TequilaIxtlán del Río, Nayarit
Real de Ixtlán
DEHAT distillery
Tequila, but not from Jalisco: volcanic soil, Nayarit and one of only a few distilleries outside Jalisco.
Ixtlán del Río lies in Nayarit, on the Pacific side, at 1,050 metres and on volcanic soil. It shows in the glass: the tequila is more mineral than most from Jalisco.
The story
Tequila doesn't have to come from Jalisco. Parts of Nayarit also belong to the protected area of origin, and Real de Ixtlán is one of the few tequilas from there. In the German ranges we checked, practically every tequila came from Jalisco or Guanajuato, none from Nayarit.
The brand sees itself as part of Nayarit's culture and draws on the art of the Wixárika, the indigenous people of the region. Every bottle carries a sacred symbol. On the Plata it is the hummingbird: it is seen as a messenger between people and the gods, and brings luck and love.
The house motto is: same origin, two purposes. A Blanco at 42 %, made for the shaker, and a Plata at 40 %, made for sipping neat. The Blanco is therefore reserved for bars and restaurants.
“Orgullosamente Nayarita.”Worth knowing
- Only three brands share the distillery number NOM 1628.
- The hummingbird on the Plata is a symbol of the Wixárika of Nayarit.
- The Blanco's 42 % is deliberate: the agave stays recognisable in a cocktail.
The craft
The spirit is distilled at the DEHAT distillery in Ixtlán del Río. The agave is cooked in an autoclave, the juice extracted with a roller mill and fermented in stainless steel tanks. It is distilled twice in stainless steel pot stills.
From field to bottle
- GrowingBlue Weber agave on volcanic soil in Nayarit, at 1,050 m.
- CookingIn an autoclave.
- MillingJuice extracted with a roller mill.
- FermentationIn stainless steel tanks.
- DistillationTwice, in stainless steel pot stills.
Bottles from Real de Ixtlán
All Tequila bottles
