MEMPHIS, Tenn.— Morningside Brands, Inc. announces Alma del Jaguar Tequila’s second release, a handcrafted 100% Blue Weber Agave Tequila Reposado that is sustainably produced and confirmed additive-free. Alma del Jaguar was developed with the mission to protect wild jaguars in partnership with Master Distiller Sergio Cruz, tequila expert Adam Fodor, and the Vivancos, fifth generation tequila family of Arandas, Jalisco, Mexico. Alma del Jaguar’s Reposado (SRP $59.99) and its first release, Alma del Jaguar Blanco (SRP $49.99), are available throughout AR, CT, FL, GA, KS, MO, TN and TX and online nationwide via seelbachs and SIPtequila. Alma del Jaguar sales will be expanded into CA, IL, and WA by the end of 2023.
To craft the Reposado, the base Alma del Jaguar Tequila Blanco is aged in a double barreling process. The tequila is first aged for two months in American white oak bourbon barrels before being rested for an additional month in toasted French oak wine casks. The bourbon barrels were procured from Tennessee and Kentucky, and the French oak wine barrels were procured from a Chardonnay winery in Santa Barbara, California. Alma del Jaguar Tequila Reposado has a nose of vanilla, banana, honey, caramel, fruit, and orange zest followed by a long finish.
The mission behind Alma del Jaguar was conceived by spirits entrepreneur McCauley Williams, who was inspired by his uncle Rick Williams’ commitment to wild jaguar conservation in northern Mexico. As a wildlife photographer who moved to Mexico in the ‘90s to study wild jaguars, Rick co-founded the Northern Jaguar Project (NJP), a bi-national effort between conservationists from the U.S. and Mexico to preserve and recover the world’s northernmost population of endangered wild jaguars and their unique habitats.
McCauley Williams, founder says “Tequila is one of Mexico’s most symbolic exports, and it is now the fastest growing spirit in the U.S. due to recent surges in consumer demand. We want to use our tequila brand, Alma del Jaguar, to do good and inspire change. Therefore, we will donate a percent of our proceeds to conservation groups like NJP. The jaguar is our cause, not our mascot.”
McCauley and Rick set out to create a tequila that was worthy of their cause. They needed a special producer, one who could make not only great-tasting tequila, but also a tequila that was made using sustainable production practices in line with their conservation mission. Eventually, they found the perfect partner in Vivanco, patriarch of the fifth-generation Vivanco tequila family, owners of the highly regarded distillery Feliciano Vivanco y Asociados, S.A. de C.V., better known simply as NOM 1414.
Sergio’s production process holds true to his family’s mantra. “True flavor comes from the earth,” he says. Alma del Jaguar is crafted using traditional methods designed to respect the agave and the land, using only mature Los Altos agave, brick ovens, roller mill extraction, well water, and copper pot stills. The tequila is bottled unfiltered by hand at the source. Its unique blend of tequilas made from the more complex natural wild yeast and subtlety sweet champagne yeast distinguishes Alma del Jaguar. The Vivancos play classical music beside the open-air fermentation tanks to encourage the yeast to “dance.” Vivanco describes this as his “Mozart” method.
Alma del Jaguar is committed to sustainability throughout its production process, using 100 percent recycled Mexican glass bottles, agave fiber labels, repurposed cork closures, and recycled cardboard cartons. These materials are sourced from suppliers within an 85-mile radius of the distillery, reflecting the company’s desire to support local businesses.
In advance of the first bottles being sold, the company recently donated approximately $15,000 worth of trail cameras, computer hardware, and work gear to support the biologists and staff of the Northern Jaguar Project and Northern Jaguar Reserve.
About NOM 1414
Feliciano Vivanco y Asociados, S.A. de C.V., which is better known simply as NOM 1414, is one of the most renowned distilleries in the tequila industry. The distillery is known for its integrity and family values. Sergio Cruz serves as the current master distiller at NOM 1414.
About Adam Fodor
Adam Fodor is a tequila expert and academic. He is the founder of the International Tequila Academy and author of Tequila Connoisseur. Fodor is credited with pushing the envelope on the development of the proprietary wild yeast varietal tequila used in Alma del Jaguar.
About The Northern Jaguar Project
The Northern Jaguar Project (NJP) preserves and recovers the world’s northernmost population of jaguar, their unique natural habitats, and native wildlife under their protection as a ?agship and umbrella species. The NJP manages the Northern Jaguar Reserve, one of the largest privately managed wildlife refuges in Mexico, located in the rugged Sierra Madre Mountains in Sonora, Mexico.
About Morningside Brands, Inc.
Morningside Brands, Inc. is the newest venture of spirits entrepreneur McCauley Williams. Williams founded the business to build a mission-based portfolio of spirits that are handcrafted, sustainably produced, and developed to raise awareness and impact for selected causes. The Morningside Brands team consists of some of the industry’s leading luxury spirits experts. Alma del Jaguar is the first brand in the portfolio to be released.
For More Information:
https://www.almadeljaguar.com