Granalta Tequila: A story of culture, craft and collaboration

Granalta Tequila is dedicated to celebrating history and agave, bringing out the essence of the two in every sip. Our tequilas are made in collaboration with Fábrica de Tequila Eden (Nom 1465) in the highlands of Arandas, Jalisco. 

The history of Fábrica de Tequila El Edén begins long before its foundation, in the childhood memories of the Ramírez Magaña brothers, Jose Maria and Jose de Jesus. 

In the 1950’s, the young brothers would accompany their grandfather, Don Marcos Magaña, to his distillery in La Ciénega, Jalisco, where the aroma of cooked agave and the steam of distillation were part of daily life. There, Don Marcos produced nearly 300 liters of tequila daily, working with dedication, discipline, and a deep respect for tradition. 

For the brothers, those visits were not just family moments, but a direct connection to the origin of tequila, the work of the fields, and their grandfather's legacy. 

After Don Marcos passed away, the Ramírez Magaña brothers were left with a mix of nostalgia, admiration, and a strong desire to continue what their grandfather started. 

In 1997, that feeling turned into action. Agave was readily available and the market prices were low, representing an opportunity for those who believed in the long term success of Tequila. 

The Ramírez Magaña brothers pooled their savings and invested in their own distillery, not only as a business project, but as a tribute to their grandfather and the lessons he shared with them. 

Today, the legacy lives on through the sons of Jose Maria and Jose de Jesus. Alejandro maintains the role of master diatilero - Maestro Tequilero - and Diego runs the business operations. Fábrica de Tequila El Edén, doesn't just produce tequila; it produces history, memory, and legacy. 

In the last week of 2024, Wolf BevCo founder and owner of the Granalta brand, Jed Wolf, was on a sourcing trip in Jalisco and came across Fábrica de Tequila Eden. He scheduled a distillery tour with the receptionists, who took him through the facility and shared some of their delicious tequila. After the tour, Jed asked if it was possible to meet the owners. They said that while no one was on site, Alejandro was coming in a couple of hours with his family who were visiting from out of town for the holidays. Jed waited outside until Alejandro showed up and proceeded to tour the distillery again, this time with the Maestro Tequilero himself. 

Jed had visited many distilleries but felt something special about Fábrica de Tequila Eden. The combination of family history, dedication to craftsmanship and a willingness to experiment made it the perfect match for his new tequila project. And hence, Granalta Tequila was born. 

📍Arandas, Jalisco (Highlands) 

NOM: 1465 (Tequila Eden) 

Cooking: steam cooked 26 hrs in a brick oven. 

Mill: roller mill 

Fermentation: stainless steel tanks, with fibers (bagazo) and a sour mash yeast derived from a previous batch started with bread yeast. 

Distillation: stainless steel pot still with copper coils. Heads, hearts and tails. 

Water for dilution: 

Granalta Blanco - 50% well water / 50% filtered water 

Reposado - 50% well water / 50% filtered water 

99 proof Blanco - well water 

Barrel aging: 

Blanco and 99 proof Blanco - NA 

Reposado - 4 months in old white oak bourbon barrels. We choose older barrels rather than recently charred ones to let agave shine. 

Extra Añejo - this batch is different from the others as it was something that the folks at Tequila Eden had available and we liked it and decided to bottle it. It is made in a more tradition style (brick oven cooked, roller mill crushed, fermented without fibers using bread yeast, aged 3 years in American White Oak ex bourbon casks, diluted with filtered water and bottled at 43% ABV