Jorge Martínez Cano
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By Alfredo Espinola
In the world of tequila, where tradition, science, and national pride are distilled into every drop, there are names that not only produce but transform. One of them is that of master Jorge Martínez Cano, a key figure in the modern history of this drink, which is much more than a spirit: it is a symbol, a culture, and a territory.
Graduating as a Pharmaceutical Biologist from the University of Guadalajara in 1987, Jorge has dedicated 38 years to the tequila industry. From his first job at a distillery in Tototlán to leading key areas in production, quality control, and plant design at companies such as Tequila Cuervo, Tequileña, and Selecto de Amatitlán, his story is one of alchemy, technical rigor, and a deep love for agave.
But his true revolution came out of necessity. “There were no books, no information. Research was the only way to do my job,” he recalls. In the absence of technical references, Jorge set out to create his own. That pioneering research led him years later to write El Tequila: Historia, Elaboración y Control (Tequila: History, Production, and Control), a reference work for technicians, students, and producers.
Today, in his role as co-owner of Tequilera Pochteca and founder of the International College of Tequila Technicians and Masters (CITEMATEQ), Jorge continues his crusade: to professionalize the industry, rescue its essence, and pave the way for new generations.
"Making tequila is not an art, it's a science. But if you combine science and passion, you have an unstoppable force," he says with conviction.
The awakening of a vocation
His entry into the world of tequila was almost accidental. A newspaper ad led him to Tequila La Unión, in the municipality of Tototlán Jalisco, Mexico. Fresh out of college, he found himself alone in front of the production equipment, with no manuals and no references. “The only thing we knew about agave was that it contained inulin. From there, I had to research everything,” he says.
And so began a personal quest to understand the secrets of tequila in depth, from the behavior of agave during hydrolysis to distillation efficiency calculations. For years, Jorge documented every discovery. What began as a professional necessity became a life mission.
Science, passion, and teaching
In addition to being a researcher, Jorge is a teacher. He has literally and symbolically taught classes at the high school, professional, and business levels and has trained generations of tequila technicians. “A tequila master is not someone who knows how to taste, but someone who has mastered the entire process, from the field to the bottle,” he explains.
This vision was the seed for CITEMATEQ, a pioneering institution in the technical training of agave professionals. “We wanted to train from the ground up: field, production, quality control, sustainability, tasting... everything,” he explains.
Through diploma courses, workshops, and specialized courses, Jorge has paved the way to professionalize the industry and bring it up to international standards without losing its essence.
“We must evolve without betraying tradition,” he often repeats. “We can improve processes, reduce environmental impact, be more efficient, and still preserve the soul of tequila.”
Myths, challenges, and the truth about the distillate
One of his strongest battles is against the indiscriminate use of the term “artisanal.”
"There is no such thing as artisanal tequila. Tequila is not made by hands, it is made by yeasts,“ he explains.
His argument is not meant to detract from the value of artisanal tequila, but rather to invite a greater understanding of the process, its complexity, and its technical implications. He also speaks out against the romanticization of tequila without technical basis.
”Many tasters come from the world of wine, but they don't understand that an agave distillate is infinitely more complex. We're talking about more than 1,500 congeners compared to the relative neutrality of wine or white whiskey."
In his view, tequila requires tasting and evaluation based on science and trained sensitivity. That's why CITEMATEQ teaches tasting from the ground up, understanding the chemical and organoleptic behavior of the product.
Celebrity tequila and other mirages
On the phenomenon of “celebrity tequila,” Jorge is clear: “As long as there is interest in investing in tequila, it's a good sign. But ideally, these celebrities should be committed to quality, not just business.” So far, he says without hesitation, he has not tasted a famous tequila that has convinced him.
What does worry him is the lack of evolution of many brands that cling to inefficient practices under the guise of tradition: “They still use wooden pipes, copper stills, and poorly controlled fermentation. We need cleaner, more sustainable, and more precise processes.”
Pochteca: precision with soul
At his own tequila distillery, Pochteca, Jorge has achieved that balance: precision and technique without losing the traditional profiles. “We're not looking for identical products, we're looking for products that are consistent with their identity,” he says. Every customer, every bottle, deserves its own profile. “Less is more. Controlling the process well allows us to use fewer inputs and obtain higher quality.”
A book, a wound, and a lesson
Jorge's second book is in the works, a “corrected and expanded” edition that includes anecdotes and lessons learned in the field. Like the time when, while cutting an agave thorn, it pierced his hand, "I felt a pain that numbed my entire arm. But I remembered some advice from an old jimador: ‘pour the agave juice on the wound,’ and it was magical.“
The cup of time
If he could sit down today with the young Jorge of 1987, he would say, ”How beautiful it is to harvest fruit when you work with purpose.“ He never thought he would end up training so many people. ”Who was I to teach?" he wondered. Today, with decades of experience, he recognizes the value of everything he researched out of necessity and which became collective knowledge.
And if that toast were given today, he would do so with an aged Pochteca, as its history is the result of time, rigor, passion, and respect for the land.
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