🥃 Olmeca
Olmeca is a Mexican tequila brand of Pernod Ricard. According to the producer, a mixto tequila (at least 51% agave sugars) whose first distillery opened in 1967 in Tequila, Jalisco; Los Altos distillery since 1990.
Olmeca is a Mexican tequila brand that belongs to Pernod Ricard. According to the producer, it was born in 1967, when its first distillery opened in the town of Tequila in Jalisco; in 1990 a new distillery opened in Los Altos, in the Jalisco highlands. Its main lines are Olmeca Silver, Reposado, Chocolate and Gold, and a separate line is Altos.
History. According to the producer, Olmeca Gold and Olmeca Reposado appeared in 2002 and Olmeca Dark Chocolate in 2007. The producer credits Jesús Hernández with perfecting its recipes from 1997, and dates the redesigned bottle to 2022.
How it is made. According to the producer, Olmeca is a mixto tequila: at least 51% of the sugars come from agave and the rest from other sources. The agave is harvested after 6 to 8 years, cooked, crushed in a roller mill, fermented with the producer’s own yeast and distilled in column stills. Olmeca Reposado is aged in vintage bourbon barrels. The Altos line, according to its own website, is made from 100% blue agave in the Jalisco highlands and comes as Plata, Reposado and Añejo.
Law. Tequila is a protected appellation of origin declared in Mexico on 9 December 1974. According to the Consejo Regulador del Tequila, it covers 181 municipalities in five states, and blue Weber agave is the only agave species allowed for tequila.
Why this matters to you. Olmeca is a mixto, while Altos is made from 100% blue agave, so check the label of the bottle you buy. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | 1967 (first distillery in Tequila, Jalisco); Los Altos distillery from 1990 (according to the producer) |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Appellation of origin “Tequila” (declared 9 December 1974) |
| Raw material | blue Weber agave; Olmeca is a mixto (at least 51% agave sugars); Altos — 100% blue agave |
| Distillation method | column stills (Olmeca, according to the producer) |
| Cask type | Olmeca Reposado — vintage bourbon barrels (according to the producer) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Olmeca → kind of → 🌵 Agave: tequila and mezcal → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Previous step
- 🥃 Pernod Ricard
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel, 🐝 American white oak
- Made from
- 🥃 Blue agave
- What it contains
- 🧪 Water, 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Mexicans
- Part of
- 🌵 Tequila, 🌵 Agave: tequila and mezcal
- Related to
- 🌍 Latin America
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Tequila 100% agave (100% de agave), 🥃 Patrón, 🥃 Don Julio, 🥃 Sauza Gold
Frequently asked questions
Is Olmeca tequila 100% agave?
Not the main Olmeca lines. According to the producer, Olmeca is a mixto: at least 51% of its sugars come from agave. The Altos line is made from 100% blue agave, according to its website.
What is the difference between Olmeca and Olmeca Altos?
Olmeca (Silver, Reposado, Chocolate, Gold) is a mixto tequila. Altos, with its own website, is made from 100% blue agave in the Jalisco highlands and comes as Plata, Reposado and Añejo.
Who owns Olmeca and where is it made?
Pernod Ricard. According to the producer, the first distillery opened in 1967 in the town of Tequila, Jalisco, and a new one opened in 1990 in Los Altos, in the Jalisco highlands.
How is Olmeca Reposado aged?
In vintage bourbon barrels, according to the producer.
What is a mixto tequila?
A tequila in which at least 51% of the sugars come from agave and the rest from other sources. Tequila is a protected appellation of origin; blue Weber agave is the only agave species allowed.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden vessel made of oak staves in which wine matures, picks up new aromas and slowly takes in air.
- 🧪 Water — ~87% of milk.
- 🐝 American white oak — A North American oak that gives wine strong vanilla and coconut notes.
Similar
🥃 Herradura · 🥃 Sauza · 🥃 Don Julio · 🥃 Casamigos · 🥃 Patrón · 🥃 1800 Tequila
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
What it includes
Sources
- Olmeca (producer, Pernod Ricard): Our Story (1967 first distillery in Tequila, Jalisco; 1990 Los Altos; mixto at least 51 % agave sugars; roller mill, column stills; Reposado in bourbon barrels; Gold and Reposado 2002, Dark Chocolate 2007)
- Altos (Olmeca Altos, producer): About Altos (100 % blue agave, Jalisco highlands; Plata, Reposado, Añejo)
- Consejo Regulador del Tequila: Denominación de Origen (181 municipalities, 5 states; declaration 09.12.1974; blue Weber agave the only species allowed)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)