Our Process
In every single step in making Don Cosmé tequilas happens in Jalisco, Mexico. Under the watchful eye of our Master Distillers, each batch is crafted to perfection before it's bottled.
Honoring our heritage, celebrating our future, Don Cosmé.
The Region
For over a century, Los Altos de Jalisco, or the Jaliscan Highlands, are the heart of the world’s famed Tequila production. Don Cosmé Tequilas grow at a high elevation which produces a smoother, more tropical tequila. Soil and climate define the tequila’s flavor, just like a fine wine. When the agaves grow at a higher elevation, they are exposed to more sunlight which promotes comples sugars, viscosity and a robust weight for an advanced agave flavor. At Don Cosmé, we hold on to tradition, but also leverage innovation to meet supply and demand, because we know the agave spirit is a precious gift and should always be carefully nurtured and protected.
The Grow
Don Cosmé tequilas are created using 100% Weber Blue Agave. These majestic plants are native to Jalisco and thrive at altitudes of 5,000 or higher. Blue Webers have an extremely high amount of sugars called agavins. Each plant is nurtured and cultivated by Jimadors who tend to them as the Agaves grow to a height of seven feet within five years of planting.
The Cook
Our carefully selected agave hearts (or piñas) are slowly steam-roasted in our traditional stone-walled brick ovens called hornos for 36 to 54 hours. This traditional art of slow cooking prevents caramelizing while softening the fibers and transforming the starches into fermentable sugars. Hornos retain the sweet natural mellow flavors of each agave plant.
Fermentation
Don Cosmé uses a time-consuming fermentation process that requires 48- to 60-hours to create our full-bodied agave tequila taste. Slow fermentation brings out the robust flavor of each batch of piñas we cook. A special blend of naturally occurring yeast and flavors are added to the agave juice to create the unique Don Cosmé taste.
The resulting sweet liquid, called beer, contains an alcohol content of between five and nine percent by volume. Distilling can now begin.
Distillation
The fermented beer is distilled twice, taking five or more hours, in an alembic still commonly known as a pot still.
Double distillation is used to remove the heads (methanol) and the tails (superior alcohols and vinasas), leaving only the best alcohol that gives Don Cosmé its distinct flavor.
Aging
Each Don Cosmé product is aged in Jack Daniels white oak barrels to bring out the distinctive flavor.
Añejo – carefully aged for 12-months.
Reposado – 4-6 months, restfully aged.
Blanco – perfectly smooth right after distilling is complete.
