Handcrafted Process Great Taste
Hopefully, you’ve had a chance to read about the ingredients that we use for Coyote Gold Margaritas. If not, here is a shortcut to our discussion regarding ingredients. While authentic and all natural describe our ingredients, precise and handcrafted best describe our blending and bottling processes.
We are both electrical engineers with 20 or more years in the integrated circuit industry. We apply the discipline and precision required in engineering to making Coyote Gold Margaritas. From the first margaritas that we experimented with in 1999 to our most recent blends, we are continuously looking for ways to improve our products and processes.
Coyote Gold Margaritas are made in a small factory about 15 minutes from our homes in Fort Collins, CO. From incoming evaluation of ingredients and blending to filling and case boxing, every step of the process in making Coyote Gold Margaritas is completed by hand and either completed or personally supervised by Maureen “Mo” or Randy. Each “small batch” blend is limited to approximately 250 gallons to better control quality.
Upon receipt we inspect and evaluate the ingredients, including tasting the tequila. Key metrics such as alcohol content and density are measured and, if necessary, minor adjustments to the blending recipe are made to ensure consistency from batch to batch.
Each batch is completed or supervised by Maureen “Mo” and/or Randy and is limited in size to approximately 250 gallons to better control quality. We chose to produce our own orange liqueur/triple sec for use in Coyote Gold Margaritas as part of the blending process. The orange liqueur is produced by combining the essence of orange with sugar and a fine American grain sprit that has been distilled six times. All of the ingredients are precisely measured and blended together in one of seven mixing tanks. All of the mixing tanks have been named after famous lovers, real life and fictional: One pair of tanks is named Romeo and Juliet, another pair is Tony and Maria from “West Side Story,” and three tanks are named after Cleopatra, Marcus “Mark” Anthony, and Julius Caesar.
After the blending of the tequila, orange liqueur and other ingredients the tanks are mixed thoroughly. Then the blend is tasted by Mo and Randy and, if approved, allowed to age for a minimum of 24 hours which allows the ingredients to “marry” prior to bottling.
First, each bottle is placed by hand on our semi-automatic labeling machine, labeled and then filled by hand on a 6-head gravity/siphon filler that we affectionately call “Bessy,” since she vaguely resembles a cow with six utters. Bottles are then capped, placed in a case box and prepared for shipment, all by hand. At this point Coyote Gold Margaritas are now ready for you to “Open. Pour. Enjoy!™”