Karma's Process

Our own special blend

Distilled from Agave succulents raised in soil ground from Mayan pyramids, watered by monsoons from the Himalayan highlands, and bathed in a dazzling array of tungsten and daylight bulbs from every major Hollywood studio. Just kidding. But it sure tastes like it. Here’s the real story:

Our Distillery

Tucked away in the town of Atotonilco on a hillside in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico sits the El Viejito distillery and farm. Founded in 1963 by the Nuñez family, and currently operated by its generous and wise patriarch, Juan, El Viejito (meaning “Little Old Man”) has been growing and harvesting the famed blue agave succulent–the plant which has made Jalisco famous the world over–for decades. It is here that our founders knew they had discovered the perfect farm for Karma Tequila.

How Good Karma is Made

When cultivated and distilled expertly, tequila can be as nuanced and elegant as the finest French wines and the most sought-after scotches, and at Karma our commitment to craft shows in each bottle we produce. We grow our blue agave plants to full maturity in the prized volcanic highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, carefully harvest and cut each plant to remove bitterness, and painstakingly distill, age, and bottle each batch to ensure the highest quality tequila.

From Farm to Fruition

As Bordeaux is to wine so is Jalisco to tequila. The State of Jalisco in Mexico is one of only five regions exclusively authorized by the Mexican government to produce tequila and it is here where you’ll find the fields where Karma is cultivated. The reddish clay soil blanketing this rolling terrain is enriched with minerals like iron and basalt, which are essential for blue agave to thrive. Coupled with the low rainfall in the highlands, this ideal earth encourages the agave roots to work harder at absorbing water, forcing the plants to extract crucial minerals from the soil.

Once our plants are independently matured between 7-10 years, they are manually harvested and thoroughly inspected by our expert agave farmers, known as Jimadores. All of these conditions are perfectly aligned to yield a larger, sweeter piña, the precious agave heart that imparts Karma Tequila’s exceptional characteristics and flavor.

Into the Oven

Once the piñas arrive at our distillery the Jimadores cut them into quarters and carefully remove the root to guarantee even baking and eliminate bitterness. Slow-cooking the piñas for up to 24 hours at a constant temperature in a traditional brick oven softens the hearts and enhances their sugar content for the upcoming fermentation process. After baking, the pinas are left to cool for another 24 hours before they are pressed and their honey-like juices are extracted.

Ferment and Finalize

Over the next 40 – 48 hours, this liquid, called musto, is fermented, a process by which the sugars are converted into alcohol. It is during fermentation that we add our family secret yeast mixture to each batch, which accelerates and controls the process to produce a raw, high-quality spirit.

Distill and Chill

A double-distillation process purifies the raw liquid that results from fermentation. When the second distillation is complete, potent, high-proof tequila emerges. Most tequila on the market is simply double distilled, but we take distillation a step further by blending double and triple-distilled tequila. This exacting technique removes any impurities that might still exist, giving Karma Tequila its velvety finish but preserving its complex bouquet of flavors.

Age to Perfection

As it is with fine wines, aging is the key to Karma Tequila’s luminous color and luxurious taste. Karma Tequila Reposado rests for a full 364 days, while Karma Tequila Añejo is aged for up to 35 months. Stored in a cool bodega inside of small, charred oak barrels, our reposado and anejo tequilas are revered for their supreme smoothness and delicious finish.