Destilería Machaquito

About Destilería Machaquito

Rafael Reyes Rodríguez began making aguardiente around 1860 and opened the distillery officially in 1876; in 1892 the bullfighter 'Machaquito' lent the brand his name. The fifth generation still distils with the same formula on the same site: four century-old copper stills, fired with olive wood, run 24-hour cycles on water, alcohol and matalahúga (green aniseed) grown between Loja and Ronda, making dry and sweet anise and liqueurs.

The tour visits the still room beside the furnaces and a woodshed holding about two tonnes of olive wood, the maceration room where cherries and coffee steep in anise, and a bottling line filling about 2,800 bottles an hour. A display of labels and medals traces the brand's history before a tasting of the house anises and liqueurs.

Visits are free, last about 35 minutes and run Monday to Friday, 07:00–15:00; in the Christmas season to 6 January they run weekdays 07:00–19:00 and weekends 10:00–19:00. Book online or on 957 538 040. Tours are in Spanish and English, the route is accessible and families are welcome; tastings are for adults. Rute is about 1 hour 15 minutes by car from Córdoba or Málaga.

Rute is liveliest from November to early January, when its anise and sweet makers gear up for Christmas. Buy a bottle of Machaquito Seco. Tip: come mid-morning, when the furnaces are usually lit.

Destilería Machaquito in pictures

What you’ll find

• Free entryFree visitFree
• Guided tourWinery or mill tour (07:00–15:00)Book
• Historic buildingArchitectureFree
• MuseumExhibitionTicket
• Online bookingBook onlineBook
• ShopProducts to buy (07:00–15:00)Buy
• Step-free accessAccessible visitFree
• TastingTasting sessionBook
• Tours in EnglishEnglish-language toursBook

Nearby places to visit

The Anís Museum, in a century-old distillery run by a neighbouring firm, is next door on Paseo del Fresno and makes a natural pairing. Playa de Valdearenas on the Iznájar reservoir, 8 km south, has a sandy summer beach on the reservoir shore, and the white village of Iznájar, 9 km south-east, sits on a ridge above the water. Carcabuey, 15 km north-east, is a small white village below its castle, and Almazara Núñez de Prado in Baena, 32 km north, shows how olive oil is made with stone rollers in a mill completed in 1944.