Every great tequila has its story. Discover how the spirits of the past helped us create a tequila for the future.
Maestro Cirilo’s career wasn’t inspired by a taste of phenomenal tequila. Quite the opposite: he had brought a bottle of tequila to a party and it was, in a word, horrendous. It was so fiery, jagged-edged, careless and lazy that it was an injustice to the tequila makers of generations past. All of his friends at the party were drinking brandy, which they saw as exotic because it was made outside Mexico. It was at that moment that Cirilo knew that with a little effort and resourcefulness, he could make a tequila that saluted ancestral traditions, yet wasn’t bound to them.
The first came from two representative Mexican icons: the rooster, a symbol of national pride; and revolutionary Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada.
When Cirilo met a Mexican entrepreneur in 1995, he knew he found a partner who got it, who knew he could take the acoustic hum of generation-old traditions and give it electric surround-sound. Everything he’d learned over the years - all those days spent going through the motions, was simply a means to an end. Cirilo was ready for the ride. Ramòn and Guadalupe could hear that restlessness stirring, so they approached him to give him a spur.
In 1996, Cirilo started building our home, Casa San Nicolás (NOM-1440), to his exact specifications in Los Altos de Jalisco. The natural environment makes it the perfect place to create a tequila that embodies the essence of Mexico’s land and culture. A workshop where art and science exist in harmony, where music plays with purpose, where inspiration is easy to come by. It sits at a high altitude, an indication of the heights to which he could elevate and intensify tradition.
Having learned the ins and outs of making tequila, Cirilo knew to keep the best parts of a longstanding tradition, but to also trust his vision and bring unique, revolutionary ideas to Espolòn. Soon, he was producing tequila that embodied the spirit of Mexico: a rebel spirit full of music, color, pride, and camaraderie.
Espolòn is an exceptional tequila for ordinary people. It salutes the person who always has room for one more at the table, who inspires transformation, and who pours out their passion for all to enjoy. It’s a tequila for everyone. Cirilo named it Espolòn, Spanish for “spur,” to honor his single-minded commitment to real tequila and real Mexican craft – to spur on, ever forward, serenaded by the spirits of the past.
Our Maestro Cirilo passed away in October 2020, leaving a legacy that will live on and be cherished. Just like the memory of countless artists and change-makers throughout Mexico’s history, Cirilo’s game-changing essence inspired a movement. As long as there are people in the world who value change and the bravery that it takes to make something new, the Espolòn community will continue to spur Cirilo’s spirit along and be inspired by it in return.
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