Dos Lunas is a line of 100%
blue agave
''Agave tequilana'', commonly called blue Weber agave () or tequila agave, is an agave plant that is an important economic product of Jalisco state of Mexico, due to its role as the base ingredient of tequila. The high production of agavins (bran ...
tequila
Tequila (; ) is a liquor, distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, Jalisco, Tequila northwest of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Guadalajara, and in the Jaliscan Highlands (''Los Altos (Jal ...
s produced in
Guadalajara
Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...
,
Jalisco
Jalisco, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in western Mexico and is bordered by s ...
,
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
, by Dos Lunas Spirits, LLC, headquartered in
El Paso, Texas
El Paso (; ; or ) is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States. The 2020 United States census, 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the List of ...
. The brand has the first triple-distilled silver tequila, a month aged Reposado, 18 month aged Añejo and 10 year old Extra Añejo.
History
On New Year's Eve 2005, Dos Lunas’ founder, Richard C. Poe II, was at a bar in
Telluride, Colorado
Telluride is the county seat and most populous town of San Miguel County, Colorado, San Miguel County in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Colorado. The town is a former silver mining camp on the San Miguel River (Colorado), San M ...
. After witnessing several patrons order tequila and visibly cringe after tasting it, he had the idea to create a more premium brand of tequila that would taste good be more enjoyable to drink. In 2006, he visited Guadalajara, Mexico and secured a master distiller and began producing Dos Lunas.
Packaging
The bottles used for the Silver, Reposado, and Añejo are made of
frosted glass
Frosted glass is produced by the sandblasting or acid Glass etching, etching of clear sheet glass. This creates a pitted surface on one side of the glass pane and has the effect of rendering the glass translucent by scattering the light which ...
with a small, clear pane in the center which looks onto, respectively, an
agave
''Agave'' (; ; ) is a genus of monocots native to the arid regions of the Americas. The genus is primarily known for its succulent and xerophytic species that typically form large Rosette (botany), rosettes of strong, fleshy leaves.
Many plan ...
plant, tequila barrels, and an agave harvester. The bottles won two silver medals for design at the
San Francisco World Spirits Competition
The San Francisco World Spirits Competition was founded in 2001 by Anthony Dias Blue as an off-shoot of the San Francisco International Wine Competition. It assesses hundreds of entrants annually (1,407 in 2013 from 63 countries) with tastings i ...
in 2007. The Grand Reserve tequila is bottled in the first
Baccarat
Baccarat or baccara (; ) is a card game. It is now mainly played at casinos, but formerly popular at house-parties and private gaming rooms. The game's origins are a mixture of precursors from China, Japan, and Korea, which then gained popularit ...
crystal decanter ever made for tequila.
"Extravagant gifts for your favorite foodie", Jay Cheshes, ''New York Daily News'', December 6, 2007
/ref> The bottles are individually numbered, with 1,000 having been produced.
Production
Dos Lunas Tequila is made from 100% Weber blue agave
''Agave tequilana'', commonly called blue Weber agave () or tequila agave, is an agave plant that is an important economic product of Jalisco state of Mexico, due to its role as the base ingredient of tequila. The high production of agavins (bran ...
which is grown near Zapotlanejo
Zapotlanejo is a town and municipality in the Mexican state of Jalisco.
According to the 2020 census, there were 64,806 inhabitants in the municipality. The municipality has a territorial extension of 718.8 km2.
Toponymy
Zapotlanejo is a h ...
, Jalisco, in the tequila-producing region of Mexico. All-natural fertilizer
A fertilizer or fertiliser is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from liming materials or other non-nutrient soil amendments. Man ...
, and naturally derived yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom (biology), kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are est ...
are utilized, while no added enzyme
An enzyme () is a protein that acts as a biological catalyst by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrate (chemistry), substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different mol ...
s, synthetic anti-bacterial agents, or glycerine
Glycerol () is a simple triol compound. It is a colorless, odorless, sweet-tasting, viscous liquid. The glycerol backbone is found in lipids known as glycerides. It is also widely used as a sweetener in the food industry and as a humectant in ...
are used at any point during the growth, production, or bottling processes. It is also certified Kosher
(also or , ) is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher ( in English, ), from the Ashke ...
.
Dos Lunas Tequila is one of the few brands to avoid the use of off-site bottlers, and instead fills each bottle by hand in the same distillery where the tequila is produced. The bottles are also washed in tequila.
