When we set out for Casa Herradura in Amatitán, Mexico, we weren’t sure what to expect. So we tried to be ready for anything. Immediately upon arrival, we were each provided with a shot glass attached to a lanyard. After placing these around our necks, we were introduced to the first of our two tour guides — a male donkey named Cuco. He was fitted with two large barrels of tequila strapped over his back. At that point, we knew the experience was going to be memorable (to say the least).
Throughout the shoot, we immersed ourselves in the time-honored traditions of tequila-making. We witnessed the hard work and passion it takes to transform the agave plant into tequila. We also enjoyed the fruit of that labor.
Little conversation was needed for the documentary-style format we were filming in, and our multi-camera setup enabled us to tell the story from a multitude of angles.
We became part of the Herradura crew, following the jimadors through the fields harvesting agave piñas and capturing their masterful use of a coa to strip away the agave. We filmed both the original factory and the new distillery where the piñas are carefully baked. We watched the open-air fermentation work its magic on the soon-to-be tequila before it is distilled with precision, then allowed to age to perfection. And, best of all, we learned that we love añejo tequila because it is aged in old bourbon barrels (and we do love bourbon).
