Morningside Brands, Inc. announces the launch of Alma del Jaguar Tequila, a handcrafted, 100 percent blue weber agave tequila that is sustainably produced and certified additive free. Alma del Jaguar was developed with the mission to protect wild jaguars in partnership with Master Distiller Sergio Cruz, tequila expert Adam Fodor and the Vivancos, fifth generation tequila family of Arandas, Jalisco, Mexico. The first release, Blanco (SRP $49.99), will be available online nationwide beginning May 3 via seelbachs.

MISSION FIRST

Alma del Jaguar was founded by spirits entrepreneur McCauley Williams, who was inspired by his uncle Rick Williams' commitment to wild jaguar conservation in northern Mexico. A wildlife photographer who moved to Mexico in the '90s to study wild jaguars, Rick co-founded the Northern Jaguar Project (NJP), a bi-national effort between conservationists from the U.S. and Mexico to preserve and recover the world's northernmost population of wild jaguars and their unique habitats. 

The jaguar is the largest cat in the Americas and the third largest cat in the world behind the lion and tiger. Their present range extends from Argentina to Arizona, with increased sightings in the U.S. in recent years. Nevertheless, despite their awesome beauty, jaguars are endangered due to poaching and habitat destruction.

"Jaguars are found throughout Mexico; however, most people do not know that they are also native to the U.S.," says McCauley. "Tequila is one of Mexico's most symbolic exports, and it is now the fastest growing spirit in the U.S. due to recent surges in consumer demand. We want to use our tequila brand, Alma del Jaguar, to do good and inspire change. Therefore, we will donate a percent of our proceeds to conservation groups like NJP. The jaguar is our cause, not our mascot."

EXCEPTIONAL TEQUILA

McCauley and Rick set out to create a tequila that was worthy of their cause. They needed a special producer, one who could make not only great-tasting tequila, but also a tequila that was made using sustainable production practices in line with their conservation mission. Eventually they found the perfect partner in Sergio Vivanco, patriarch of the fifth generation Vivanco tequila family, owners of the highly regarded distillery Feliciano Vivanco y Asociados, S.A. de C.V., better known simply as NOM 1414. 

Sergio's production process holds true to his family's mantra. "True flavor comes from the earth," he says. Alma del Jaguar is crafted using traditional methods designed to respect the agave and the land, using only mature Los Altos agave, brick ovens, roller mill extraction, well water, and copper pot stills. The tequila is bottled unfiltered by hand at the source. Many nuanced steps impact the final flavor, but what truly makes Alma del Jaguar special is that is a blend of two unique tequilas, both produced entirely at NOM 1414. The key difference between the two is their yeast. Eighty percent of the blend is tequila fermented from natural wild yeast, and the remaining 20 percent is tequila fermented from champagne yeast imported from France. This blend allows Alma del Jaguar to pair bolder flavors and complexity from the wild yeast with the sweetness and subtlety from the champagne yeast.

"I could never have created this brand without the genius of Sergio Vivanco, Sergio Cruz, and Adam Fodor," says McCauley. "They are truly remarkable people. The story of Alma del Jaguar is one of collaboration, adventure, and a long series of miraculous coincidences that have unfolded over the last 25-plus years. And it all started with my uncle Rick's passion."

LAND AND LEGACY

The Vivanco estate sits at an elevation of approximately 6,800 feet in the highlands region of Los Altos de Jalisco, which is known for its red, iron-rich soil. There, cool nights, warm days and abundant rainfall help promote sweeter and richer agave. The Vivancos cook the agave piñas in brick ovens for 54 hours and pass them only once through a roller mill. This process ensures the tequila is not bitter and allows for remaining byproduct the plant fibers, to be used as compost and returned to their agave fields as natural fertilizer. Iron-rich mineral water comes from a well on their estate that is approximately 800 feet deep. The Vivancos play classical music to the open-air fermentation tanks to encourage the yeast to "dance." Sergio Vivanco describes this as his "Mozart" method. After fermentation, both tequilas are double distilled in small copper pot stills originating from the town of Santa Clara del Cobre near Pátzcuaro in Michoacán, the source of some of the world's most extraordinary copper.  

COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABILITY

Alma del Jaguar is committed to sustainability throughout its production process, using 100 percent recycled Mexican glass bottles, agave fiber labels, repurposed cork closures and recycled cardboard cartons. These materials are sourced from suppliers within an 85-mile radius of the distillery, reflecting the company's desire to support local businesses.

In advance of the first bottles being sold, the company recently donated approximately $15,000 worth of trail cameras, computer hardware, and work gear to support the biologists and staff of the Northern Jaguar Project and Northern Jaguar Reserve.