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    How Tequila Is Made

    From An 11th-Generation, Family-Owned Tequila Company

    Blue Weber agave. Water. Yeast. Every bottle of Cuervo starts with the same three ingredients — the same ones we've used since 1758, when the Cuervo family first cultivated agave for tequila production.

    What separates Cuervo from everything else on the shelf is what happens between the field and the bottle. Discover how time, process, and craftsmanship shape the world's oldest name in tequila.

    Where Is Cuervo Tequila Made?

    Today, Cuervo plants more agave than any other company in the world. We grow our Blue Weber agave in estate fields across the designated states of Mexico including Jalisco — the volcanic-soil region that put tequila on the map (and keeps it there). Cuervo also purchases Blue Weber agave from third-party farmers We patiently wait for the agave to mature, typically between 6-8 years. At peak maturity, the piñas — the dense, sugar-rich hearts of the plant, named for the pineapple they resemble once the leaves are stripped — are hand-harvested by our jimadores and moved to family-owned distilleries, including one of the oldest in Latin America.

    More About Farming And Agriculture

    How Is Cuervo's Agave Cooked?

    La Rojeña, founded in 1812, is the oldest active distillery in Latin America, and home to Cuervo Tradicional and Reserva de la Familia. The piñas arrive here, where they're hand-cut into halves and thirds, then carried one by one into traditional masonry brick ovens to steam-roast for 36 to 40 hours. Cuervo was the first producer to use these types of ovens, and they remain in use today. For the Especial collection, production takes place at a separate facility using a diffuser: a machine that uses only hot water to extract the sugary liquid from the shredded agave fibers. This technology allows us to lower energy and water consumption to increase yield from the agave plant.

    More About Cooking The Agave

    How Is The Agave Juice Extracted?

    To prepare the cooked agave for fermentation, its fibers must be carefully broken down to release their concentrated juices. For Cuervo® Tradicional® and other masonry oven expressions, the cooked piñas move to a four-step roller mill. This passes the agave fibers through a sequence of rotating rollers to separate the sweet, fermentable juice from the remaining pulp — known as bagasse. Throughout this process, protected well water drawn from a tequila aquifer is used to gently rinse and carry the sugars forward.

    How Is Cuervo Tequila Fermented And Distilled?

    Fermentation is where tequila's flavor is born. Cuervo ferments our agave juice in closed stainless steel tanks using a proprietary yeast — long-cultivated by Cuervo — that builds aroma, complexity, and reinforces the agave's character and taste. Fermentation occurs for 24 to 60 hours, depending on the expression. As those sugars convert to alcohol, they develop the fruity, floral, and warm cooked-agave notes that define the spirit's character. Distillation at Cuervo runs on two tracks: copper pot stills for Cuervo® Tradicional® and Reserva De La Familia, and continuous column stills for others. Copper naturally removes harsh compounds and smooths the spirit, preserving the bright, pure flavor of cooked agave. The result is a tequila that's cleaner, smoother, and unmistakably Cuervo.

    How Is Cuervo Tequila Aged?

    Once distilled, our aged expressions begin a slow transformation in oak. Aged in freshly charred New American oak casks, the spirit softens and rounds over time, absorbing vanilla, caramel, spice, and dried fruit. How long a tequila spends in oak – even the toast levels inside the barrel – can unlock a spectrum of flavors. New American oak contributes sweetness and warmth, which is later compounded in complexity when blended or finished in various barrel types. Aging doesn't just mellow tequila. It creates character.

    More About Tequila Aging

    Explore The Cuervo Family

    Over 225 Years of Mexican Craftsmanship

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    • ESPECIAL® SILVER

      Jose Cuervo® Especial®

      SILVER
      Agave Cooked In:
      Stainless steel hydrolysis tank
      Extracted With:
      Diffuser through thermal extraction using only hot water
      Fermented In:
      Closed stainless steel for 24-40 hours using proprietary yeast
      Double Distillation:
      Double distillation using continuous column stills
      Aged:
      Unaged
    • TRADICIONAL® BLANCO

      Cuervo® Tradicional®

      BLANCO
      Agave Cooked In:
      Masonry brick ovens for 36 to 40 hours
      Extracted With:
      Four-step roller mills
      Fermented In:
      Closed stainless steel for 40 to 50 hours using proprietary yeast
      Double Distillation:
      Copper pot stills
      Aged:
      Unaged
    • TRADICIONAL® REPOSADO

      Cuervo® Tradicional®

      REPOSADO
      Agave Cooked In:
      Masonry brick ovens for 36 to 40 hours
      Extracted With:
      Four-step roller mills
      Fermented In:
      Closed stainless steel for 40 to 50 hours using proprietary yeast
      Double Distillation:
      Copper pot stills
      Aged:
      ~2-4 months, high-char New American Oak barrels
    • TRADICIONAL® AÑEJO

      Cuervo® Tradicional®

      AÑEJO
      Agave Cooked In:
      Masonry brick ovens for 36 to 40 hours
      Extracted With:
      Four-step roller mills
      Fermented In:
      Closed stainless steel for 40 to 50 hours using proprietary yeast
      Double Distillation:
      Copper pot stills
      Aged:
      ~12-16 months, high-char New American Oak barrels
      Finished:
      ~2-4 months, Bushmills Single Malt Irish Whiskey barrels

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