The Indians, who before the arrival of the Spanish conquerors did not know alcohol stronger than pulque (mash from blue agave juice), called strong alcoholic drinks “fire water”. The soft, delicate taste of Rio Caliente tequila really resembles the kind flame of a hearth: warm, pleasant, gently warming a weary traveler.
Rio Caliente is Spanish for “Hot River”. In its valley, there are many thermal springs of volcanic origin; a famous spa resort is located here. The ancient Aztecs believed that healing mineral water flows from the very heart of the mountains.
Although Rio Caliente tequila is still very young, it certainly has a glorious future ahead of it. In 2012, Rio Caliente Gold received a bronze medal at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Historical reference. Company founder Ricardo López Pérez was born in the tiny town of Jesus Maria, in the state of Jalisco. When the boy was ten years old, his family moved to Leon in search of a better life. The Lopes were so poor that Ricardo, after graduating from the fifth grade, was forced to leave school and go to work in a shoe factory.
But the young man had extraordinary abilities. By the age of twenty, he managed to save quite a decent amount and become an independent person. More than anything, Ricardo wanted to return to his native land. The funds he had were enough to open in Jesus Maria, first a factory for the production of children’s shoes, and then a tannery.
From time immemorial, in the state of Jalisco, on the fertile volcanic soils of the Los Altos Valley, the Blue Agave has been grown. In the mid-90s, a kilogram of piña pulp cost 12-14 cents, and the companies that made tequila simply bathed in windfall profits.
It would be strange if this fact passed by the attention of the talented entrepreneur Señor Lopez. However, later he admitted that he was guided not only by the desire to expand his business: from a young age, Don Ricardo dreamed of glorifying his native city and improving the living conditions of his fellow countrymen.
In 1996, Ricardo Lopez, together with his friend and like-minded Jorge Hernandez, created the company Productos Finos De Agave, which in Spanish means “The Best Agave Products”. The choice of such a high-profile name was not an ordinary marketing ploy: from the very beginning, the friends decided that at their distillery they would only make high-quality tequila, completely consisting of blue agave spirits and spring water, without any impurities.
Already in 1998, the company released Campo Azul premium tequila, which entered the top ten best Mexican tequilas. In the same year, Ricardo Lopez was awarded the highest award of the Board of Industrial Chambers of the State of Jalisco for his great achievements in business.
Tequilero companies are constantly creating new tequila recipes. To date, Productos Finos De Agave produces 32 brands of this drink and exports it to 26 countries. The total production is 18 liters per day, or about 000 million liters per year.
In terms of popularity, tequila made at the distillery of the company ranks second in the markets of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Most of all, Señor López is proud of the fact that, even in the most difficult years, he managed to keep Productos Finos De Agave as a family company with completely Mexican capital. The enterprises led by Ricardo Lopez employ 700 people.
In February 2011, the commission, headed by the youngest son of Don Ricardo, Alejandro Lopez, tasted another new tequila. She turned out to be flawless. It was made from the best blue agave grown on the plantations of the company (Productos Finos De Agave practices organic farming methods, almost does not use pesticides and mineral fertilizers). The drink, which was double distilled in stainless steel stills, was crystal clear and pleasant to the taste. Everyone especially liked the silky, warm aftertaste. “It was like being in the Rio Caliente Valley!” exclaimed one of the committee members.
Types of tequila Rio Caliente
Productos Finos De Agave produces three types of Rio Caliente 38% tequila, 100% blue agave spirits:
- Rio Caliente Silver is a young, colorless tequila with an agave-flowery aroma. The taste is soft, with a citrus note and a warm, delicate aftertaste;
- Rio Caliente Gold is a golden tequila, fragrant with baked agave and candied fruits. The taste is sweetish, with a hint of candied fruit and a delicate citrus bitterness in the aftertaste;
- Rio Caliente Reposado is a two-month-old light golden tequila with a rich aroma of baked agave. In the taste of the drink, the honey sweetness of agave is balanced by a barely perceptible astringent bitterness of oak shavings.
