It’s impossible to understand Tequila without understanding the geography and multilayered history and culture of Mexico; from the ancient civilizations to the European colonies, few spirits have as intricate relationship with its roots and history. What makes Tequila unique is its raw material; the agave or maguey is a plant with millions of years of evolution, cultivated and highly venerated in Mexico for thousands of years. It’s one of the most biodiverse families of plants with multiple species and innumerable varieties from which a great number of products have been produced; ropes, textiles, fibers, bricks, medicine, beverages and of course, the great mezcals, the spirits of Mexico.

Mezcal is produced all over Mexico, under every climate imaginable, making it the most diverse spirit with the richest tapestry of flavors and aromas. Two small regions in the state of Jalisco in western Mexico, the valleys of Te quila and the Highlands of Jalisco, are home to the most famous of mezcals: Vino de Mezcal de Tequila or as we now call it, Tequila.

Don Fulano is the product of the Fonseca family, five generation agave farmers and distillers. Their story begins in the town of Atotonilco in the Highlands of Jalisco - home to some of the most respected tequilas where their great grandfathers started cultivating agave 140 years ago. Descendants of a Portuguese immigrant, the Fonseca’s became well known farmers owning the main bodega in the heart of town where they traded with the essentials.

In the late 1800s, they started planting agave to supply the first tequila distillers that established in the region and with the years, their love for agave kept their state growing to become major agave farmers in the state of Jalisco, suppling agave to some of the top tequila distillers of the time, both in the highlands as in the valleys.

Since the 1970s, the family started entertaining the idea of building a distillery of their own. But it didn’t happen until the mid-80s, when yet another agave shortage hit the tequila industry causing the price to skyrocket and a small group of tequileros trying to control the price pressured farmers to sell cheap or lose their crops.

This led many farmers to go out of business, but the family didn’t fall to the game and decided to accelerate their plans to become distillers, instead of building a new distillery however they decided to look for one willing to sell; it was a risky move and time was pressing, but in a stroke of good luck they negotiated the legendary La Tequileña distillery (NOM 1146) in the heart of Tequila town; a distillery with over a hundred years and a beautiful history of its own. This was a big score for the family, but little did they know of the challenges that lay ahead.

Knowing much about farming agave yet little about making tequila, Enrique Fonseca realized he wasn’t quite ready to run a distillery as he first thought and had not much support from his peers. So having learned as much as he could in Mexico and with great determination, he packed his bags and flew to Europe where he was surprised at the willingness of the distillers he met; in France he learned the importance of the wine to make a spirit, in Scotland he learned much about distillation and different kinds of stills to create different profiles. He fell in love with the magic of maturation; the patience needed for spirits to achieve its full expression, the layering of flavors by marrying different batches over time, the importance of sourcing the right casks. Most of these technics were unheard of in tequila-making. He understood that having the greatest raw material to make a spirit had made tequileros conform, not seeing the need to explore the subtleties of ageing, maturation and blending. “But what if we play with all of this on top of the natural richness of the agave?” Knowledge came drop by drop, it was a long and challenging adventure, full of mistakes, but in the end, it paid off.

Don Fulano is the result of a deep dive into the elements that make tequila one of the greatest spirits, distilled into a product over decades of trial and error by Enrique and Sergio who are 4th and 5th generation agave growers and 30+ year distillers. It’s born from the desire to achieve a product that is at the same time artisanal, terroir driven, with all the complexities of a natural, authentic tequila, but also with the structure, ele gance, and sophistication of a world class spirit. This results from conscious agricultural practice - growing and harvesting agaves specifically to make rich and complex tequilas that honor its natural gifts - and the craft and patience of natural process that enables such tequilas to flourish and achieve its utmost in maturation and profile.

Don Fulano uses fermentations with and without bagasse, distillation in copper alembics for depth and agave character as well as an experimental copper Coffey still for structure and elegance, exclusive maturation in French limousine and Nevers casks that previously held wines from Burgundy, the Loire and Bor deaux. It is made exclusively with three ingredients: estate-grown, hand selected Maduro and Pinto agave, proprietary yeast, and natural volcanic water; unfiltered, untouched, and free of additives. Don Fulano has been recognized around the world for its quality and positioned La Tequileña Distillery (NOM 1146) in the global map as one of the most respected tequila distilleries.

Don Fulano is a playful, even contradictory name. From tequila history we take the DON, the respectful, the wise. In the past, tequilas carried the name of the maker, usually a respected individual immensely proud of its product, and name. Socrates said that he who knows doesn't say and he who says usually doesn’t know. With FULANO we play with the enigmatic, the mysterious - not the famous, public, or popular – but the unknown, from whom rumors are heard but few really know.