky White Oak Bourbon Barrels for full flavor with an evolved aroma and smooth taste of butterscotch, serrano pepper and smoked earth

Tepozán partners Christopher Brandon and Matthew Hechter are high school school friends and longtime business partners who started out as bartenders before opening their own restaurants, first Hudson Clearwater in NY – one of the first wave of farm-to-table restaurants – and later Verlaine in Los Angeles, in partnership with revered Mexican chef Diego Hernandez. As leaders in the farm-to-table movement, with careers spent building strong relationships with their farmers and producers to put the highest-quality ingredients and traditional foods on their menus, they found that that same attention wasn’t always being translated to what’s at the bar. With more and more of their customers seeking out clean ingredients in every aspect of their lives, Matt and Chris wanted to introduce the same level of care and transparency to drinks that they were already pioneering with food in their restaurants.

“Growing up in New Mexico, we’ve heard horror stories about tequila being brought to the US filled with low quality agave and a plethora of additives. Most of the brands are made in tequila factories where over 60 other brands are made. As longtime fans of spirits brands that take their process and ingredients seriously, we wanted to bring a traditional tequila, free of all additives, to the United States. We were lucky enough to meet Master Distiller Don Carlos through a friend, and after spending time with him in his fields, with his family and sipping his tequila, we knew we had come across exactly what we were looking for.”

– Matt Hechter and Chris Brandon, Partners, Tepozán Tequila 

Growing up a short drive from the Mexican border, Matt and Chris both spent a lot of time traveling between the two countries and developed a deep love and respect for Mexican food and culture. Their desire to work with someone making high-quality, clean, crafted tequila in a way that they couldn’t find at home led them to Don Carlos, who uses nothing but the purest ingredients with a reverence for the process and the environment. In the highlands of Jalisco, Tepozán trees attract and provide safety to an incredible abundance of butterflies, which is a sign of goodwill and prosperity on estate land. According to Nahuatl legend, if you are lucky enough to hold a butterfly in your hand, you make a wish. Once the butterfly is released it will return to Xochiquetzal, the goddess of joy and flowers, and your wish will be granted. Tepozán tequila is the manifestation of Master Distiller Don Carlos’ greatest wish and so, in this spirit, together they are bringing Tepozán Tequila to the US for the first time. Tepozán Blanco ($45), Reposado ($55) and Añejo ($65) Tequila is available now. 

For More Information:
https://www.tequilatepozan.com/