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Organic honey water without the hangover

Field worker José Manuel holds "baby" agave plants that will be replanted before they're harvested to make tequila.

Photo: Michael Shapiro

At daybreak in the Mexican state of Jalisco, the fields of thorny blue-green spikes of the cactus-like agave plant look resplendent. But they don’t look tidy. Ribbons of leafcutter ants, luxuriant grasses and weeds fill the spaces between the rows of agave. Why isn’t the source of 4 Copas (“Quatro Copas” in Mexico) tequila as neatly groomed as other agave plantations? Because it’s organic. “What do you want, agaves for pictures or healthy agaves?” asks Jorge Altamirano, who ensures 4 Copas’s fields and distillery comply with organic standards. He adds the company’s goal is to instill an “organic conscience” in producers.

Taking a break from slicing the spikes off the agaves to prepare them for harvesting, field worker José Manuel Romero says, in Spanish, “I like working in an organic field. I used to work with strong pesticides, but now I feel better.” Asked how old he is, Romero laughs and says, “Thirty-six, and I want to live more!”

Hector Galindo, 4 Copas’ president and industry veteran, founded the ­company to make premium 100-percent-agave tequila as tasty as any conventional brand. He succeeded: Wine & Spirits magazine named 4 Copas one of its Best Spirits of 2006. And 4 Copas, sold by Beverages & More and other liquor stores in the western U.S. and some East Coast locations has become popular among L.A. celebrities, too.

On a recent visit to Jalisco, I followed the creation of tequila from the fields, where the 60 to 200-pound agave heads (akin to gigantic yams) are harvested, to the ovens, where they’re roasted for 36 hours. This is longer than some ­conventional brands, Galindo says, but vale la pena—“worth it.” Cooking releases the agua miel (“honey water”) distilled into tequila. Rather than using bread or beer yeast, the leavening agent is organically derived from the agave plant. Then some of the tequila is aged in oak barrels—from Jack Daniel’s, where they’re only used once—imparting a mild oak flavor and a bit of color to the reposado (aged two months to a year) and añejo (aged one to three years) tequilas.

Yet producing the tequila isn’t just about keeping it organic, but helping the community, Galindo says. The company hires only in the local El Arenal area, and its colorful bottles are hand blown in Jalisco workshops, which feature art by acclaimed Mexican painters.

Galindo is paying double the price of conventional agaves for organic agaves and helping producers get United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) certification. The firm is also developing biogas systems to cut down on diesel, and converting excess agave fibers into organic compost. By making premium tequila, high in organic acids and low in esters (a by-product of alcohol production), Galindo says, the after-effects are minimal. A worker concurs: “You can drink a whole bottle and feel fine the next day!” It makes sense, since 4 Copas’ name derives from a Mexican expression: When you share four cups with someone, you become friends for life.