Riazul

Riazul is a Mexican brand that offers high-quality Tequila and Merzcal. All spirits are, in fact, produced exclusively from blue agave grown in the highlands of the Jalisco region. The volcanic red earth soils, which are very rich in minerals, are best suited for obtaining plants with sweet juice and intense aromas, which form the basis of the Riazul labels. The plants are cultivated until they reach an adult age of 6 to 8 years, before being cut by expert jimadors who remove the leaves to obtain the heart of the agave, the precious piña, which is the part where the starches needed to start the fermentation process and the subsequent steps in the preparation of the distillates are concentrated.

The agave heart is slowly steamed in traditional brick ovens. This process favours the transformation of starches into sugars and helps to soften the fibres of the plant's heart. After cooking, the piña is ground to extract the sugar and crushed by an oxen- or mule-driven grinder so that the pulp releases its juice. The liquid is then sent to the next stage of fermentation, which takes place in large wooden vats. The sugars are transformed into alcohol using indigenous yeasts found on the leaves of the agave or otherwise selected in the field. Fermentation lasts about ten days and precedes the crucial distillation phase.

The juice obtained from fermentation undergoes the distillation process in traditional stills. The process involves two or three successive distillations, depending on the type of label to be made. The first distillation yields a Tequila or Mezcal of 20% vol. After the second distillation, the alcohol content rises to 55% vol. At this point, a 'blanco' distillate has been obtained, which can then be sent for ageing. Tequila is usually matured in French or American white oak barrels, which were previously used to age bourbon. The time spent in wood depends on the type of distillate to be obtained.