DIOSA’s heart rests in the long and colorful history of tequila, Mexico’s most famous export. Pulque, a fermented drink made from the sap of the agave plant, has been drunk in Mexico for thousands of years. This libation morphed into what we know as tequila when the 16th century Spanish and Portuguese explorers introduced distillation. Today’s high-end tequilas are made exclusively from the blue agave plant and aged in French and American oak barrels.

Central to the process of tequila-making are the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water. The mature agave plant is dug from the earth, and the core or piña is either baked or steamed before it is shredded for juice extraction. The resulting agave juice is fermented and then distilled. The tequila-making process tells the story of how Mexican cuisine evolved, and it’s also the story of how food and drinks are developed at DIOSA – your new favorite latin restaurant in Downey.