The Tahona Explained: Learn About Tequila’s Iconic 4,000-Pound Agave Crusher

(Photo: Gil Hernandez Valverde)

Few images are quite as iconic within tequila folklore as the tahona. Originated from the Nahuatl word for “wheel,” the term refers to the frightfully heavy volcanic stone disk found in the processing pit at many of Mexico’s best distilleries. Slowly but surely, the slab is pulled in circles, oftentimes by a motor. Beneath it, roasted Blue Weber agave hearts (otherwise known as piñas) are extracted into aromatic juice before being fermented and distilled to perfection.

The process is held in extremely high regard. Fans claim that tahona-crushed tequila is the purest expression of agave spirits, resulting in a liquid chock-full of bright agave, minerality and silky smooth sweetness. Detractors argue… scratch that, no one dares to hate on the tahona.

There are plenty of excellent FAQs breaking down the history and flavor profile of tequila’s most famous wheel. All are worth reading in their own right. However, there’s one important detail that tends to get lost in translation. Contrary to popular belief, the tahona is not a singular technique, nor is it necessarily even an object. The tahona process is used in wildly different ways at various distilleries across Mexico, each of which has put its own twist on the Flinstone-esque hunk of absolute smothering power.

In lieu of the typical point-by-point explanation, let’s take a look at three iconic tequila distilleries that exemplify everything the tahona has to offer — grinding gears, tired mules and all.

1. Volcan de Mi Tierra – First Press

On paper, Volcan de Mi Tierra is anything but old school. The additive-free tequila maker was launched in 2017 in partnership with LVMH, the French luxury conglomerate famous for brands such as Hennessy and Moët & Chandon. It should come as no surprise, then, that Volcan was outfitted with every bell and whistle necessary to make top-tier spirits. An award-winning combination of highland and lowland agaves, proprietary casks sourced from Missouri wood and, relevant to the topic at hand, a pair of tahonas put to use like no other.

Volcan claims to be one of the only tequila distillers to first-press its agave piñas. This is an important distinction, and the first detail that anyone should understand before picking apart the differences in tahona flavor profiles. At many distilleries, cooked agaves are initially processed through a roller or screw mill that tears fibers into manageable chunks. The heap of pulpy, orangish agave is then tossed into the tahona pit, where juices are further extracted with the aid of that big ol’ volcanic wheel.

Volcan de Mi Tierra does things a little differently. For its Blanco Tahona expression, the brand tosses cooked agave piñas directly into the pit, where they’re slowly crushed somewhere between 20 and 40 times. The tahona has to work a lot harder to crush its product, and the process is surely far more time-intensive. But CCO Carlos Pechieu says that the attention to craft is worth it, resulting in a spirit richer in local terroir and unmistakable agave flavor.

The Takeaway: If you’re purchasing a bottle of tahona-made tequila, it’s helpful to first research what other extraction methods were used in its production. Tahonas are rarely the sole point of contact. Instead, they’re typically used as one of several tools in a distiller’s repertoire, each of which can imbue differences in the final profile.

2. Siete Leguas – Mule-Drawn

(Photo: Siete Leguas Tequila/Facebook)

Tequila producers are quick to use superlatives. Several brands are alleged to be “the most awarded” on the market. Others have laid claim to inventing the cristalino, añejo and red-wine finished rosa. At the end of the day, most of this is marketing fluff, and it doesn’t make much of a difference when it comes to quality. One thing, however, is for certain: Siete Leguas is the only tequila distiller currently using a mule-drawn tahona.

At the Siete Leguas facility in El Centenario, mules are brought out twice a day (once at 11 a.m. and once at 3 p.m.) to pull an enormous wheel over a pool of mushed agave. Thankfully for the animals, they’re not responsible for the entirety of the brand’s output. The tequila found inside each bottle of Siete Leguas contains a combination of mule-drawn juice produced from El Centinario and conventional roller-mill fare from the producer’s other facility, Fabrica La Vencedora. The final blend is rich in black pepper, tilled earth and signature citrus flavors.

Are mule-drawn tahonas a gimmick? By and large, no. Though Siete Leguas is the only tequila distillery rolling with the technique in 2025, mules are still commonly found at mezcal palenques dotted through Oaxaca and beyond. Keep in mind that most mezcal distilleries are small, family-owned affairs, making use of locally harvested agaves and whatever other tools exist on hand. In some cases, mules can even be seen as a sign of modernity. Eschewing tahonas altogether, Paquera’s recent Cuishe expression made use of agaves hand-crushed by a mallet.

The Takeaway: Truly old-school production techniques are still alive and well throughout the agave spirits world. Though it’s difficult to find in tequila, brands like Siete Leguas have made a point to maintain the tradition. For the best taste of slowly churned, mule-drawn tahona flavor, mezcal remains the best place to look.

3. El Pandillo – The ‘Felipenstein’

(Photo: Destileria el Pandillo/Facebook)

On the polar opposite end of the spectrum from Siete Leguas lies El Pandillo, the highlands distillery famous for cult favorites like G4, Volans and Nobleza 33. There isn’t a mule in sight. Rather, master distiller Felipe Camarena makes use of a specially built, mechanized tahona known among tequila fans as the Felipenstein.

The 19,000-pound steel monstrosity was created by Camarena using a repurposed steamroller. Larger, more efficient and easier to clean than a typical volcanic wheel, the Felipenstein is pulled back and forth over a rectangular pit of cooked agave. It’s powerful enough to process all the tequila produced at El Pandillo. That is, after the piñas have been shredded through a repurposed semi tractor-trailer/railroad car part machine known as “Igor.” (No one would deny that Camarena has a flair for the dramatic.)

Whether or not the Felipenstein qualifies as a tahona is up for debate. In the strictest sense of the word, it certainly doesn’t. But the spirit of meticulously crushed agave is nonetheless alive in Camarena’s contraption, so much so that a similar machine was recently built at the equally excellent Tequila Ocho. We welcome the change of pace — as long as the tequila remains as excellent as ever.

The Takeaway: The definition of a tahona can vary a whole lot depending on who you ask. As the technique gains popularity, distillers have begun to put high-tech twists on the once down-to-earth process. Whether it’s made from steel or stone, the key indicator of a tahona is that it crushes, not shreds, its agave.