Draft:Lalo (tequila)

LALO Tequila is a brand of tequila produced in Jalisco, Mexico. It was founded in September 2019 by Eduardo "Lalo" González and David "R" Carballido. It is distilled in Arandas, Jalisco and headquartered in Austin, Texas.

HISTORY LALO is named after Eduardo "Lalo" González, the son of Don Julio González and the father of co-founder Lalo Jr. After nearly a decade in the tequila industry, David "R" Carballido, Lalo's childhood friend, approached Lalo to create a blanco tequila. Together, they wanted to showcase a traditionally made tequila with a distinctly modern, Mexican aesthetic.

They began a private label tequila for friends and family in Guadalajara and then were approached by American entrepreneur Jim McDermott to bring the tequila to the United States. McDermott became the brand's CEO.

PROCESS The agave used in LALO is grown in the highlands of Jalisco and is harvested at 6-7 years. The agave is cooked in brick steam ovens known as hornos de mampostería. They are steamed for 20 to 32 hours and rested up to 18 hours.

A roller mill extracts the juices from the cooked agave fibers and water is added before fermentation.

A proprietary Champagne yeast is added and fermentation takes 3 to 4 days. The liquid is then used in a slow distillation process in copper pot stills. During this process, the heads and tails of the must are left with a cloudy liquid called "ordinario". The liquid is distilled twice and the liquid is diluted to 80 ABV, filtered with paper filters, and bottled.