Dulce Vida, or the “sweet life” in Spanish, is the only 100-percent organic, 100-proof tequila in the entire world, and it was born right here in Central Texas and Guadalajara, Mexico, by founders with a soul-stirring, deep-seated passion for creating a unique and better-tasting premium tequila.
Dulce Vida pays homage through the Old World traditions of the Aztec heritage and the merging of art and science to create the remarkable product that has garnered multiple gold medals across the most prestigious national and international tasting competitions.
According to legend and Aztec mythology, the gods of Mayahuel and Patecatl joined forces to bring maguey (agave) and centzon totochtin (400 rabbits) to the world. The legend goes on to say that those rabbits were “the gods of great drink,” and they partied like rock stars, drinking the powerful and pure spirit given by the agave plant.
What do Aztec gods, art, science and rabbits really have to do with Dulce Vida?
OK, while the myth behind the genesis of tequila is quite fantastic, one hard and true fact has remained for thousands of years. Organic agave, grown wild in the highlands, makes tequila taste the way tequila has always tasted best: pure and powerful, free of additives.
Dulce Vida’s founders’ nod to the perfect agave plant the Aztec gods gifted us, coupled with their collective zeal for the “great drink” and expertise in boutique brewing, distillation and organics, has resulted in the award-winning Dulce Vida Organic Tequila that is agave-derived and brilliantly distilled in Guadalajara.
The purest “sweet life”
So what makes Dulce Vida so good? It’s Navy strength – meaning it’s 100-proof, and it captures the purest form of tequila with minimal dilution. The result? Smooth-as-silk taste and texture and just the right palate stirring aromas and flavors.
Would the founders have imagined that in just a few short years, they would have garnered multiple gold medals across the most prestigious national and international tasting competitions? Absolutely!
Those medals are a tangible validation of what they envisioned from the beginning and a testament to the quality of the distillation process and the perfection they demand from the tequilana blue weber agave plants to the display-worthy bottle that holds Dulce Vida.
Q. NSIDE Magazine: Dulce Vida is nationally recognized as a great product. What makes it so special or different?
A. Richard Sorenson, CEO of Dolce Vida Spirits: We take attention to detail to a whole new level in all aspects from harvest through bottling the final product. Fortunately, we have a team that blends perfectionism with fanaticism when it comes to our tequila. Not only are the plants completely organic (not one speck of herbicide or pesticide shall touch one of our tequilana blue weber agave plants), but the sugar content (called the brix level) is tested for each and every plant prior to harvest to ensure ideal fermentable sugar levels. From perfect plant selection to flawless trimming that eliminates any potential off-flavors, we embrace crazy, triple-A personality levels of care not typical of most tequila operations.
Q. NSIDE: Is the agave plant the most important part of creating excellent tequila?
A. Sorenson: Actually, it’s yeast. Yeast determines the taste and aromatic profile of tequila. Dulce Vida uses a variety of Champaign yeast. When yeast is “happy,” it provides a steady and complete fermentation. We always want happy yeast, so we pamper it with a secret combination (trade secret alert) of nutrients and specific tracks of Mozart (yes – that Mozart). This infusion of nutrients, blended with the works of the prolific composer whose brilliance and maturity of style provides maximized energy as the yeast propagates and converts the sugars into alcohols. By combining our unique approach to open-air fermentation with perfect ambient temperatures, we are able to produce truly extraordinary tequila.
Q. NSIDE: How does a Central Texas-based company producing products in Mexico maintain quality and oversee excellent production standards?
A. Sorenson: It just so happens that one of our founders is none other than master distiller Carlos Jurado, who resides in Guadalajara, Mexico. Carlos translates his abundant experience and skill at determining the ideal separation of the “heart” from the “heads” and “tails” of the distillation process into an art form. Furthermore, our proprietary filtrations provide a clarity to our tequila that is second to none in the industry.
For more information, please visit www.dulcevidaspirits.com.
