Cult-Favorite Tequila Ocho Returns to its Original Distillery to Meet Rising Demand

(Photo: Tequila Ocho)

On Tuesday, cult-favorite agave brand Tequila Ocho announced that it will be splitting production between two distilleries: its recently constructed Tequilera Los Alambiques and its original home base of La Alteña. The move is sure to draw interest from spirits enthusiasts, many of whom rank the respective facilities among the best in Mexico.

Master distiller Carlos Camarena says that La Alteña will expand, not replace Los Alambiques’ production of Tequila Ocho, as the brand aims to increase output while maintaining its “legendarily high standards.”

Founded in 2007 by Camarena and the late Tomas Estes, Tequila Ocho was originally distilled at La Alteña alongside the equally beloved El Tesoro and Tapatio. In 2022, the brand moved 15 minutes down the road to Los Alambiques, a glittering new facility that (ironically, in hindsight) was built to accommodate growing demand.

Visiting the distillery in April, we noted that Los Alambiques is as much a production facility as it is a tourism hub. The grounds boast an impressive view of the surrounding fields and an on-site restaurant complete with regional specialties. In all likelihood, Los Alambiques will remain the face of all things Tequila Ocho from here on out.

“When Tom and I started this company almost two decades ago as an experiment to prove terroir exists in spirits just as it does in wine, we never could have imagined the response would be this overwhelmingly positive,” Carlos Camarena remarked in a news release. “Put plainly, increasing production without compromising standards will give more people the opportunity to fall in love with Tequila Ocho and fully understand the beauty of the agave and the power of this incredible land. What better place to do it than where it all started?”

La Alteña is currently run by Carlos’ sister, Jenny Camarena, who took on the role of master distiller in April. The first bottling released under her oversight was a collaboration between El Tesoro and Yamazaki Single Malt, an añejo that’s sure to make an appearance in our top 10 tequilas of the year.

Tequila Ocho says that it will assign staff from Los Alambiques to similar roles at La Alteña, where they will oversee select vintages of Ocho at various times throughout the year. Much as Tequila Ocho labels its bottlings with respect to specific agave fields, it’s easy to imagine that a “Los Alambiques” versus “La Alteña” label will command a certain allure among spirits collectors.