Rooster Rojo tequila is made at Fabrica de Tequilas Finos distillery in the city of Tequila, Jalisco, at the foot of Tequila Hill. While distillation began back in 2000, the building is a beautiful old colonial site that dates back to 1923. Overseeing the process is master distiller Arturo Fuentes Cortes Made, who uses only 100% Blue Weber agave from Los Altos de Jalisco and the Tequila region. The cooking is done in autoclaves – no diffusers – with steam for 10 hours and then a proprietary strain of yeast (the master distiller’s secret, no less) is added to the juice. IFermentation lasts up to 72 hours before the liquid is double distilled in stainless steel pot stills.
Rooster Rojo Tequilla is aged in an environment where the humidity is controlled to ensure a stable maturation. The reposado is matured in big French oak casks for at least two months, while the añejo is matured in 200-litre used American oak bourbon casks for more than 12 months. Each batch is blended for consistency, using water that’s used for filtered through Mexican silver. Rooster Rojo is the first-ever Tequila brand to do this.
The rooster was chosen for the brand as it’s a well-known symbol of Mexico, with the red rooster (the king of roosters) seeming especially appropriate. The shape of the bottle is inspired by the Tequila volcano, which can be seen from the distillery.