Juan Hussong was first lured to Ensenada by the discovery of gold south of the border, but it was a form of “liquid gold” that would lead him to his fame and fortune. After a carriage accident left him with a broken leg, he was brought to an Ensenada cantina to recuperate. In short order, the cantina’s owner attacked his own wife with an axe and was briefly jailed and released. He took off to California in search of his wife (who had fled, understandably), and he asked Juan Hussong to look after the bar for him while he was gone. Neither the original owner nor his wife were ever to be heard from again.
The cantina was reborn as Hussong’s Cantina in 1892 and soon became famed for the handmade tequila made by Juan himself. Its reputation grew with the unconfirmed but widely repeated rumor that the “Margarita” cocktail was first created there by a Hussong’s bartender in honor of Margarita Henkel, the visiting daughter of the German ambassador to Mexico.
Over the years, Hussong’s has become a must-stop for anyone visiting the Baja. It occupies the very same building in which it was founded, and Juan’s grandson Ricardo Hussong has expanded the family legacy to include a second location in Las Vegas.
Hussong’s Tequila has a delicate aroma and a smooth, rich flavor. It is hand-bottled in clay jugs and cork-sealed to protect its remarkable taste and put the spirit of the Baja in every jug.
Hussong’s Reposado
Hussong’s Reposado Tequila is a 100% agave tequila that has been aged 5 months in bourbon barrels to give it a complex flavor and delicate aroma.
Hussong’s Platinum
Hussong’s Añejo Tequila is the perfect combination of age and beauty. Aged in bourbon barrels for 15 months and then filtered to give it a crystal clear appearance.
Hussong’s Reposado
Hussong’s Reposado Tequila is a 100% agave tequila that has been aged 5 months in bourbon barrels to give it a complex flavor and delicate aroma.
Hussong’s Platinum
Hussong’s Añejo Tequila is the perfect combination of age and beauty. Aged in bourbon barrels for 15 months and then filtered to give it a crystal clear appearance.
Step 1: Harvesting
Harvesting It all begins with the agave plant. After being grown for several years, the agave is harvested by a jimador using a sharp bladed Coa. The jimador will trim the 200+ leaves that protect the heart of the agave (piña) to extract it from the ground.
The piña is the only part of the plant that is used in the making of tequila.
Step 2: Cooking & Extraction
The piñas are shredded and cooked to allow for the extraction of fermentable sugars from the agave hearts. The piña fibers are then strained and separated from the juices needed for fermentation.
Approximately 15 pounds of piña are needed to produce one liter of tequila.
Step 3: Fermentation
During the fermentation process, the extracted sugars are transformed into alcohol. Yeast is added to accelerate and control the process. Fermentation typically takes seven to twelve days. /p>
The fermented mixture is then pumped into the still, where the distillation process can begin.
Step 4: Distilling
Tequila is distilled in stainless steel stills, and goes through the distilling process twice.
The first distillation yields an alcohol that is approximately 40 proof, and the second distillation increases it to around 110 proof.
Step 5: Aging
Aging Many people don’t realize that tequila is a distilled spirit that needs to be aged. But it’s true!
Hussong’s Tequila is aged in oak barrels that were previously used for aging bourbon. Our Reposado is aged for 5 months, while our Platinum Añejo is aged for 15 months then filtered to give it its crystal clear appearance.
Step 6: Bottling
Hussong’s Tequila is hand-bottled in clay jugs and then cork-sealed to protect its remarkable taste.
This process allows us to capture the spirit of the Baja in every jug!
AllReposadoPlatinum
Mexican Mule
1.5 oz Hussong’s Platinum Tequila
0.5 oz Fresh Lime Juice
2 Orange Wedges (squeeze and drop)
In a copper mug, combine the above ingredients over ice. Top off with 2 oz Ginger Beer. Garnish with a lime wheel.
Paloma
1.5 oz Hussong’s Platinum Tequila
1.0 oz Grapefruit Juice
0.5 oz Fresh Lime Juice
0.5 oz Simple Syrup
Shake above ingredients with ice, top off with 1 oz of lemon-lime soda. Garnish with a lime.
Neat
1.5 oz Hussong’s Platinum Tequila
Serve in a snifter, optional lime wedge garnish.
Mexican Mojito
1.5 oz Hussong’s Platinum Tequila
1.0 oz Strawberry Purée
0.5 oz Fresh Lime Juice
6 Mint Leaves
Shake above ingredients, pour over ice, top off with 2 oz club soda. Garnish with a strawberry and a mint sprig.
Margarita
Served frozen or on the rocks, the Margarita is one of the most popular cocktails of all time. Legend has it that the Margarita was first created by a Hussong’s Cantina bartender when Margarita Henkel, the daughter of the German ambassador to Mexico, visited the bar.
1.5 oz Hussong’s Platinum Tequila
1.5 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1.0 oz Agave Nectar
0.5 oz Orange Juice
Shake above ingredients with ice, serve in a highball glass with salted rim. Garnish with a lime.
Cosmo Rita
1.5 oz Hussong’s Platinum Tequila
0.5 oz Triple Sec
1.0 oz Cranberry Juice
Shake above ingredients with ice, strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lime.
Tequila stirs up strong feelings in people, and not always good ones. Memories of cheap shots and terrible hangovers. Of salty licks and lime chasers. Of worms floating in bottles. For many people, the only look they’ll take at a tequila is in the rearview mirror. Once burned, forever shy. But a spirit shouldn’t be judged on its (mostly) undeserved reputation. A finely made tequila can be as exquisite as its “liquid gold” distinction would suggest.
Hussong’s Reposado and Añejo Tequilas are made of 100% agave and distilled for a smooth and complex flavor. Mellow and mild, with just a hint of the bite that you love. Less spring break, more sophistication. So make your way back to tequila. Pick up a bottle of Hussong’s Tequila and Expand Your Borders!