Here I saw the traditional method of crushing the baked agave by use of the tahona wheel. It takes two hours of non-stop labor for the giant stone wheel and one man armed with a hoe-like tool to properly grind one ton of agave in preparation for the distilling process. In the background the modern process of a series of conveyer belts with mechanized crushing tools processes agave used for the distilleries other tequilas including the popular Olmeca brand. The difference in the final spirit between these two methods is significant and the time and effort is certainly worth every drop.
Tahona Wheel- Tezón
Tequila Tezón
The tahona wheel and one man work for 2 hours to mash only one ton of baked agave in preparation for Tequila Tezón.
Photo Credit: ©2006 Colleen Graham licensed to About.com