Fortaleza’s legacy dates back to 1873 when Don Cenobio, the great-great-grandfather, established his first distillery, La Perseverancia, in Tequila, Jalisco. Don Cenobio was a trailblazer—he was the first to export “mezcal de tequila” to the U.S., simplify the name to Tequila, introduce steam cooking for agave (replacing earthen pits), and declare that Blue Agave was the best choice for production. Now in its third generation, Don Guillermo revived Destileria La Fortaleza, adhering to traditional methods from over a century ago. They still use a small brick oven to cook the agave, a tahona to extract the juices, wooden fermentation tanks, and the original two copper stills. Their mission remains unchanged: to craft the best tequila possible, sticking faithfully to time-honored practices.