Master distiller Teresa Lara López, now retired, elevated the craft of distilling tequila for 30 years. Mexico’s “only” female Tequila master distiller, Maria Teresa Lara underpinned her career with a Batchelor’s degree in Chemistry and a Masters in Quality Control. Before joining the Tequila trade, she worked as water quality manager for the city of Guadalajara, and held a director-level role in the pharmaceutical trade. It was then that she took a fermentation course, and the Tequila love affair began. Starting as a Lab manager in 1987, Lara was quickly promoted, and she was eventually named master distiller in 2009. Her recent creations include Directo de Alambique, the fourth release in the Coleccion de la Casa Reserva 2015 series, and Herradura Ultra, a blend of the brand’s Anejo and Extra Anejo Tequila aged in American white oak barrels.