I first had LALO at Suerte in Austin, Texas, at the strong recommendation of the waiter. This was several years ago, and it was a new staff favorite. I was having a long overdue dinner with the lovely Chase Jarvis and his even lovelier wife, and we ended up drinking and talking for hours upon hours. I assumed my next day would be a total write-off, as would usually be the case with that much booze. I was shocked to wake up with no hangover, and LALO has been my go-to tequila ever since. The morning after this week’s Random Show with Kevin Rose, he texted me with “Dude, I literally have zero hangover from that tequila. That is amazing!” Of course, your mileage may vary, and I drink it on the rocks with soda and lime or as a fresh-squeezed paloma, but it still surprises me every time.
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LALO is a rare additive-free tequila, and the maestro tequilero behind it, instead of harvesting immature plants and relying on barrels or added sugars, patiently waits for the plants to reach full maturity, which naturally creates their signature clean flavor profile. Lalo, one of the three co-founders and the aforementioned tequilero, is the grandson of Don Julio González of “Don Julio” fame. LALO is also one of the few Mexican majority-owned tequila brands found in the US.
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Perhaps 18 months ago, a good friend reached out with “I know you’ve mentioned LALO tequila before. Would you have any interest in investing in them?” It turned out that the CEO of LALO had officiated his wedding! Small world. And that is how LALO became my one and only investment in spirits. It’s beautiful when things come together like that.