THE DISCOVERING OF LASTING TASTE

OUR MASTER DISTILLER

Meet Hector Dávalos, AMAN Tequila’s master distiller. Hector belongs to a tequila-loving family who’s proud of the Mexican traditions and cultures. His father, a Chemical Engineer, was hired by Jorge Nuñez for Tequila El Viejito in 1969, where he worked for 25 years. He helped this brand become the second tequila export in the world and later partnered with Maestro Alcaraz, Master Distiller for Patrón Tequila for 15 years. Hector’s father continues to advise companies in construction and equipment consulting, yeast, and tequila profiles.

Hector’s first contact with tequila factories was at a very early age, during summer vacations, he worked in learning the steps of crafting and creating. By high school, he was counting yeast populations under a microscope, feeding yeast starters, propagating on a laboratory scale, and of course cracking agaves to load autoclaves and ovens. On the weekends he would accompany his father to see the agave plantations as well as the agave orchards, both his family's and those purchased for production.

He joined the Mexican Armed Forces in 1994, as a Cadet in the Air Material Maintenance School, as a Specialist in Aviation Electronics, but he always felt the pull to return home. During breaks, he would travel with his father to Cinco Blancos and Quiote factory where he discovered that the world of Tequila was a passion that moved Hector, but there was something else that moved him even more, although all I ever wanted to do was fly, wanting to help his people was became his focus.

Hector spent the years of study at the Aeronautic College and the few days of summer and winter vacations in the tequila factories. Every vacation cycle he would come home and go to the factories in Tequila to work, and after completing the years in the Air Force, he left and returned to the heritage of his family and the heart of his people, studying for his Tequila Factory's report.

His passion for tequila was such that he never returned to the skies, as his heart took flight through his commitment to Tequila production. From there, Hector became the premier Tequila profiler working in the Bajio factory in Amatitan Jalisco Tequila Las Americas.  He worked on making adjustments in filtration production, integrated several of his ideas and the owner of the factory liked the results and soon began to make adjustments for all its products.  The company grew a lot in a few years and is now considered the best company in the Bajio area in Premium Tequilas.

In the years that followed, Hector began to profile the tequilas by himself because of his father's accident, and the Hotel California brand won a double gold medal in Blanco and a Gold medal in Añejo. In San Francisco Wine Spirits, Calle 23 Tequila was named in France by a very prestigious magazine of that country as the best introduction of that year of alcoholic beverages of all kinds like spirits, wines, and distillates, winning several other awards.

In 2019 Hotel California Añejo was ranked the best Añejo. 

In 2020 Sativo Tequila is ranked the best tequila in the World of all classes. In different zones and different factories. In 2021 Tequila Calle 23 Criollo won the best Tequila.  His grain of sand is small because the hard work is done by other people but we cooperate with what we like the most with passion for our work, respect for our culture, and love for tequila.

“We continue learning with much joy and enthusiasm. I am sure that we will undertake new and different things, we want to do our best in the only way we can do things with love and determination. But there is a concern that remains latent and continues to help those who should recognize the effort to the field to the jimadores and families of workers who are not given the value they deserve.

I have the honor and the fortune to join this great stewardship of project AMAN cooperating with my passion and love for tequila. Behind this beautiful and unique design, poise and elegance, there is a work that undoubtedly makes us existential and unique, representing our colors, customs, and traditions, without a doubt a contribution from our beautiful Mexico.

We are many men and women working and giving our best so that a bottle reaches its destination, our efforts and ways of life transform the elixir of the Tequila gods into liquid. A great project means a great challenge, coupled with all this a contribution to different social causes. I find it exciting to contribute to great causes which makes me proud and makes me get the best of myself.

I thank God and life for meeting Gerardo Madrigal on the way, an exemplary Math professor but a better human being. Tequila AMAN is an example of making an elite product that supports great social causes. Thanks to life. 

Thanks, AMAN.” - Hector Dávalos