The Tasting Panel magazine

April 2010

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UP Alma Matters In Jalisco, one family has been producing some of the smoothest tequila for generations. Now, thanks to a two-man team, the U.S. is getting a chance to discover Alma Tequila by Rachel Burkons / photos by Maria Schriber Eighteen years ago, Carlos Flores, a native of Xamay in Mexico’s famed tequila region, Jalisco, began to distill tequila on the farm where his family had been growing and cultivating agave for generations. He developed a signature recipe and distillation process, and sold his tequila locally for 14 years; but, until recently, Flores’ super-smooth spirit was not available outside Mexico. That’s when Flores reached out to his Southern California–based cousin, Nene Gonzalez, to help commercialize his product, now called Alma, in the United States. Gonzalez, who had built a career in gaming and professional poker television programming, was a novice to the spirits business, but recognized that with a qual- ity product and an ever-expanding market demand for tequila, his family’s heritage was ready to make the leap toward U.S. distribution. “I was traveling all over the world as part of my job,” explains Gonzalez, “but what got me enthusiastic about joining the family business was watching the expansion of tequila in many different countries while I traveled. I saw Alma’s blanco, reposado and añejo expressions will be joined by a limited release of a three-year-old extra añejo in specialty packaging this summer. / the tasting panel / april 2010

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