SPIRITED STATE
Arizona is home to several tequila brands
Arizona loves its tequila. Even the Arizona Diamondbacks have an official tequila. ❚ The Grand Canyon State is home to several tequila brands, which offer their unique take on the popular spirit. ❚ While Mexican laws state that tequila must be produced in the state of Jalisco, there are a number of tequila brands crafted in Mexico with headquarters in Arizona, each with its own taste and personality. ❚ Here are seven of them:
Mexican Moonshine Tequila
Roger Clyne launched this tequila brand, bringing the first small batch to his band’s Circus Mexicus festival in Puerto Peñasco in 2004. In 2011, the Valley musician made his Mexican Moonshine a reality, releasing first the reposado brand, then silver in 2012 and añejo in 2013. The reposado and añejo are gold medal recipients from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. His brand is the official tequila for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The tequila is available in bars, restaurants and liquor stores throughout Arizona and in 11 other states, from Colorado to Minnesota to Rhode Island. The tequila also is distributed in Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point), where Clyne and his band, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, own Banditos bar, the official headquarters for the brand.
Details: mexicanmoonshine.com.
Señor Rio
Jonathan Gach and Debbie Medina Gach launched Jalisco International Imports in Gilbert in 2009. During a trip to Mexico to see Debbie’s father, known as “Señor Rio,” they fell in love with tequila — and each other. They created Señor Rio, a boutique ultra-premium tequila, selling blanco, reposado and añejo varieties.
Señor Rio also offers Café Elegancia, a coffee tequila liqueur, and two limited editions: a third-generation extra añejo and a double-barrel añejo. Jonathan died this year, but Debbie is continuing their shared passion and the legacy they built together. The entire line of tequila is available at Total Wine & More.
Details: senorrio.com.
Arizona Distilling Co.
The Tempe-based distillery’s Dos Tierras tequila line is produced in Jalisco, and comes in blanco, reposado and añejo varieties. The tequila’s tagline is “The toast of two nations,” a reference to the former San Andres distillery in Nogales, Ariz., that in 1936 produced the first barrel of tequila in the U.S. (That was before tequila became regulated and could only be produced in Mexico.)
Phoenix artist Lalo Cota designed the artwork on the bottle. Dos Tierras can be found at Tops Liquors in Tempe, Sun Devil Liquors in Mesa and, soon, Total Wine & More.
Details: azdistilling.com.
Cruz Tequila
Brothers Saulo and Pep Katcher, Arizona State University graduates, partnered with friend Todd Nelson to launch Scottsdale-based Cruz Tequila in 2005. The Katchers were born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, and their grandfather was a conductor on a tequila train. Saulo now lives in Arandas, Jalisco, and runs the distillery.
Cruz Tequila is a fixture in Valley bars, standing out on shelves with its signature hand-blown, pyramidshaped bottle donning a big silver cross on the front. Cruz Tequila is found nationwide in silver, reposado and añejo.
Details: cruztequila.com.
Luna Malvada
Andy Rose and Michael Cardenas worked on this Scottsdale-based brand for 12 years before launching it in 2011. The agave is grown in the tropical dry forests of southwest Jalisco, harvested during the full moon cycle. The tequila is produced in one of the few remaining single-brand distilleries.
The bottles are skinny and black and feature moonlike toppers. The brand has plata (silver) and reposado varieties, and añejo will come out later this year. Luna Malvada is available at Total Wine & More.
Details: lunamalvada.com.
Dirty Tequila
For years, George Duerr mixed up drinks at his Cave Creek restaurant, particularly a tequila concoction that customers loved. In 2012, he and friend Corbin Jones created Dirty Tequila, inspired by Duerr’s popular cocktail, which is infused with pineapple, cinnamon and other flavors.
Dirty Tequila is found in more than 20 states across the U.S. The tequila has earned a number of awards, including double gold for best in show flavored tequila at the 2018 Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America Spirits Tasting Competition.
Details: dirtytequila.com.
3 Amigos Tequila
Launched in 2007, the company is based in El Mirage and run by the Gonzalez family, which owns a farm in Jalisco that has been growing blue agave for more than 40 years.
Eventually, they decided to create and bottle their own affordable, 100 percent blue agave tequila, available at Total Wine & More. The brand features a blanco, an organic blanco, reposado, añejo, extra añejo and Ramona’s Reserve.
Details: 3amigostequila.com.