Ever wondered what makes 1800® Tequila the Most Awarded Tequila in the World?*
Good taste doesn’t come overnight. Since 1967, a singular driving force has guided 1800® Tequila: push the boundaries of taste. We are on a mission to craft bold experimentations and spark cultural transformations.
1800® Tequila takes its name from the year tequila began gaining recognition beyond its humble origins in Jalisco, Mexico. Created by a family with 11 generations of tequila-making heritage, 1800® Tequila introduced the world’s first Añejo tequila in 1967, setting the standard for aged tequila. Every day we find new ways to raise the bar, all in service of our ultimate goal: helping people find the best taste, in tequila and in life.
Only through hard work, passion, and honesty did we earn our claim of the World’s Most Awarded Tequila.
JUMP AHEAD
Get straight to frequently asked tequila questions like:
1. Farming and Agriculture
1800® Tequila is made with 100% Blue Weber Agave harvested from fields in the Tequila Valley in Jalisco, Mexico.
1800® Tequila was the world’s first introduction to premium tequila. We own the entire process from field to bottle.
- Our 1800 distillery produces the highest-quality tequila while fulfilling global demand.
- We own the most acres of agave plants in the entire industry.
- Our dedicated workforce cultivates and tends to our fields.
- We lead with sustainable agricultural practices and recycle our agave byproduct into compost for our fields.
Agriculture: Our agriculture team is comprised of farmers and jimadores. The farmers take care of the fields, tilling, composting, planting etc. while our jimadores have the responsibility of identifying and harvesting agave. Our field workers and farmers are the backbone of our tequila. Dedicated jimadores harvest each agave piña by hand – a tradition passed down from generation to generation.
- An ancient practice: Jimadores are key to identifying the quality and maturity of our agaves for peak harvesting
- Tools: The primary tool used by jimadores is called a “coa” – a razor-sharp blade on a long wooden handle
- Harvesting: The craft of the agave harvest is still done entirely by hand, when the agave is at peak maturity
2. Prepping and Cooking the Agave
The Finest Ingredients: Our tequila has always been made without compromise – using 100% Blue Weber agave, harvested at peak maturity, producing a quality liquid each and every time.
- The Agave: Grown almost a mile high above sea level in mineral-rich volcanic soil in the heart of Tequila Valley. The agave is a century plant, meaning it will bloom once in its lifetime
- Penca (Leaf): Tall spiny leaves protecting the heart of the blue agave plant are removed one-by-one by jimadores. They are left in the fields to fertilize the next crop
- The Piña: The heart of the agave plant is hand-harvested and distilled to perfection in the tequila making process
Cooking: The cooking of the piñas for our core expressions takes 36 to 40 hours in masonry ovens and helps refine the taste of our tequila. This cooking method is steeped in tradition and intended for slow roasting, known to extract rich flavors through a slower conversion and caramelization of sugars. The roasted agave plants are then roller milled to extract the liquid for fermentation.
3. DISTILLATION AND AGING
From harvesting our agaves to distilling and aging, we own every step of the process to ensure that each sip is perfect.
4. Fermentation
Fermentation helps to convert the agave’s sugars into alcohol. Our process takes approximately 40-50 hours and is carried out in stainless steel closed fermenters. We introduce our own propagated yeast strain, shaping the tequila’s aroma, flavor and mouthfeel.
- We use closed stainless steel fermentation tanks and a proprietary natural yeast, and ferment the liquid for over 50 hours.
- Our Blanco tequila is double-distilled and made with only three ingredients – 100% Blue Weber agave, yeast, and water.
- Our Flavored tequilas are crafted from 100% Blue Weber agave harvested at its peak. 1800® Coconut is a special selection of white tequilas infused with natural, ripe coconut flavor.
- All our tequilas, with the exception of 1800® Coconut and 1800® Cucumber & Jalapeño, are double-distilled in copper pot stills.
- Aged Tequila: 100% Blue weber agave is harvested at its peak, and aged in new oak barrels.
5. Expressions
- 1800® Reposado tequila must be rested for a minimum of two months, which helps it mellow and refine. A special selection of white Tequilas, that had been double-distilled in copper stills, are blended together and rested in new American and French oak barrels between 2-4 months with high char and toast.
- 1800® Añejo is the designation for tequila that’s been aged for 12-16 months in oak barrels, not to exceed 600 liters, at a minimum of one year and up to three years. The first official Añejo to be released to the world, 1800® Añejo is matured for over a year in both new American and French oak barrels with a high char and toast.
