Doraville · DeKalb County, GA
La Gritona: the tequila from a woman-led distillery
La Gritona Reposado comes from a small distillery in the Jalisco Highlands owned and run by master distiller Melly Barajas Cárdenas, with a team made up mostly of women. We keep it on the shelf in Doraville at $49.99 in store.
Photo: jose luis Umana / Pexels
On our shelf
The woman behind it
Melly Barajas Cárdenas opened her distillery, Vinos y Licores Azteca, in Valle de Guadalupe, Jalisco, in 1999. She was about 22. She had worked as a teacher and a clothing designer before a conversation with her father sent her into tequila.
She is one of very few women in Jalisco who own a tequila distillery. In 2018 she was counted among only about a dozen female master distillers in all of Mexico. Women work at almost every step of her production, from the agave fields to the stills.
La Gritona is made at her distillery, NOM 1533, with Andy Coronado, a Los Angeles musician who brought the brand to the United States.
The name and the green bottle
La Gritona means "the screamer" in Spanish. It is a name that suits a tequila made by a woman who built her own place in a business run mostly by men.
The green bottle is blown in Mexico from 100% recycled glass. The green comes from the recycled glass itself.
How it is made
It starts with 100% blue Weber agave grown in the red soil of the Jalisco Highlands. The agave is slow-cooked in ovens, crushed, fermented slowly and distilled twice.
Then it rests for about eight months in used American whiskey barrels. Used barrels matter here: new oak would cover the agave, and old barrels add a little softness while letting the agave lead. That is the whole idea of this reposado.
What to expect in the glass
Expect cooked agave first, then a little citrus and black pepper, with a soft vanilla note from the barrel. It is lighter on oak than many reposados, so it drinks closer to a blanco with rounder edges.
Sip it neat or over one big ice cube. It also makes a very good Paloma or a reposado margarita, where the agave still comes through the citrus.
Price, pickup and delivery
La Gritona Reposado is $49.99 in store at 6731 Peachtree Industrial Blvd, Doraville. Order online for pickup, curbside or delivery.
Delivery has a $24.99 minimum order and a $4.99 fee. In Doraville, delivery is free on orders of $49.99 or more, so one bottle of La Gritona ordered online clears it on its own.
Our hours
| Monday | 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM |
| Thursday | 10:00 AM – 11:00 PM |
| Friday | 10:00 AM – 11:00 PM |
| Saturday | 10:00 AM – 11:00 PM |
| Sunday | 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM |
6731 Peachtree Industrial Blvd, Doraville, GA 30360 · (770) 441-0001
Questions
Who makes La Gritona tequila?
Master distiller Melly Barajas Cárdenas makes it at her distillery, Vinos y Licores Azteca (NOM 1533), in Valle de Guadalupe, Jalisco. Her team is made up mostly of women.
What does La Gritona mean?
La Gritona means "the screamer" in Spanish.
How long is La Gritona aged?
La Gritona Reposado rests for about eight months in used American whiskey barrels.
Why is the La Gritona bottle green?
The bottle is blown in Mexico from 100% recycled glass, and the green comes from the glass itself.
Where can I buy La Gritona near Doraville?
Beverage World at 6731 Peachtree Industrial Blvd, Doraville, has La Gritona Reposado at $49.99 in store, with pickup, curbside and delivery from bevworld.com.