Planting, tending and harvesting Agave

The planting, tending and harvesting of the agave plant remains a manual effort that relies on centuries-old know how that has been passed down from generation to generation. The blue agave used in Agavales Tequila is grown in the distillery’s own fields which have been cultivated for many generations. The plants grow for six to ten years and are meticulously tended and nurtured until they are perfectly ripe and ready to harvest. The harvester, or “Jimador” removes the agave leaves with a sharp curved tool called a Coa. He trims the leaves that protect the heart (or piña) of the agave until the whole heart is extracted from the ground. Only the heart of the agave plant is used to make tequila. Mature piñas weigh in between 80-300 pounds. However, the most important factor about the agave heart is the sugar content, not the size. The older the agave plant, the more time the piña will have to accumulate the starches that will convert into fermentable sugars. To produce one liter of delicious Agavales Tequila, about 15 pounds of agave piñas are needed.