- 1800® Cristalino is a crystal clear añejo tequila with deceptive depth, presented in a stunning crystalline bottle. It is aged in new American oak and port barrels, blended together before a further finish for over two months in port wine casks.
- 1800® GuachiMonton celebrates the legacy and agriculture of the Tequila Valley and is crafted with agave grown from the family estate. Aged in new American and French oak barrels with a high char and toast for over a year, then finished in orange liqueur casks for over two months.
- 1800® Milenio is an Extra Añejo tequila, aged for over three years in new American and French oak barrels with a high char and toast, and then finished in French Cognac barrels. Crafted from 100% Blue Weber agave grown on the family’s estate, handpicked at the peak of ripeness, and carefully steamed in traditional masonry ovens. After fermentation and double distillation in copper pot stills, the extra-aged tequila is matured for a short period in French Oak Cognac barrels creating a balanced, soft, and unique flavor.
FAQ
- Tequila is NOT stronger than other alcohol. 1800® Tequila produces tequilas ranging from at 35%-50% alcohol by volume (ABV), just like most spirits.
- The NOM is an administrative entity connected to a tequila producer with a single or multiple distilleries, and it does not necessarily represent the distillery where it is produced. For example, 1800® Tequila uses NOM 1122, which is the registered NOM for the company that encompasses four distilleries and five tequila brands. 1800 Tequila also chooses to include the distillery address on our bottle labels to show where our tequilas are made.
- No worm for us. The worm you’re thinking of is only found in certain bottles of mezcal.
By law, tequila can only be produced in specific regions of Mexico, mainly:
- The state of Jalisco (home to the town of Tequila and where 1800® is made)
- Certain municipalities in Nayarit, Guanajuato, Tamaulipas, and Michoacán
- 1800® Tequila is made with 100% Blue Weber Agave harvested and handpicked from fields in the Tequila Valley Jalisco, Western Mexico.
- Blue agave plants take a minimum of 5.5 years (sometimes up to 12) to mature before they’re ready to be harvested.
- Yes! Tequila is naturally gluten-free and vegan as it’s made from agave and doesn’t use any animal products.
- 1800® Tequila uses traditional brick ovens to cook the agave, while 1800® Flavored Tequila does use diffusers. A diffuser is a machine that uses just hot water and steam to pressure wash shredded agave fibers to remove the sugary liquid from the fibers. That liquid is then cooked via steam to separate the compounds for the fermentation process.
- Diffusers are an efficient production method designed to help lower energy consumption and increase yield from every agave plant. Compared to other cooking methods, diffusers reduce water usage by more than 50%, use 46% less energy and 20% less agave. Diffusers are utilized for some, but not all of our tequilas and are a critical method in differentiating our production cycle to meet consumer demand and find more sustainable solutions to produce our tequilas.
- Diffusers create a lighter tasting tequila with a unique sensory profile; fewer sweet notes and more herbal and floral notes.
- 1800® Tequila reuses, recycles, and repurposes 100% of the agave plant and is committed to creating a better, more sustainable future for agave. Most of 1800® Tequila’s agave waste is transformed into compost and used back in the agave fields.
- 1800® Tequila also re-disperses any additional agave fiber throughout the community to support local artisans, providing them with sustainable materials to create items such as paper, lotions, handbags and more.
- Treating water stillage from the production of tequila is critical in order to keep the surrounding environment safe from pollution. We are one of the few distilleries that have invested in a stillage treatment plant, which allows us to process about 2 million liters of stillage per day and make it safe to return to the water system. The majority of tequila producers are polluting our waterways making this a huge environmental issue. Our treated wastewater is used for the steam ovens and within the stillage treatment plant creating a circular process and allowing it to be more sustainable.
- As a company founded by a family with 11 generations of tequila-making, 1800® Tequila is deeply committed to protecting the tequila industry, preserving the environment, and supporting the Mexican communities that are its foundation.
- We provide our agave farmers with industry-leading wages and long-term contracts—commitments we maintain regardless of broader industry shifts, such as agave shortages or surplus years.
- 1800® Tequila actively advocates for these workers at the governmental and industry levels, working to ensure their protection and to secure the long-term health of the agave industry. This includes promoting responsible farming practices and investing in sustainability initiatives that safeguard agave for future generations.
- As we look toward the future, we remain focused on finding innovative, sustainable ways to produce our tequila, while continuing to prioritize the well-being and livelihoods of the people who make it possible.
Cheers to Trabajo. Pasión. Honestidad!
*Based on awards received by 1800 from Academia Mexicana del Tequila, A.C. between 2001 and 2023
