TEXAS LIFESTYLE | SIP & SAVOR
Master Distiller Germán González By Sara D’Spain
Germán González wears his signature 13-year-old Panama hat that has a story of its own, and a crisp white guayabera, the look immediately recognizable as his moniker. When we sit down at Bar 1919 in San Antonio, he is delighted to see a bottle of his Tears tequila again; a look on his face like a proud father. Tears has been sold out since immediately after its American debut, and even González doesn’t have access to a single bottle until the next lote, or batch, is opened. When González begins to tell his story, it stretches all the way back to the summers he would spend on his family ranch in Tamaulipas, Mexico. As a young boy, the ranch was a way to escape life in frenetic Mexico City: a country retreat where González would spend time with his grandfather, former President of Mexico, General Manuel Gonzalez. In 1966, when his father, Guillermo Gonzalez Diaz Lombardo first planted blue agave, the nearly 5,000-acre ranch and distillery became an interest. Before long, though, the young González knew the ranch, and more specifically tequila, would be his future. González tells about his father standing up to the Mexican government’s first formal regulation of distilleries in 1974, winning the right to keep his distillery on the ranch in Tamaulipas as opposed to Jalisco as the government required. His father’s brand, Chinaco, grew popular in Mexico, and in 1983 became the only tequila imported to the United States. Soon, González took over and began to envision the future for his family brand, and in 2003 he decided to move to America in order to understand the way we view and drink tequila. After learning that many Americans had experienced a “bad tequila hangover,” he realized the need for a higher quality tequila here in the states. The result was his T1: Tequila Uno.
52 Texas Lifestyle Magazine
Like his father, González used 100% pure agave azul, which creates a smoother, naturally sweetened tequila. It is the added sugars, says González, that gives you the unpleasant experience (read: miserable hangover). T1 is also distilled traditionally, in scotch whiskey barrels, and aged as an anejo: close to three years. When González speaks of barrels, his eyes light up. To the non-tequila master, a barrel is a barrel. But to González, barrels are everything. “Barrels are like women,” he says. “You never know what’s going to happen.” Aging tequila in scotch whiskey barrels gives it the flavor of the scotch as well as the wood itself. But Tears is different. González chose to use not only scotch whiskey, but also sherry and brandy. Just like his analogy to women, he didn’t know what was going to happen, but he had a feeling it would be worth it. New barrels, offering flavors never before experienced in tequila, and also aged much longer, is what sets Tears apart even from T1. Tears is aged five years, making it an extraño; older than the anejo, which had been the former marker for the longest-aged tequila. It was while vacationing in the Florida Keys that González first shared his plans for this new tequila with his close friends, and incidentally also the story of La Llorona. A childhood tale in Mexico, often used to scare children into behaving properly or going to bed on time, it had a lasting effect on González’s friends, as did the anticipation of his new tequila. It was decided then: Tears of Llorona would be the only fitting name. Tears was launched in three cities in May 2014: San Antonio, San Francisco and Charleston. It sold out within 30 days. The next lote, unveiled in March this year, widens its audience by adding several new cities, including New York and New Orleans. For where to buy Tears of Llorona: tim@gimainternational.com.