3 weeks ago
It’s been complete 20 years since nan González family sold Don Julio Tequila to liquor elephantine Diageo – and now, nan namesake’s grandson is forging his ain way successful nan tone manufacture pinch an accent connected additive-free blanco tequila.
Eduardo "Lalo" González, grandson of Don Julio and co-founder of Lalo Spirits, and his puerility friend and co-founder, David Carballido, done elemental catching up, projected a deficiency of Mexican ownership and civilization wrong nan tequila industry.
In 2015, nan brace of friends drew from a practice of complete 100 years of spirits making and refined their ain SKU of nan liquor.
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Eduardo "Lalo" González is nan co-founder of Lalo Spirits. (Lalo González / Fox News)
As a leisurely project, González and Carballido crafted an exclusive tequila that belonged to nan land of Mexico to stock privately among friends and family.
"The logic why we only person blanco is because we want to grant nan agave, and we want to showcase a cleanable and crispy type of tequila," González, an Austin, Texas, resident, told FOX Business during a telephone call. "We judge it's not adjacent for nan agave works that nan agave stays location for 5-6 years waiting to beryllium harvested, and past you disguise nan flavors pinch barrels aliases additives."
González collaborated pinch memories of his lukewarm upbringing astir agave fields and teachings from some his grandfather, Don Julio, and his begetter to unearth a tequila of his own.
Don Julio began moving astatine his uncle Jose's tequila distillery successful El Salvador Ranch astatine conscionable 7 years old. González says his grandfather fell successful emotion pinch nan agave fields and nan belief kick-started a tequila bequest that continues today.
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Lalo Spirits produces only 1 tequila expression, which is blanco. (Lalo González / Fox News)
"He was evidently very passionate astir nan distilling broadside of nan business, but he was successful emotion pinch nan farming side," González said.
His father, besides Eduardo "Lalo" González, was nan creator of Don Julio Tequila, and imprinted nan value of a story, nan practice and authenticity of a marque connected his son. González says his begetter was prideful of nan communicative that backed nan wide known tequila brand.
"He was besides very passionate astir elevating nan acquisition successful nan tequila world," González said.
Launching Lalo during a world pandemic
The additive-free booze first shared astatine friendly gatherings charmed sensation testers. González and Carballido understood that they had thing "special" and "wanted to stock it pinch nan world."
In 2017, González and Carballido invited Jim McDermott, co-founder and CEO, onto nan project. McDermott became an integral portion of introducing nan typical juncture liquor to Texas.
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Lalo González, middle, grew up surrounded by tequila farming and distilling arsenic his father, Eduardo "Lalo" González, left, founded Don Julio Tequila and named it aft his ain father, Don Julio, right, who worked astatine a tequila distillery successful Mexico. (Lalo González / Fox News)
Lalo Spirits officially launched successful Austin, Texas, successful January 2020, conscionable before COVID-19 rocked nan world.
"I was like, ‘Oh my God, nan world is astir to end, but my babe was conscionable born, my babe Lalo,’" González said. "We were for illustration ‘Oh my God, we conscionable launched a tequila brand, and we’re focusing connected bars and restaurants and bars and restaurants are closing.’"
The halfway of Lalo is to stay cleanable and additive-free while providing a heritage-driven acquisition for consumers. The marque has nary volition of releasing immoderate different SKU aliases tequila expressions.
González says additives are often a measurement for tequila brands to screen up nan mediocre sensation of a spirit. When agave plants are harvested excessively soon, they supply bitter spirit profiles for consumers.
And while González says launching during a world pandemic was very challenging, nan opportunities for cleanable brands were expanding.
"Since COVID, this additive free activity started to turn because group were much conscious astir what they were putting successful their bodies," González said.
All astir tequila additives
Much for illustration Champagne, existent tequila tin only beryllium referred to arsenic specified if nan bluish weber agave plants are harvested and nan liquor distilled successful designated regions of Mexico. In summation to this, location are 4 additives allowed successful 100% derived tequila.
The first is oak extract, which is simply a tube corrector for tube aged products, and nan 2nd is caramel coloring. However, some of these additives do not use to nan process of making blanco tequila. Glycerine, which mutes flavors and contributes to nan mouthfeel of nan spirit, and syrups, which adhd sweetener and artificial flavors, are nan different two.
González says brands do not person to disclose additives if they dress up nether 1% of nan full liquid per bottle, though little than 1% tin drastically change nan full spirit of nan liquor.
"Tequila tastes for illustration agave," he said. "It doesn’t sensation for illustration cupcakes."
As for Lalo Spirits, you tin guarantee a vessel of Lalo Blanco is additive-free.
González and his 2 partners, David Carballido and Jim McDermott, officially launched Lalo Spirits successful Austin, Texas, successful January 2020. (Lalo González / Fox News)
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"It's not a soft tequila," González said. "It's a well-balanced product. It's very clean, it's very crisp. I deliberation that’s what makes Lalo special. It's very versatile. It brings group backmost to additive free, traditionally made tequilas."
Tequila is regarded arsenic nan "fastest-growing" spirit, according to Gitnux, which makes nan class a competitory one, moreover if your marque is impressioned pinch nan Don Julio name.
"Honestly, galore group will think, 'You’re Don Julio’s grandson, and that it’s very easy to merchandise your ain brand, and you will person occurrence correct retired of nan gate,’ but nan reality is, it’s much challenging than it seems," González said. "I’ll opportunity that it’s not capable to beryllium Don Julio’s grandson."
Even so, González safeguards nan contented of a family-owned distillery but pinch a individual element.
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Before officially branding, his partners approached González astir naming nan marque Lalo. Though he opted to forego nan namesake because of added pressures and expectations, it was McDermott who corrected González connected nan logic for nan decision.
"Jim was like, ‘No, you're not getting it. It's not because of you, it’s because of your father,'" González said. "It's beautiful because he did nan aforesaid point for his father. When he launched Don Julio, he created his marque successful grant of his father, and I'm doing nan same."
His begetter passed distant successful 2017 earlier nan marque was revealed.
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