Silver
Dos Lunas Silver was introduced in 2006. The silver is cold-filtered, triple distilled and aged for six days in new white oak
''Quercus'' subgenus ''Quercus'' is one of the two subgenera into which the genus ''Quercus'' was divided in a 2017 classification (the other being subgenus ''Cerris''). It contains about 190 species divided among five sections. It may be calle ...
barrels.
Reposado
Dos Lunas Reposado was also introduced in 2006. The reposado is double distilled and rested for nine months in Tennessee bourbon casks, and in new American white oak barrels. At the end of the nine months, the tequilas from both casks are blended to create an always consistent smooth and mellow taste.
Añejo
Dos Lunas Añejo was introduced in 2008. Like Dos Lunas reposado, it is aged in both Tennessee whiskey
Tennessee Whiskey is straight whiskey produced in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Although it has been legally defined as a bourbon whiskey in some international trade agreements, most current producers of Tennessee Whiskey disclaim references to ...
casks and new American white oak casks, but is aged twice as long, being mixed and bottled after 18 months to create this distinctive sipping tequila.
Extra Añejo
Dos Lunas’ Extra Añejo Grand Reserve is a special edition tequila that was made in limited quantity. 1,000 bottles were produced, out of tequila that had been aged 10 years in Spanish sherry
Sherry ( ) is a fortified wine produced from white grapes grown around the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. Sherry is a drink produced in a variety of styles made primarily from the Palomino grape, ranging from light versio ...
casks.
Awards
Ranked in the Top 10% of Tequilas in each category according to the Beverage Testing Institute (BTI).
Silver
* 2007: Silver Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition
The San Francisco World Spirits Competition was founded in 2001 by Anthony Dias Blue as an off-shoot of the San Francisco International Wine Competition. It assesses hundreds of entrants annually (1,407 in 2013 from 63 countries) with tastings i ...
* 2008: Bronze Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Bronze Medal at the Agave Spirits Challenge in Cancun, Mexico
* 2009: Silver Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Gold Medal at the Beverage Tasting Institute’s International Review of Spirits
* 2010: Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition
* 2011: Silver Medal at the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Competition
* 2012: Gold Medal at the Beverly Hills International Spirits Award
* 2013: Silver Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Silver Medal at the International Spirits Challenge, Platinum Medal at the World Spirits Competition
Total:
* 11 Awards
* 3 Gold
* 5 Silver
* 2 Bronze
* 1 Platinum
Reposado
* Ranked #1 in the world by both the beverage Testing Institute (BTI) and the San Francisco world Spirits Competition two years in a row (2009, 2010)
* 2006: Gold Medal at the Beverage Tasting Institute's International Review of Spirits
* 2007: Silver Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition
* 2008: Bronze Medal at the Los Angeles International Wine and Spirits Competition, Gold Medal at the Beverage Tasting Institute's International Review of Spirits, Silver Medal at the Agave Spirits Challenge in Cancun, Mexico
* 2009: Silver Medal at the Los Angeles International Wine and Spirits Competition, Gold Medal at Beverage Tasting Institute's International Review of Spirits
* 2010: Double Gold Award at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition
* 2011: Silver Medal at the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Competition
* 2012: Gold Medal at the Beverly Hills International Spirits Award
* 2013: Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Bronze Medal at the International Spirits Challenge
Total:
* 12 Awards
* 2 Double Gold
* 4 Gold
* 4 Silver
* 2 Bronze
Añejo
* 2008: Silver Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Silver Medal at the Beverage Tasting Institute's International Review of Spirits, Gold Medal at the Agave Spirits Challenge in Cancun, Mexico
* 2009: Silver medal at the Los Angeles International Wine and Spirits Competition, Gold Medal at the Beverage Tasting Institute's International Review of Spirits
* 2010: Bronze Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition
* 2011: Silver Medal at the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Competition
* 2012: Gold Medal at the Beverly Hills International Spirits Award, Platinum Medal at the World Spirits Competition
* 2013: Silver Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition
Total:
* 10 Awards
* 3 Gold
* 5 Silver
* 1 Bronze
* 1 Platinum
References
External links
*
Interview with founder at Youtube (company posted)
{{Alcoholic beverages
2006 establishments in Mexico
Food and drink companies established in 2006
Mexican brands
Kosher drinks
Tequila
Food and drink companies based in El Paso, Texas