Destileria Santanera

As the descendant of a long and storied line of agave producers in Arandas, Jalisco, Pablo Lara grew up surrounded by world-class tequila while intensely feeling the category’s struggles to meet increased demand in responsible ways. To that end, Pablo created Santanera: an independent brand aimed at reviving organic and sustainable farming practices—predominantly lost to the tequila industry—with a deep focus on terroir and the fascinating intricacies of tequila production.

Rather than begin the brand by sourcing or producing tequila, Santanera dedicated years to the spirit’s raw ingredient: agave. A talented and accomplished student of sustainability, botany, and tequila, Pablo established fifty hectares of certified organic agricultural space, spread across 13 parcels. Pushing for greater transparency in the agriculture of the tequila industry, Santanera emphasizes agave grown from seed rather than cloning, and encourages biodiversity and pollination in their fields. As producers, they engage with various certifying processes, and Kosher certification is the starting point for the core line.

While Santanera is currently distilled at like-minded fabricas (specifically Tres Mujeres and Cascahuín) in Los Valles, Pablo helms production and keeps the process entirely separate from the rest of the distilleries’ work (even installing unique fermenters and pot stills on-site that are used only for Santanera’s production). In 2025, construction will be completed on Santanera’s own distillery.