Making Tequila: A Distillery Tour
LOS OSUNA is a family-owned agave distillery near La Noria in the western state of Sinaloa. The Osuna family started growing blue agave plants and in 1876, they began making 100% blue agave liquor. The factory is small, and the award-winning liquor can be bought in Mexico in Sonora and Sinaloa and in America in only Illinois and California. Not because the citizens of those states are particularly enamored with tequila/agave liquor as compared to any other, but because the factory just can’t make more.
There are two basic types of tequila/agave liquor – 100% pure agave or mixto. Mixto is only required to be 51% blue agave, and isn’t as high quality as the 100% pure agave. With 100% pure agave, it is divided into categories depending on how long it has been aged with each type a darker color than the last. Blanco has been rested, but it has never been aged in wooden barrels. Joven is a mix of blanco and reposado; though it can also be a mixto, so ask if it’s 100% agave. Reposado has been aged in barrels for two to 11 months, añejo has been aged for at least 12 months, and extra añejo has been aged over 36 months. Los Osuna makes blanco, reposado, and añejo.
As a part of the Huana Coa “experience,” I toured the factory after ziplining, which was fun but left me hot and sweaty. So the taste of smooth tequila (excuse me, agave liquor) sipped in the shade was just about perfect.
All photos by the author. Editor’s note: tour and stay was arranged by the Mexico Tourism Board.