Pflugerville - Hutto Edition | March 2022

With the exception of a recent stall in bottle deliv- ery from the distillery they use in Mexico, Gallegos said the brand has been gaining steady momentum since its launch and has been sold throughout Cen- tral Texas, including businesses, bars and restau- rants in Pflugerville and Round Rock, Gallegos said. Looking ahead, Gallegos said he would like to see Dos Cuernos expand statewide into other major markets, including Dallas and Houston, as well as nationally. FromMexico to Pflugerville For tequila to be authentic, Palacios said it must be made from the blue agave plant in one of five states in Mexico, with the southern state of Jalisco accounting for the lion’s share of production world- wide. Any agave-based beverage made outside of Mexico cannot technically be called tequila. After touring five distilleries in Jalisco, Palacios said they chose a distillery called Hacienda do Oro to produce their brand. “We fell in love with the family and fell in love with the distillery, and we said, ‘We’re going to work with you guys,’” Palacios said. “And then they crafted a recipe for us.” Verdadero Tequila is also made in Jalisco at a dis- tillery called Casa Maestri. Barber said he wanted a facility that did not use what are called diffusers, or ovens that can cook high volumes of agave, the main ingredient in tequila. Because Barber prefers a slower method, he said he eventually found Casa Maestri, which helped create 100% blue agave-based recipes for his two different varietals—blanco, a clear type of tequila that works well mixed in cocktails, and reposado, a darker type of tequila that lends itself to sipping. “I wanted to bring a tequila to the market that is made in traditional ways, and we don’t skimp on the process or the ingredients,” Barber said. “That was basically how we arrived [at the finished product].” Potential formore local brands Jim McDonald, co-owner of Pflugerville wine bar Three Legged Goat, said his establishment plans to carry Dos Cuernos tequila as soon as it acquires its liquor license. He also does not rule out forming a partnership with another maker and running a private label of tequila distributed out of Pflugerville, but there are no definite plans for that as of now, he said. “I think it would be great just in terms of a national audience to find a solid Texas product with a cool brand on it,”McDonald said. “But, we haven’t laid the groundwork for it.” Likewise, Shaun Siems, president and founder of Spirit of Texas Independent Distillery in Pflugerville, said hewould not rule out either distributing a tequila or creating a spirit made from blue agave. Siems said in recent years, he has noticed many more companies importing and distributing tequila, and he recently looked into importing a tequila prod- uct from a distillery in Jalisco, but ultimately did not move forward. As of now, Siems said many options are still in play for Spirit of Texas, which mainly makes rum and whiskey, including products that would con- tain the same ingredient base as tequila, such as

brokered through the PCDC that will see construction begin in Pflugerville this July on a 250,000-square- foot facility for large-scale wine and spirits distribu- tor Republic National Distribution Co. Any time an area gains recognition for a unique product, be it beer or barbecue or liquor, that will often have a positive effect on tourism, which in turn pumps more sales and sales tax revenue to a local economy, she said. “We’ve seen what happens when—in Texas we have great barbecue,” she said. “[Tequila] is another way of bringing in people to try different varietals.”

ready-to-drink cocktails in a can. “I think tequila would really be a brand I would like to try to do something with someday,” he said. “We couldn’t call it tequila, but there are some other suc- cessful distilleries in Texas that have come out with blue agave spirits, which is basically the same thing.” Amy Madison, executive director of the Pfluger- ville Community Development Corp., said having a cluster of companies in a given area that are simi- lar in nature is great for local and regional economic development. As one example, Madison said having Spirit of Texas in Pflugerville has brought recognition to the city through the various spirits the distillery pro- duces, including whiskey and rum. Madisonalsopointed toaneconomic incentivedeal

For more information, visit communityimpact.com .

FROM MEXICO TO THE U.S.

States in Mexico tequila has to come from

To qualify as true tequila, it must be made from the blue agave plant and distilled in the Mexican states of Guanajuato, Jalisco, Michoacan, Nayarit or Tamaulipas. Sean Barber, owner and distributor for Verdadero Tequila, which operates out of Pflugerville, has his brand of tequila produced through a Jalisco distillery called Casa Maestri. The process of making tequila in Mexico can vary based on techniques used, among other factors.

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Guanajuato

Jalisco

Michoacan

Nayarit

Tamaulipas

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Agave is selected : Quality agave requires between six and 14 years to reach maturity. Agave is harvested : Workers harvest agave plants when they are roughly 6-12 feet tall by trimming them close to the hearts, or centers, leaving almost a white appearance with very little green, leafy exposure.

PHOTOS COURTESY VERDADERO TEQUILA

Agave is shredded : A machine called a molino shreds the cooked agave to extract the sugar via a concentrated sweet juice.

Agave is cooked: The agave hearts are steam-roasted in brick ovens, or hornos, for 36-54 hours. The cooked agave is then combined with agave cooked in aluminum ovens.

Fermented beer is distilled : The resulting liquid is distilled twice. The first distillation creates what is called “ordinary tequila.” The second distillation results in the final product.

Sugar extract is fermented: The

average fermentation process takes 48-60 hours. Yeast is added to the agave juice to create a beer-like liquid with an alcohol content between 5% and 9%.

SOURCES: CASA MAESTRI, SEAN BARBER/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

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PFLUGERVILLE - HUTTO EDITION • MARCH 2022

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