Tequilana (Agave tequilana Weber)

The Agave tequilana Weber used in batches made in Logoche come from stock that was originally acquired in the mid 1990’s through local mezcalero associations, in the context of increased contact with middle men and representatives of the Tequila industry on both a regional and nationwide level. Despite existing regulations around the use of agave from outside the territories established in the Denomination of Origin of Tequila, Oaxaca became a source of raw material in times of agave shortages, spurring the movement of clones to Oaxaca, where they could be grown cheaper and brought back to the industrial factories of Jalisco. While the majority of these crops were sold back to Jalisco, local producers kept some for themselves after quickly taking note of the sweet flavor of the cooked agave and the high yields of the starch-rich Blue Weber, referred to in Logoche as tequilana, tequilera, tequilero, or azul. Although the stewardship of local species and micro-endemic cultivars takes priority, farmers in Logoche continue to propagate small amounts of these “imported” agaves out of genuine curiosity and passion for growing and crafting them into spirits.