Alcademics

Tag: herradura

  • Tequila is the New Vodka; Tequila is the New Scotch in LA Times Magazine

    I've brought up one side of this topic before here on Alcademics, but now both sides are in a magazine.

    In today's Los Angeles Times Magazine I have a story on tequila, looking at how brands are being produced and marketed – some like vodka; others like scotch. 

    As our preference for 100 percent agave tequila grows, it’s no surprise that brands are now popping up to take advantage of that trend. But what is really interesting are the niches tequila is carving out: Some are being bottled in sleek vessels complete with the same marketing and mystique that seems to be inspired by premium vodkas, while other new tequilas are promoting the artisanal, historical and romantic notions of the agave spirit, akin to scotch whisky—even if the brands were created within the last week.

    It's a whopping 1,000 word story. Please give it a read and let me know what you think. 

    Tequilastoryphoto
    (Photo: BRIAN LEATART for LA Times Magazine)

  • Tequila Distillery Visit: Herradura

    In November I visited seven tequila distilleries in Mexico. Here are some pictures and notes from my visit to theHerradura distillery in the town of Amatitan.

    Stacks of agave tequila herradura distillery_tn
    (Here they split the agave in two before baking.)

    Fermentation tanks tequila herradura distillery_tn
    (The magic of Herradura is that it ferments naturally- no yeast is added.)

    Barrel aging tequila herradura distillery_tn
    (Sleeping tequila.)

    • Agave grows for 7-10 years before harvesting
    • Jimadors work for 6 hours a day and harvest about 120 plants
    • They use clay/brick ovens, each one holding about 48 tons
    • Agave cooks for 26 hours then cools for 24
    • They use a rollermill to shred the agave after cooking, then a diffuser to get out the last bits of sugar
    • The fermentation takes about 4 days
    • The first distillation takes 3 hours, the second 6
    • They use stainless steel stills
    • They don't move the barrels around, refill them where they are. Use same barrels for about 10 years before replacing
    • Between Herradura, El Jimador, and Antiguo, all of which are 100% agave products, they say the only difference is the amount of aging and the percent of alcohol. [That's not quite true, here is a chart that spells out the differences.]
    • They age in all new American oak barrels. 
    • The reposado is aged for 11 months