Tequila Fortaleza – A journey back in time

October 22, 2018
Food and Drink

Tequila Fortaleza’s inspiring history is one to be told. Even though they officially relaunched in 2005, the history behind the brand is one of 140 years.

Some people grow up dreaming that they want to travel around the world with a mariachi band while promoting their family’s tequila. Others do it.

Guillermo Erickson Sauza’s great, great grandfather, Don Cenobio, founded his first distillery in the town of Tequila in Jalisco, Mexico, in 1873. He was the first to export tequila from Mexico in the 1860s, travelling over 1000 miles with a mule drawn wagon. Five generations later, Don Guillermo reinstated the La Fortaleza Distillery which proudly produces tequila in the same way as it had been produced 100 years ago.

This includes a small, brick oven in which agave plants are cooked, a tahona (a large stone wheel that squeezes the juice out of the agave), wooden fermentation tanks and two original copper pots for the distillation process.

Rowan Leibbrandt from Truman & Orange, the importer of Tequila Fortaleza, says: “We’ve seen huge interest from South African drinkers in high-quality tequila. South Africa is a large tequila market, but to most South Africans tequila has meant low-quality mixtos that gave you a nasty headache at university. That is changing as South Africans are starting to demand 100% Agave Tequilas of the same high quality as the cognacs and single malts that they’re enjoying. This demand is being further boosted by a wave of exciting, new, up-market restaurants exposing South Africans to Mexican cuisine.”

Tequila Fortaleza Blanco never touches wood and is stored in stainless steel tanks. It has a floral aroma and the authentic taste of 100% stone crushed blue agave tequila. Tequila Fortaleza Reposado, aged in oak barrels for 6 months, has an oak flavour with a hint of pepper. Tequila Fortaleza Añejo is aged in charred oak barrels for 18 months, has a vanilla aroma and is exceptionally smooth on the palate.