Agave fields from Santanera in the lowlands of Jalisco.

The La Guasima plantation in Jalisco's lowlands produced a small amount of bottles.

Tequila Santanera

National Tequila Day is today and bars, restaurants and tequila-lovers across the US are getting ready to celebrate. The past few years have been great for tequila, whether you are drinking it or taking a shot.

According to data recently released by IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, American whiskey sales will be overtaken by tequila in the year 2022. A lot of American celebrities are cashing in on this trend.

Five Mexican-owned alternatives to celebrity-owned tequila brands, along with cocktail recipes, will help you celebrate the occasion.

Lalo + David at the bar

The Creative Director is David R. Carballido. The two men are from Guadalajara.

Florencia Medina

LALO is named after Eduardo "Lalo" Gonzalez, a co- founder and maestro of tequilero. A small, private batches for friends and family in Guadalajara turned into a demand for its taste and purity that made it a high-demanded brand.

Lalo is following in the footsteps of his fathers and grandfathers with a new approach to making tequila. After nearly a decade in the industry, he and founding partner David R. Carballido wanted to return to the roots of the product.

LALO is made using the finest Agave from the Jalisco Highlands, cooked using a traditional process, and distilled twice to maintain the integrity of the Agave. The only other ingredients are champagne yeast and deep well water.

Bottle of LALO Tequila with a cocktail glass and limes

It is easy to make the LALO Ranch Water.

LALO Tequila

Try it in a Ranch Water

The unofficial cocktail of Texas summers is LALO.

  • 2 oz LALO Tequila
  • ¼ oz fresh lime juice
  • 4-5 oz Sparkling mineral water
  • Thinly-sliced lime wheels for garnish

The glass should be filled with ice. Lime juice and LALO should be added. The water should be filled with mineral water.

la Gritona's all-female staff

There are women at the small distillery in Jalisco.

Courtesy of La Gritona

Instead of Kylie Jenner’s 818, try La Gritona Reposado

There is an all-female staff at NOM 1533 in the highlands of Jalisco. A minimum of 9 to 10 years old Agave plants are used to make it. Within 24 hours, the pias are cut and crushed in the ovens. Local farmers use the remnants from production to make feed for their animals.

Every step of the production process takes place under one roof at the distillery. The facility is overseen by a small group of women. The reposado expression is aged in lightly-charred barrels for 8 months and bottled in hand-blown glass.

The production of La Gritona is still relatively small. The taste is herbaceous and has not been Whiskeyed by the Barreling Process. It doesn't have any of the flavors associated with a reposado from the highlands. It expresses subtle signs of aging while retaining the quality of a quality blanco.

La Batanga cocktail next to a bottle of La Gritona tequila

The oldest bar in the state of Jalisco is called La Batanga.

CR Citrus

Try it in La Batanga

La Batanga is a popular bar in the region. It is traditionally made with El Tequileo, but this version is complex and different.

Shake vigorously after mixing tin with ice. Salt-rimmed rocks glass is what you'll get when you strain over the ice cube. You can add Mexican Coca-Cola to the drink and have a smoked wheel with it.

Instead of Dwayne Johanson’s Teramana, Try Tequila Santanera

Bottle of Tequila Santanera Organic Terroir label

Specific parcels of land are where Santanera is made.

Tequila Santanera

The first batches of single plot organic tequila were released in 2016 by the company. The sixth in the Organic series, #LoteSiembra, will be the first cut of the "La Guasima" terroir.

It is like a single vineyard in wine. The Organic Terroir collection does not combine different types of Agaves. They come from a single plot, with a selection of supreme agave that has to comply with a certain size, but above all, must be extremely mature, which allows us to reach an outstanding aromatic complexity.

Agave fields from Santanera in the lowlands of Jalisco.

The La Guasima plantation in Jalisco's lowlands produced a small amount of bottles.

Tequila Santanera

The organic line has a variety of names and flavors. They are gone for good when they're not around. The plant's terroir, along with wild yeasts and careful processes, create a unique tequila of impressive quality.

These outstanding tequilas are best appreciated neat, with a light chill, and they are made with Santanera Kosher and fresh lime juice. Water and Agave are the only things found in our products. We don't respect the plant as much as we should because it's the end of the world.

Instead of Joe Jonas’s Villa One Añejo, try Tequila Fortaleza Añejo

Guillermo Erickson Sauza

Sauza runs a bar in the city. He is a descendant of a man named Don Cenobio Sauza.

Destilería La Fortaleza

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The original copper stills were used to make Fortaleza. The same copper stills and tahona stone mills were used by Cenobio's descendant to remake the family distillery. The land and distillery were retained by the family.

The nose of Fortaleza Aejo has a caramel flavor. It is often praised as a perfectly aged aejo.

Closeup Glass with Alcohol in Cocktail Bar

It's an interesting twist to swap your favorite Old Fashioned recipe for a drink made with Aejo Whiskey.

getty

Try it in an Old Fashioned

Fortaleza Aejo is a lighter version of the Old Fashioned.

  • 2 oz Fortaleza Añejo
  • ½ oz Tres Agaves agave nectar
  • 2-3 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
  • Absinthe (spritz)
  • Orange peel for garnish

A bitter is mixed with ice. If you want to chill, stir. There is a glass with an alcoholic beverage in it. The cocktail needs to be put into a glass. You can add orange peel to the finish.

Carlos Camarena, Maestro Tequilero de La Alteña, with a bottle of tequila

The great-great grandson of Don Felipe is a maestro.

Courtesy of Tequila Tapatío

Instead of Adam Levine’s Calirosa Extra Añejo, try Tapatío Excelencia Gran Reserva Extra Añejo

Don Felipe was born into a family that has been making and selling alcohol for over a century. During the Mexican Revolution, Don Felipe's family's original distillery was destroyed and abandoned, so he started growing and selling plants to other distilleries. He started making his own booze because he wanted to be like his family's original distillery.

The brand name Tapato was started in 1940 by Don Felipe, who opened La Altea Distillery. His passion for doing things right inspired his family to continue making the product.

Don Felipe passed the business to his son, Felipe J. Camarena Orozco, who in turn passed it on to his daughters and son, Carlos.

The Extra Aejo expression is meant to be enjoyed neat. It is not possible to mix a cocktail with water or ice on the rock. It's comparable to the best whiskies or cognacs in the market.