Alberto Navarro is the kind of tequila maestro who makes you lean in a little closer when he talks about his craft—and the passion behind it is impossible to miss. As the visionary Maestro Tequilero behind Loco Tequila, Alberto carries the weight of centuries-old Mexican traditions with a rare, modern twist that elevates every bottle to an art form.
Alberto Navarro and Loco Tequila History
Loco Tequila officially launched in 2019, marking its entry into the ultra-premium tequila category with a bold vision to blend global cultures and elevate traditional tequila craftsmanship.
The brand was born from the shared vision of artisans who wanted to create a tequila that celebrates the rich heritage of Mexico while embracing modern luxury and global influences. The brand uses the word “loco” as an homage to innovators and forward-thinkers who are considered “crazy” geniuses for their bold ideas and passion.
After extensive development and barrel aging, Loco Tequila debuted with its flagship Blanco and Reposado. Later, Loco Tequila expanded its line with additional aged expressions. Most recently its expansion into the US market – Texas and California to be exact.
The Process
Navarro’s approach blends historic techniques with a fearless embrace of experimentation — he’s brought ancestral yeast strains back to life in 200-year-old wooden tanks at Hacienda La Providencia and takes great care in every field-to-bottle step. I’m new to the tequila process, so bear with me on the description. His process includes a rare “double jima” agave shaving, copper pot still distillation, and a dedication to purity standards.
The agaves are slow-cooked for almost three days in traditional ovens using pure water from the nearby Bosque de la Primavera forest, which infuses the agave with subtle mineral and volcanic notes. This careful slow roasting transforms starches into fermentable sugars without the harshness of modern autoclave cooking methods used by many brands. And we tried a few that I considered “higher end”. I was blown away by the difference.
After cooking, the agave is crushed using a combination of a traditional stone mill (tahona) and a small roller mill. This dual method helps extract a broad spectrum of agave flavors and aromas, from the juice alone and from agave fibers.
Fermentation is complex. He uses a blend of fermentation vessels—including wooden tanks restored from historic Hacienda La Providencia facilities, along with cement and steel tanks. The wooden vats contribute native yeast strains over 100 years old, revived by Navarro, which impart distinctive character and depth to the spirit.
Distillation is done in small batch copper pot stills with a strong emphasis on purity. Navarro and his team discard a larger portion of the “heads and tails” than is typical in the tequila industry, ensuring only the purest “heart” cut is kept for the highest quality. Notably, for their most premium expressions, heads and tails are not reused, a highly unusual practice in spirits production.
Loco Tequila contains no additives at any stage. The entire process is about preserving the purest expression of terroir and agave flavor, resulting in a complex, and elegant tequila imbued with the unique natural characteristics of the El Arenal region.
The Product and Experience
Loco Tequila is Navarro’s ode to terroir — expressing the volcanic clay soils, high valley elevation, and centuries-old agave landscape of El Arenal, Jalisco. Every sip is clean, additive-free, elegant, and intensely complex, thanks to Navarro’s devotion to letting authentic agave flavor shine. The barrels used for aging are a tapestry of global history: ex-Irish whiskey, Pedro Ximénez sherry, Oporto port, and new French oak, yielding a reposado with near-añejo richness.
Navarro’s approach is as hands-on as it gets. His obsession with pureness means he discards more “heads and tails” from each distillation batch than most in the industry—sacrificing quantity for quality in a way that makes every sip unforgettable. But Alberto isn’t just a craftsman—he’s a storyteller. His deep respect for the terroir of El Arenal, his reverence for traditional manual “double jima” agave shaving, and his use of copper pot stills all come together in a narrative that speaks of place, culture, and heart.
This deep commitment to artisanal methods and transparency, combining centuries-old tradition with precise craftsmanship, is what truly sets Loco Tequila apart.
