Facebook is a wonderful thing! When you browse around you are bound to find all sorts of strange and wonderful events, imagery, people and products.
Lately posts regarding El Consuelo Tequila have started popping up in my newsfeed and I have become curiouser and curiouser. It is an organic, which is good but what is this brand about and who are behind it? So I reached out to to Jesus Ernesto Vargas Flores, who’s the one doing the all the facebook posts.
Q: Who owns Tequila El Consuelo?
A: We are a farmers’ society made up of around 20 people. The society is called ALTOS CIENEGA UNIDOS S.DE P.R. OF R.L. We have three brands, two of tequila, Tequila el Consuelo, Tequila le Latino Special. The two brands in their three presentations Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo, and Agave Syrup ERIX.
Here he is, the man himself – Jesus Ernesto Vargas Flores in front of a magnificent agave
Q: Can you tell me a little about yourself? Age, name, education, etc.
A: My name is ERNESTO VARGAS FLORES. I am 39 years old, married to MARIA GUADALUPE OLIVAREZ HERNANDEZ. We have two children and a girl. For my studies, I attended a high school. I have been a Legal Representative since 2013.
Q: How old is the brand?
A: The brand has around 12 years old.
Q: What made you go organic?
A: We have a product, it is ERIX Agave Syrup, and so we decided to also opt for our tequila to be organic, besides there are not as many organic brands as those that are not.
Q: With what NOM are you distilling?
A: Distilled with the NOM 1570 CRT.
Q: You are making organic tequila. How do you handle pests and diseases?
A: Well, we use some organic products that also exist in the market.
The thre great bottles of organic tequilal straight from the heartland of tequila
Q: It seems that you cultivate your own agave. Where are your fields located?
A: Our fields are located in the locale of ATOTONILCO EL ALTO JALISCO MEXICO, where our company is located.
Q: Are there any future plans for El Consuelo? Are you going to make an extra vintage tequila too?
A: I think so, since the market is extensive and there are tastes for everything, although it is a very difficult market. It is very difficult to take ownership of the brand, because many people do not dare to try different brands to those already existing or dominant in the market.
Q: Some companies began to make variants such as pink tequila or crystalline. Is it something you would also be considering?
A: First we want to take possession of our three presentations, Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo, and maybe in the future, hopefully not too far away, we can spoil our customers with an Extra Añejo or why not, a Crystalline Añejo, certainly without neglecting the quality of ALTOS CIENEGA UNIDOS S.DEP.R. OF R. L. and what better if they are ORGANIC AND COSHER.
Mr. Flores was so kind to also send us a big bunch of great pictures from the agave fields. One sometimes forgets that tequila is the product of agriculture and I personally think it is very satisfying to see these pictures from the growers perspective. There certainly is a lot of hard work in the fields before you can even begin to harvest.
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- A truckload of pinas on its way to the distillery
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- A young agave plant ready to be put in the grond.
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- Hijuelos – root shoots from the agave plant which have been collected
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- The red earth field with newly planted agave plants
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- Here’s the final result of the work – a bottle of good quality organc tequila
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- The oven is probably full of nice agave and right now baking them
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- Hard work collecting the pinas from the field
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- The pinas, which have been cut in halves, are ready to go into the oven
Tequila Afficionado have done a couple of tastings with El Consuelo, which may be found here:
