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noreply@blogger.com (The team) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 10:12:00 +0000

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Is you glass half full?

noreply@blogger.com (The team) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 20:54:00 +0000

By Jonh S. Pomeroy

A focus on artisanal ingredients, a meticulous attention to the processes of construction and presentation, and an insistence on balance of flavors are all ideals that have always been cornerstones for chefs. Those ideals were once prevalent in the spirits world, as well, but were abandoned for convenience, mass production, and increased profit. The return to those standards is welcomed by distinguishing imbibers, and with it comes the need for proper glassware.

Anyone serious about wine, for example, would never serve an exquisite selection in an inappropriate glass. Imagine ordering a $5,000 bottle of Bordeaux and having it served in a 98-cent glass. No self-respecting sommelier would ever dream of committing such an act. Every varietal of wine has an ideally shaped glass in which it should be served, and it is this philosophy that has influenced spirits aficionados to develop spirit-specific glassware.

With a long history in fine dining, I am slightly embarrassed to say that I had never put much thought into the vessel in which I served my cocktails, never really thinking more about it than this: an old-fashioned or highball glass for drinks served tall or on the rocks, a cocktail glass or a coupe for drinks served up, and perhaps a snifter for a nice brandy or single-malt Scotch. That said, my first introduction to a spirit-specific glass came in the form of The Glencairn Glass (www.glencairn.co.uk/glass), which I encountered attending my first Whisky Fest two years ago.

The Glencairn Company has been producing whisky-specific glasses since 2001. In 2006, the glass was given the Queen's Award for innovation, and after about five million Glencairn glasses had been produced, a partnership was fostered with the German company, Stölzle. According to Edward Artidiello, President of Stölzle-USA, this was done to celebrate the award and re-brand the glass to "better reflect its unique positioning, while at the same time move to a crystal glass to give a finer and more premium presentation." While Stölzle also makes other spirits-specific glasses, their presence in the market is most readily seen in the Glencairn glass, and I had a chance to speak to Evan Cattanach, Master Distiller Emeritus of the Classic Malts Selection, about its evolution.

Cattanach informed me that, while Raymond Davidson originally designed the Glencairn glass over twenty years ago, it wasn't until his sons Paul and Scott took the design to the master blenders for approval that the glass saw production. Its roots lie in the traditional graduated nosing glasses used by blenders the world over. The shape is designed to allow the bouquet to expand in the glass without the influx of alcohol in the nose, and "the wide bowl allows for the fullest appreciation of the whisky's color, while the solid base is designed to be easy on the hand," said Cattanach. "Drinking Scotch out of this fine crystal vessel is akin to drinking tea out of a fine china. After having done so, drinking it out of anything else just doesn't
feel civilized."

Not surprisingly, Riedel (www.riedel. com) -the same company that produced the first wine-specific glasses to come to my attention- also produced the first spirit- specific versions. I bridged this gap during a recent tequila tasting, when I was served a plata, a reposado, and an añejo in what I (mistakenly) determined to be a champagne flute. Similarly shaped, Riedel's Tequila glass made quite an impression on me. Immediately, I was brought back to my roots in fine dining, holding the spirit in higher regard by default-because it was sampled from fine crystal it must be a higher-quality spirit.

According to the company Web site, "In 2002, Riedel Crystal introduced the Official Tequila Glass, designed to highlight the finest characteristics of Mexico's national drink.

The glass, designated the Official Tequila Glass by the Consejo Regulador del Tequila, was designed to enhance Mexico's finest Reposados, Añejos and Reservas de Casa Tequilas. The elegant, slender glass is 8¼" high, with a capacity of 6¾ ounces, and, is part of the Riedel Ouverture collection (Ouverture Tequila 408/18). The glass has a tall stem, meant to lift fine Tequila to the level it deserves, to accord it the appreciation and respect of which it is worthy."

Perhaps it was the introduction of this glass that inspired the Camarena family to produce the first-ever vintage tequila, Tequila Ocho. While for centuries winemakers have talked about terroir (the complete natural environment in which a product is produced, including factors such as soil, topography, and climate), only recently has that topic been associated with tequila.

Once again, spirits experts are emulating the trends in the wine making world. With agave spirits leading the way in the discussion of terroir in spirits, it should come as no surprise that they are also responsible for taking the lead in spirit-specific glassware.

With such a strong focus on spirit specific glassware, those who are serious about their cocktails should have the same approach to the vessels in which their artisinal creations are served. The Modern Mixologist, Tony Abou-Ganim, had this to say about the trend: "We are finally paying attention to what goes into a great drink; now it's time to pay attention to what a great drink goes into." Dale "King Cocktail" DeGroff has been talking about the importance of glassware for decades, and will be doing so again during a seminar at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic (www.manhattancocktailclassic.com) this May.

Long-time advocates for the importance of glassware in cocktails, both Dale and Tony predicted the current trend by watching the availability of different glass styles increase in number. Many high-end cocktail bars around the country are beginning to focus on glassware. It is not uncommon, especially in metropolitan areas like New York City, to find drinks served in antique glasses (or replicas of them). Companies like Minner's (www.minners.com) specialize in reproductions, and custom-produce glassware in bulk from molds or user-specified designs. Establishments like Employees Only in New York have glassware custom-designed specifically for them, complete with their logo etched into the side.

Remember: Two versions of the same cocktail -one presented in an inexpensive glass and another in a crystal vessel- communicate very different messages about their respective establishments. In much the same way that a fine wine should never be served in an inexpensive glass, neither should a fine cocktail.

www.barbizmag.com

Tequila Plant May Help Fight Bone Loss

noreply@blogger.com (The team) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 20:36:00 +0000

Artichokes, garlic and onions also contain beneficial fructans, researchers say
by Robert Preidt

Content provided by HealthDay -- An ingredient in agave -- the plant used to make tequila -- may help fight bone-weakening osteoporosis and other diseases, Mexican researchers say.

Agave, artichokes, garlic, onions and chicory are rich, natural sources of fructans -- nondigestible carbohydrates consisting of molecules of fructose linked together into chains, according to background information in a news release from the American Chemical Society.

"Experimental studies suggest that fructans may be beneficial in diabetes, obesity, stimulating the immune system of the body, decreasing levels of disease-causing bacteria in the intestine, relieving constipation and reducing the risk of colon cancer," Mercedes Lopez, of the National Polytechnic Institute in Guanajuato, said in the news release.

Previous research has also suggested that fructans stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria in the large intestine in a way that increases the body's absorption of minerals, including calcium and magnesium, which are needed for bone growth.

In this study, Lopez and colleagues tested the effects of agave fructans on bone growth in mice. Compared to other mice, those fed agave fructans absorbed more calcium from food, excreted less calcium in their feces, and had a 50 percent increase in levels of a protein associated with the build-up of new bone tissue.

"These results suggest that the supplementation of the standard diet with agave fructans prevented bone loss and improved bone formation, indicating the important role of agave fructans on the maintenance of healthy bone," Lopez said. "They can be used in many products for children and infants to help prevent various diseases, and can even be used in ice cream as a sugar substitute."

But drinking tequila won't help, the study authors noted. The fructans turn into alcohol when agave is processed into tequila, they said.

The study was to be presented Tuesday at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Francisco.

More information

The National Osteoporosis Foundation has more about osteoporosis prevention.
SOURCE: American Chemical Society, news release, March 23, 2010

Copyright @2010 HealthDay. All Rights Reserved.

health.msn.com

Cafe Pacifico Sydney

noreply@blogger.com (The team) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:56:00 +0000

Tequila Ocho - One of the Best Three Tequilas

noreply@blogger.com (The team) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 22:39:00 +0000

By Esquire Magazine

The Future of Tequila? El Tesoro @ Cafe Pacifico

noreply@blogger.com (The team) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 22:30:00 +0000

By Will Lowe

What happens when you get a load of London bartenders together in a room, then fill it up with Tequila?

Gathering in Covent Garden's Cafe Pacifico were bartenders and managers from some of the most easily identifiable 'key' Tequila venues in the country: Crazy Homies, Green & Red, Navajo Joe's and, naturally, Cafe Pacifo itself, as well as a host of other influential cocktail bars.

The competition kicked off with a tutored tasting, hosted by Tomas Estes, the European Tequila Ambassador, followed by discussion of what the future holds for Tequila.

Having won the Imbibe Ice Awards taste competition by a Mexican mile, as well as being the proud winner of more awards than any other Tequila on the planet, I need not go into the details which came out of the tasting here (but will do so separately).

Instead, the focus of this blog entry will be the ideas and comments of the group regarding the past decade of trends in the Tequila market, and where they see this leading in the coming decade.

Interestingly, Tom Estes pointed out that the UK (and London in particular) is really not a large market for Tequila, in global terms. It is, however, one of great kudos within the Tequilaros of Mexico, giving great status to those brands successful within the city. This apparent incongruity seems to stem from the high regard in which bartenders from our capitol are held worldwide.

It is fair to say that, in this country at least, Tequila still suffers in the eye of the public from a relatively negative perception (see my previous article from a Tom Estes talk). Slowly but surely, this appears to be changing. 100% agave tequila is now the fastest growing spirit category in the country (although the agave itself isn't growing much quicker).

Evidence of this can be seen quite easily: there are now many venues dedicated to all things Mexican. And not just in a kitsch, 80's kind of way, either. The likes of El Camino, La Perla, Cafe Pacifico, Green and Red, Wahaca, and Cafe Sol are bringing serious quality to the market.

Furthermore, in Westbourne Park Road's Crazy Homies we now find a dedicated tequila bar! That's right, a venue which serves exclusively Tequila, and no other spirits. The public's increasing interest in the Tequila category can be seen here on a daily basis.The team were keen to point out that articles in mainstream publications such as the Guardian and Observer (oddly, willlowe.com seems to have passed them by...) are engaging the middle classes, bringing them through the doors actively seeking to know more about the spirit. And Homies are delivering, in a big way. They bought along for discussion a proof of their new, soon-to-be-launched menu / bible. In this mighty tome, we see a full four pages dedicated solely to Tequila; a full menu including tasting notes for each tequila on their shelf. It is very hard to imagine this happening ten years ago.

And it's not just happening in London. Leeds has a strong following emerging, with the likes of Azucar and Neon Cactus. Further afield, Glen Morgan (of Soho's Lab), recently back from Tokyo commented on the aptly named 'Agave' there, stocking more than 360 Tequilas and Mezcals.

All of this attention, and increased sophistication, is a far cry from the standard serve of a dirty shot glass, salt and lime of years ago.

But how is it happening? The marketing machine behind Patron Tequila has been credited with influencing the market to a large degree, especially when it comes to American customers. Many bartenders are also actively selling tequila, educating their customers, and passing on a passion for this much mis-understood spirit. Order a rum and coke in Crazy Homies, for example, and you'll likely walk away with a Batanga, a little bit more knowledge, and a smile on your face. And that, we all agreed, is where the future lies.

Tom Estes may be the Tequila Ambassador, but everywhere he goes he seems to create small armies of ambassadors in their own right, each carrying the passion, and passing it on wherever, and whenever, they can.

www.willlowe.com

Cafe Pacifico Sydney

noreply@blogger.com (The team) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 22:20:00 +0000

Inpromptu Tequila Tasting with Ocho Tequila

noreply@blogger.com (The team) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:32:00 +0000

By Nightclub & Bar

If Tales is about the cocktail, then it makes sense that at an Absinthe tasting from some of the top wormwood brands, I get an opportunity to take part in a totally under the table and impromptu tequila tasting. As the absinthe fountains slowly drip and drink-tasters start to get their first tingle from the green fairy, I find myself in a corner of the room, behind some tasting stations with some fairly esteemed company based from all over the globe including Drew Levinson, with Wirtz Beverage Group, and former mixologist for the world famous Bellagio Resort in Las Vegas, as well Treys Ladrido, corporate beverage director for Singapore's MENU Group who operates several concepts including the nation's top tequila bar, Cafe Iguana, which boasts an impressive 200+ tequila labels.

Altamar Brand's west coast brand development boss, Bill Haskin, slyly looks around the room before pulling several bottles from his carrier bag, he's there promoting his Kubler Absinthe but I've put him on the spot and always the gentlemen, he is obliging. I'll admit it; I’m a junky for the agave juice and tend to stick to what I know including Casa Nobles Tequila and a brand formerly marketed by Altamar, Corralejo Tequila. A few years back I was lucky enough to travel to Mexico with Altamar's founder and Brown Foreman descendant, Lyons Brown III who immersed me in the nuances of the product and I have been a fan ever since. Altamar eventually sold their marketing rights to their partner in the venture and the product's importer, Infinium Spirits and set their sights on a boutique brand, Tequila Ocho, which is the world's only single estate, vintage tequila. Each bottle is numbered with the year of the vintage and the estate from which the agave for that batch was grown. The whole concept is more related to the wine industry than tequila, and I am intrigued.

Haskin, who was a successful operator overseeing cocktail-focused venues such as The Starlight Room in San Francisco and The Side Bar in Las Vegas, is clearly succeeding on the supplier side of the business with an impressive blend of knowledge and passion and he isn't shy to jump into the selling points of the brand: the product is made by third generation tequilero Felipe Camarena, every part of the product process is done in the traditional fashion, the agave is hand-picked, males separated from the females, cooked in a stone oven for 48-hours under low heat, crushed with a tahona, open air fermentation, double distilled first in stainless steel then a small copper pot still. My head is spinning, and my mouth starts to salivate as I eye the bottles with an eagle's intensity, I can't wait to taste it.

He grabs the 2008 Ocho Plata (silver) and continues the education session while pouring reasonable tasting samples into whatever glassware we can find without impacting the Absinthe tasting going on around us. "It takes eight days from when the Plata is picked until it is bottle, that's where the name Ocho came from," Haskin continues as he hands us our samples, "The 08 comes from our El Carrizal estate, which is located more than 6,000 feet above sea level. Go ahead," he adds with a smile, "Taste it." The spiciness and mint notes jump out of the glass and envelope me in a delicious aroma. "This vintage is why I fell in love with this product," Ladrido says before telling us how it captivated her at the Australian Bar Awards, "What I had thought was a brief moment turned out to be a good 20 minutes. Three awards were announced in that time and I didn't have a clue. The 2008 Ocho plata had captured me." When I ask what about this vintage is getting her so fired up, she quickly responds, "The finish on this vintage, its such a true representation of agave." Levinson also joins in, "The earthy notes, the minerality, the pure agave flavor .. this is what I love about tequila."

Perhaps I should have savored the sample a bit more, after all, its delectable, but I am anxious to see what's next and have a comparison point. "Since each vintage comes from a different estate with varying altitudes, each vintage will have a unique flavor and aroma," Haskin adds while pouring the 09 Plata. "This is from our Las Pomez estate which still is very elevated, but doesn't experience the drastic temperature changes of the 08 estate." The 09 hits the glass and then my palate, its not as full-bodied as the 08 but has other characteristics its predecessor does not, vanilla notes and hints of custard. "Whoa," says Ladrido, who hasn't yet tasted this particular vintage "This is delicious!" When Haskin attempts to refresh her class with the reposado, she laughs and pulls away, "I'll finish this one first." Its hard to say which I like better, but that's not really the point here, let people decide which vintage best fits their taste profile and let the terrain speak for itself. Levinson agrees when ask him about whether or not I should be focusing on choosing a vintage or instead enjoying the experience. "Absolutely, these Platas might be the purest essence of agave in the world. Let people pick which they prefer, but regardless of vintage, they'll enjoy the journey of finding out!"

When Haskin moves over to the 09 Reposado, I am immediately hit with another surprise, not as much coloring as I might have imagined, until Haskin drops another bomb, "Our reposado is aged for eight weeks and eight days," clearly continuing the numeric theme of the product. "Only eight days more than the minimum allowed by law," Levinson chimes in, also intrigued, "and it gets that much color in that little time?" Haskin launches into a description of the barrels that are being used for aging, fourth or fifth-used bourbon barrels that have not been re-charred, but by then I am lost in agave heaven. "Classic highland style," Levinson responds with a look of contentment after a measured sip. "Incredible balance between the fruit notes and the acidity," Ladrido echoes after him.

By the time Haskin reaches for the 07 Anejo, I feel as though I am seeing some fairies of my own, except they aren't green and they certainly aren't waving an anise-flavored wand. "Here's the big guy," Haskin says with a knowing smile, "Aged for one year and one day." Again, only one day over the legal limit allowed, and again the coloring relays a disguised punch within a lighter shade than one would expect. "Big time citrus notes," Ladrido says excitedly, "it lost the mint a bit but the caramel and butterscotch is developing." Levinson responds, "This is what it's about." And even Haskin stops pitching for a moment, a hush of quietness falls over all of us even as the frenzied chaos picks up elsewhere in the room.

We swirl and sip the anejo, taking in the moment and the quality of the hand-crafted, traditionally produced product. The night is still very young and there are many more cocktails to be had, but if at least for a few minutes we are transported high into the Mexican mountains. Surrounded by the traditional and artisanal methods of Mexico's greatest import and soaking up the flavors of its terrain, soil and product; the century old concept of the siesta makes so much sense. Surrounded by friends and enjoying the delicious Tequila Ocho mid-Tales siesta, for just a moment, everything seems right in New Orleans.

www.community.nightclub.com

Tequila! (Single-estate Tequila at that)

noreply@blogger.com (The team) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:07:00 +0000

By Winesleuth

Ocho Tequila

Tequila! Pee-WeeHerman dancing on a counter top in white platform shoes to the beat of the song, "Tequila". Upside-down Margaritas and that irritating whistle they'd blow while maniacally shaking your head. Bringing my own blender to dorm parties. Oh, yeah. Memories of growing up in California and going to university in San Diego, just 40 minutes from the Mexican border and Tijuana-haven for underage US drinkers.

Tequila, like me, would like to shake off those sordid memories and move on, grow up, become a bit more-civilized. Wandering through the recent consumer event, Bibulous, I was drawn like a moth to the fine tequila stand. I took a trip to Monterey, Mexico a few years ago and visited a tequila museum where I was introduced to some quality tequila so I was curious to see what the Mexicans had brought to the shores of Ol' Blighty (and no Jose Cuervo Gold in sight!).

Anejo

The Mexican government has devoted considerable time and money to promoting tequila around the world and part of that initiative is the Tequila Roadshow which rolled into Vinopolis as part of Bibulous a few weeks ago. The Tequila Roadshow is highlighting premium tequila featuring 8 world class brands, all composed of 100% agave; Cuervo Platino, Clase Azul, Tequila Ocho, Campo Azul, Herradura, Olmeca Atos, Tres Generaciones and Casa de Don Agustin.

I walked up and said, "Give me something interesting". Tom Estes, European Tequila Ambassador and the fellow manning the stand, was happy to oblige. At first he suggested, reposado (aged less than a year in oak), than anejo (aged minimum of 1 year, max 3 years in oak), ho-hum. I said interesting. And then he said, "Wanna try some single-estate tequila?" Now you're talking, Tom. Ocho Tequila is the first one to feature a vintage and each are from a single estate which signifies the exact year of harvest and the location of the agave plants. The idea behind single estate tequilas is to highlight the relationship between terroir and the finished product. Ocho Tequilas are made in small quantities and in the traditional, artisanal way of days gone by.

Both tequilas I sampled were crystal clear but swirling around the glass, fat viscous legs were soon apparent. Tom explained to me that the tequilas had not been cold filtered which retained many of the essential oils and esters thereby giving the tequilas a more textured mouthfeel and aromatic character.

Single vineyard Cerrito San Agustin

The first tequila was the 2008 Ocho Tequila from the Las Pomez Ranchos field. I'm accustomed to sniffing and spitting wine, not tequila so here goes. First impressions: spicy, lemony nose, slightly sharpish, peppery but not alcholic, smelling really fresh! Now the real test. Sip, swirl and spit. A rich, almost oily mouthfeel. Hmmm, peppery but not fiery, citrusy, hints of lime and orange, very interesting. Tom was coaching me along but I did detect something other than firewater. The Las Pomez Ranchos fields are located in the highlands of Jalisco while the Cerrito San Agustin is from a different elevation and different soils.

Onto the next clear tequila which was the 2009 Ocho Blanco El Cerrito San Agustin and comparing to see if a difference could be detected because of terroir. A much softer, floral nose, smoother on the palate but also saltier with an olive brine character. I never really thought of tequila as having varying characteristics but just this basic taste test was enough to convince of the concept of tequila terroir. The difference between the two was noticeable.

I had to take my leave of the tequila stand as I was late for a winetasting but it was a palate opening experience. Tequila and I have come a long way from those upside down margaritas. Although I'm sure you can still get them down Mexico way.

www.winesleuth.wordpress.com

Tequila: the bad boy or outlaw - wild and edgy

noreply@blogger.com (The team) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:42:00 +0000

By Felicity Murray

Tomas Estes, restaurateur and ambassador for tequila in Europe, talks to Felicity Murray about vintages, terroir and his passion for all things Mexican

Having just launched his own brand of tequila, Muestra Numero Ocho (recipe number eight) in London and Paris, Estes is upbeat about the future of tequila, a spirit he describes as "the bad boy or outlaw - wild and edgy".

"My love for tequila started with my love for Mexico. To me, tequila is Mexico and Mexico is tequila - they are so inextricably linked in both their identities and their images. I have loved Mexico for as long as I can remember and have loved tequila since 1960 when, clandestinely at the age of 15, I had my first illicit tequila experience".

Estes grew up within the Mexican community in East Los Angeles where he learnt to appreciate and understand the Mexican culture and language. Despite having a Latin name, the Estes family are Anglo American and he was given his mother's Welsh maiden name of Thomas (which he eventually changed to Tomas as his nom de plume). His first son by his first marriage is also named Tom and Tomas is preparing Tom, along with Jessie one of his three sons from his second marriage, to take over the family's business interests in tequila and Mexican-style restaurants and bars.

So how did Tomas Estes begin this love affair with Mexican food and drink?
"My father took me to Mexico when I was a kid and just learning to read," explains Estes. "I remember seeing all the signs in Spanish and thinking it was so foreign and so exciting. To me Mexican life seemed so immediate and real compared with life in the US which I find artificial, materialistic and status conscious - like living in the head rather than the heart and soul".

Come 1965, Estes was a university student and regularly crossing the border to see his friend who owned a liquor store a few doors down from one of the most outrageous and famous bars on the Pacific coast - Hussong's Cantina. "It's been there for over a 100 years and its still a very serious drinking place," says Estes. "I've heard that in the days before cars they used to ride their donkeys right up to the bar".

Drinking tequila at this famous Long Bar in Tijuana and sleeping off the effects on the beach found him in all sorts of trouble. He is not slow to admit to having spent a few nights behind bars: "I've been a rascal - nothing serious - usually to do with alcohol and all in my youth - but in the Mexican community you are not totally accepted until you've been in jail".

At university he studied social sciences and liberal arts while training and competing as a wrestler (today he keeps fit by cycling). After graduating he gained his teaching credentials and taught English to 13-14 year olds for seven years.

The turning point in Estes' life was a trip to Amsterdam in 1970. "I decided I really wanted to live there - I loved the architecture the music the literature and the radical liberality of it". He says. But he knew he would not get a job teaching in Holland so he had to think up some other way of earning a living. And it was while on a "hippy-style" holiday with his first wife and young son, Tom, travelling through Central America in a VW camper van that inspiration struck. "I realised I could do something that no one else had thought of," he says, "I could open a Mexican restaurant".

In 1976 he succeeded in opening his first Mexican restaurant called Cafe Pacifico, in the red light district of Amsterdam.

"It was a great success right away", he says. "Nobody had ever seen tequila or experienced that kind of atmosphere before - Mexican restaurants have a special kind of buzz and ambience. And it was then that I came to appreciate how central tequila was to my business and I began to delve into it seriously".

He read up on the subject, visited the Agave growing regions of Mexico and talked to the tequila producers. Estes reckons over the years he has served more than 8 million Margaritas in his restaurants and bars in Holland, England, France, Germany - where he has franchises - Italy and now Sydney. "That's a lot of tequila and maybe a lot of hangovers too," he quips. "I have became a central figure in this part of the world because of my activities promoting tequila," he says. "And for that activity the Mexican government have been really kind to me. In 2003 the CNIT (Mexico's national chamber of the tequila industry) gave me recognition as their official ambassador to the EU".

The title certainly helps boost his credibility when it comes to convincing bars they should give space to his tequila. "I've had bars for 32 years and I'm a representative for the whole category - so bartenders are willing to listen to me," he says.

The unique selling point for Estes Muestra Numero Ocho tequila is not just that it is of the highest quality but that the bottle states the year on it - "just for fun" - as well as the actual field from which the agave was grown.

It is the first brand ever to bear a 'tequila vintage'. Not unlike the labelling of fine wines, Ocho's 'tequila vintage' signifies the exact year or harvest and location of the Agave plants that the spirit was derived from, underlining the finely balanced relationship between the terroir and quality of raw materials.

The Ocho Blanco can be traced back to Rancho La Rivera, where the soil is similar to that of the tequila valley, while for the Reposado, the agave has been harvested from the typically rich brown soil of the Los Altos region of Jalisco from Rancho El Vergel.

Although it's not like Burgundy wine - another passion of Estes - he is convinced vintage and terroir does make a difference to a tequila's flavour profile: "We have three examples from three fields and these tequilas are all different yet they were made from agaves of the same maturity and cooked, fermented and distilled in the same way - the terroir does seem to come through".

This is a new adventure for Estes about which he is really excited. "We started working on the new tequilas three years ago and finally got into the market in February. "And thank goodness," he enthuses, "the people I respect most – the bartending community - have embraced it wonderfully. We launched in LA on the 08/08/08 now it's being rolled out in London and Paris".

The tequila is produced for Tomas Estes by the third generation Camerena Family that have been making 100 per cent agave tequila since 1937 in Arandas, Los Altos, and always used "slow" cooking rather than "fast food" mass production methods. They are also responsible for the Tapatio and Tesoro tequila brands.

Tequila, he admits, has a reputation for "bad experiences" but, he says, "that's all part of its bad-boy charm". But real improvements have been made in the
quality of tequila, which he believes began in about 1983 with a brand called Chinaco.

"This brand kick-started the trend for so-called boutique and designer tequilas made in small quantities with greater care and attention. And by early 1990 the market had reacted to the success of this one example. More tequileros started to move away from the making rough stuff that was guaranteed to give you a hangover to launch brands that are premium crafted spirits," he explains. "So more care is now taken of the plants, the cooking, the fermentation and the distillation - right through to marketing. The Mexican government - the CRT (the tequila regulating council) is imposing stricter standards on the tequileros - they are out there every day inspecting the 120 or so distilleries and plantations. The entire tequila industry is working to raise standards and therefore the image. And it's working. It's what everyone wants".

As with spirits generally, the real growth for tequila is in the top quality 100 per cent agave category because, he adds, "the whole spirits market is in a mode of premiumisation and that's where producers in the tequila category are also looking to make their mark. The largest volume market for tequila is the Americas, but Mexicans see the European markets as 'the jewel in their crown'. This is about status, premium product placement and achievement, not just volumes".

Right now, says Estes, there is a glut of agave plants on the market. At its most scarce point, agave was selling at a market price of between 16 and 20 pesos/kilo - 20 pesos for the top quality. Today it's below one peso and according to Estes some farmers have abandoned their fields because it would cost them more to harvest it. The Mexican government reports that there are currently about 350 million plants of all different ages - so not all ready for distillation yet - "but plenty for lots of tequila production in the future".

The Tomas Estes tequilas

The Estes Tomas Muestra Numero Ocho tequila range so-named to represent the eighth, and final, attempt at the ultimate recipe. The producers themselves are in their 8th decade of Tequila production and 8 years is the average age at which Ocho's Agave is harvested. While the Blanco is un-aged, giving a ripe and citrusy flavour, Ocho's Reposado has been rested for precisely 8 weeks and 8 days for smoothness and complexity. Distributed by Inspirit Brands in the UK, Lyons Brown in the US and Maison de Whisky in France

Tomas Estes: CV

1945 - Born in Whittier, California
1967 - BA degree in Social Sciences (Liberal Arts)
1968 - California Teaching Credential for Secondary School
1968-1975 - High school teacher/wrestler and coach
1976 - Opened first Cafe Pacifico, in Amsterdam
1976 to 2008 - Opens 17 restaurants and/or bars in Holland, England, France, Germany, Italy and Australia; talks and writes about tequila in Europe and the US

www.thedrinksreport.com

A very special partnership

noreply@blogger.com (The team) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:13:00 +0000

Ocho Tequila Tutored Tasting

noreply@blogger.com (The team) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:46:00 +0000

By Will Lowe

The Porthouse, Covent Garden. It's a legendary pub, but it's fair to say, not a venue noted for its tequila heritage.

Today's events will probably not change that notion: except in the minds of a select group of bartenders in the inner circle of tequila aficionados.

For today, under the watchful eye of the European Tequila Ambassador (a title annointed upon him not once, but twice, by the Mexican Government) Tomas Estes would invite all present to "change their perception" of this often misunderstood spirit.

That perception, perhaps more obvious to those not present, is that of tequila as some kind of devil spirit. That which leads to bouts of irrational drunkenness, lost memories, and at it's worst long conversations on the porcelain telephone.

Perhaps then, this is why Tomas introduces himself, tongue in cheek, as "the guilty one".

The group present, however, had no such preconceptions - which in itself was an interesting subject for the man at the helm.

"It's tequila's time" he announced with conviction. None present argued. But why? Well, one of the main reasons seems to be the very preconception which so often works against tequila as a category.

People are afraid of tequila. They don't know about it. Unless, of course, you have the inside knowledge. And let's be honest : we all enjoy knowing something our immediate peers don't. Which, of course, is why we're all here.

On his long, and often diverging exploration of the category (but all credit to him, he'd hosted the class awards the previous night and showed no other signs of the hangover which would've reduced any other man to tears) Tomas explains that since 1983, when a 100% agave tequila was released under the name Chinaco, the world of tequila changed.

Suddenly its potential as a serious spirit became obvious. The World's largest brand owners (Pernod Ricard, Diageo, Beam Global etc) became interested. The consumer saw the change, and started to demand the best.

Of course, this is in no small way down to our host: opening his first venue in Amsterdam back in 1976, he literally introduced Europe to the distilled agave himself.

I should mention at this point that it was Tomas, in collaboration with the Camereńa family (of Los Altos distillery) who first gave credit to the notion of terroir within tequila production. For those unfamiliar with this term, it is one (of many) borrowed from the wine world. In short, it refers to the immediate environment of the growing agave: soil type, precipitation, orientation, temperature etc) This led to the conception of Ocho Tequila; a range of geographically defined, vintage dated tequila, which we would have the pleasure of tasting today.

Why "Ocho" (eight)? Well, there are a string of coincidences too significant to ignore: there are 8 brothers and sisters in the Camereña family, which has been producing tequila for eight decades, using eight kg of agave per litre of tequila, which each take an average of eight years to grow, then a further eight days to be turned into tequila when they arrive at the distillery.

So on to the task at hand; a tutored tasting of five tequilas in the more than capable hands of Mr Estes, and his infallibly reliable right hand man, Carlos Londono of Cafe Pacifico.

Our first venture was the 2008 Ocho Blanco, made entirely of agave from Los Pomaz Ranchos (field - a single vinyard tequila, if you will) in the same year, the cystal clear liquid shimmers at us from the glass, almost begging to be freed.

On the nose, light, floral sugars are obvious, together with a gentle minerality, menthol, and a light whisp of smoke.

Upon tasting, the overwhelming comparison is of citrus. Personally, I found a strong lime flavour, followed almost immediately by cracked black pepper. Tomas also pointed out a tangerine note, together with red stone fruit. This tequila enjoyed a long, sweet finish.

For comparison, we then moved to the Ocho Blanco 2009, hailing from El Cerrito dé San Agustin. Proof, if it were needed, that terroir plays such an important role in the production of the Mexican national spirit was now staring us squarely in the face. A far saltier nose carries through to the palette, with a drying acidity which one can feel constricting the roof of the mouth.

Chamomile tea was spotted by one of the group, and I found the bitterness of dark chocolate to be particularly moreish.

The length of the latter, it must be said, was very different to the former, with the initial sweetness closing off much faster.

Moving into the Reposados, each rested for eight weeks and eight days (naturally) gave us a real treat. Starting with the El Vergel 2008 was a rare opportunity to get involved with a true collectors item. The double edged sword of producing vintage tequila is that they will inevitably run out; which is exactly what has happened here. Rumours abound of bottles of the El Vergel exchanging hands for prices well above their initial value as the supply / demand wheels crank into action.

It's also a very special spirit in it's own right. Grassy, green and herbaceous on the nose, there's a definite whisky smoke in the background, though more Speyside than Islay.

A rasping acidity carries a far longer finish, along with a distinct olive brine characteristic. Pronounced agave nuances abound, mingling with flinty, earthy tones. It's easy to see why these bottles have become so highly coveted.

The current Ocho Reposado vintage is the El Carrizal 2008, which provided our next subject.

Prominent here is a buttery, creamy style. There are hints of toffee, perhaps even butterscotch in the mix, but the true character can only be appreciated on the palette. For me, this tequila almost felt like tasting upside-down. It zipped past the tongue and to the back of the throat effortlessly, at which point it warms, and the evaporating particles making their way up to the olfactory nerve from the back provides a quite bizarre sensation. Perhaps due to the area of the mouth in which this occurs, a very salty, olive briney style is achieved. It's oiliness gives great length, sitting on the palette long enough to be able to really chew all the flavours.

Finishing off the day, we were presented with Ocho's 2008 Anejo, another product for El Vergel, this time aged for 12 months. The use of fatigued oak allows the agave to express itself, rather than just wood, and this is obvious in the burnt butter and nuttiness on the nose. Complex layers on the palette reveal themselves one after the other; caramel, dark chocolate, vanilla, and again the olive style we're used to from the previous expressions.

Wrapping up with a delicious avacado, tequila and chili mouse brought the afternoon to a close all too soon.

I would like to express my deepest thanks for Tomas and his team putting on such a great event, and encourage all of those reading this to put their preconceptions aside and venture into this wonderful world. And if you get the chance to be present when Tomas is talking, make sure you do so. Truly an inspirational figure.

www.willlowe.com

50 of the best bars in Australia - Cafe Pacifico Sydney

noreply@blogger.com (The team) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:28:00 +0000

Viva tequila!

noreply@blogger.com (The team) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:04:00 +0000

Beppi Crosariol

From Saturday's Globe and Mail (Canada), Tuesday, Jun. 23, 2009 03:35AM EDT

Until recently, tequila outside Mexico was consumed almost invariably in one of two ways. You either belted it back, Clint Eastwood-style, and extinguished the afterburn with a lime wedge, or you sipped a frou-frou margarita. More often than not, the booze was a pedestrian mass-market brand such as Cuervo Gold or Sauza Silver and the margarita was a woeful, radioactive-green Slurpee made from off-the-shelf mix.
In short, tequila drinkers had a choice: hangover or diabetic coma.
As a new generation of discerning drinkers traded in their shot glasses for crystal snifters and began slow-savouring connoisseur brands such as Cazadores, Leyenda del Milagro, Olmeca Tezon, Cabo Wabo and Patron, however, things seemed pretty quiet for a while on the cocktail front. Not any more. Inspired by these richer and more complex craft-distilled tequilas, bartenders have been creating bold new mixed drinks and reviving old classics, showcasing rather than masking the Mexican spirit's spicy-vegetal flavour. At fine establishments everywhere, it's a post-margarita world.
“Tequila has so much flavour and it's easy to pair with tons and tons of flavours,” says Cameron Bogue, bar manager for db bistro and Lumière, two Vancouver restaurants run by New York chef Daniel Boulud.
Bogue says that his biggest-selling cocktail in May was by far the paloma, a tequila-based grapefruit-soda highball that is the gin and tonic of Mexico. “It blew everything out of the water,” Bogue adds.
As a new-school bartender who operates more like a chef than a bottle slinger, Bogue has refined the drink, meticulously creating grapefruit syrup from scratch with fresh zest and other ingredients, then topping up the glass with club soda and citrus juices. His tequila of choice for the paloma is a brand that I love, Cazadores Reposado, which was introduced in British Columbia two years ago and has subsequently been rolled out to the prairie provinces and Ontario. Priced at $40 in Ontario, it's scheduled to be released in Quebec and the Maritimes next year.
Bogue features about 10 tequilas at his restaurants. Another reasonably priced favourite of his and of other tequila-savvy bartenders I spoke with is Don Julio. I also happen to like Tezon Reposado and Milagro Silver, although, at about $90, Tezon isn't cheap.
Also taking his cue from a classic Mexican cocktail is Toronto's Sandy MacFadyen, general manager and owner of Reposado Bar & Lounge, one of several tequila dens that have sprouted up around the world in recent years. His signature is the bloody Julio, a play on one of his favourite tequila brands (Don Julio) and the tomato-based bloody Mary. For the non-alcoholic portion, he creates his own sangrita, the spicy tomato-citrus punch typically consumed in Mexico as a chaser for straight tequila.
Like several bartenders I spoke with, MacFayden is no big fan of the expensive and “overrated” Patron Tequila, a $100 brand launched by John Paul DeJoria, one of the founders of Paul Mitchell hair-care products, and plugged by such celebrities as Dan Aykroyd and the aforementioned Eastwood.
Of the typically dozens of brands on offer at tequila bars, Cuervo and Sauza are two others that tend to get short shrift. The main reason? Their entry-level products are adulterated with sugar-cane or grain spirit (essentially cheap rum or vodka respectively). Tequila is made from the agave plant, which is native to central Mexico and looks like a beer-keg-sized pineapple top. But by law the spirit can contain up to 49 per cent foreign content.
Fine tequila comes in several tiers, blanco (or “white”), reposado (“rested”), anejo (“aged”) and extra anejo . The first is fresh from the still and clear, featuring more of the floral-vegetal notes typical of tequila. Reposado, matured for a few months in wooden barrels, takes on a green-brown tinge and mellower flavour. Anejo spends at least a year in barrel and takes on distinct notes of caramel and vanilla from the wood. Most tequila connoisseurs consider it sacrilege to mix anejo into a cocktail.
“There's such a variety and depth to it,” says MacFayden of Reposado, where straight tequila accounts for more than 30 per cent of the bar tab. “I find it a lot more interesting than Scotch, personally.”
But Tequila aficionado Gord Martin, chef-owner of Bin 941 in Vancouver, encourages using the high-quality stuff, specifically silvers and reposados, in mixed drinks. His passion for the spirit blossomed while he lived in Mexico for five years and he refuses to use light-tasting blanco in a margarita, the way many bars do.
At Bin 941, he uses El Jimador Reposado, one of the best-value brands on the Canadian market. “I would make it at least a reposado because the way they make it in Mexico you can really taste the tequila. And always on the rocks, no crushed ice and no salt. It ends up being a martini, really, only with tequila.”
Actually, not quite. There's a newly popular drink that is much closer to the classic martini and simply swaps tequila for gin. It is heavier, though, on white vermouth, usually two parts spirit to one part vermouth. I'm a fan of a version publicized by rocker Sammy Hagar, who developed the Cabo Wabo brand. Add ice to an old-fashioned glass, pour in the tequila and vermouth, dunk in a whole red chili pepper as a garnish and stir.

The Globe and Mail
Another variation comes from the company that markets Olmeca Tezon: Use blanco tequila and garnish with a strip of orange zest for a chic martini-like look and lighter flavour.
I'm fond, too, of the Milagro brand's version of the mojito, which is made with silver tequila (instead of rum), eight fresh mint leaves, granulated sugar, fresh lime juice and sparkling water.
And this summer, my favourite concoction comes from Vancouver mixologist Jamie Boudreau. It's featured in the fun new pocket book Food & Wine Cocktails ‘09 , a product of the U.S. magazine Food & Wine. The Latin Trifecta is one ounce blanco tequila, one ounce Cynar (the Italian bitter liqueur), half an ounce of dry sherry such as Tio Pepe, three dashes of orange bitters and an orange twist and garnish with an orange twist that has been set on fire.
“The margarita is not the end of tequila [uses],” says Ray Isle, the wine editor at Food & Wine magazine. For many bartenders, in fact, it is just the beginning.

Company creates kosher tequila in time for Passover and Cinco de Mayo

noreply@blogger.com (The team) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 10:45:00 +0000

Company creates kosher tequila in time for Passover and Cinco de Mayo

by Allison Ross

Oy! There’s going to be all sorts of michigas at this year’s Cinco de Mayo celebrations, thanks to a New York businessman, who will be officially launching a kosher tequila that day.
According to a short story by the Associated Press, Martin Silver, owner of Long Island-based Star Industries, is making new kosher, Mexican-made tequila Agave 99 “to satisfy the craze for high-end tequila with one that observant Jews can drink.”
Apparently, half a million cases of the 99-proof liquor is being made at a Mexican plant using rabbi-approved methods.
The bottles, which will have their official launch on May 5, will retail for $41.95. However, bottles will be available in time for the Jewish holiday of Passover, which begins at sundown on April 8.
Not all tequila is kosher, and not all those that are kosher are kosher-for-Passover. Kashrut.com has a list of kosher (but not necessarily kosher-for-Passover) alcohols available.
Tags: Agave 99, Cinco de Mayo, kosher, Martin Silver, Passover, tequila
This entry was posted on Monday, March 30th, 2009 at 11:34 am and is filed under food. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Justin Timberlake Making Tequila

noreply@blogger.com (The team) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 08:14:00 +0000

Justin Timberlake has something new to toast:

The singer and budding businessman is launching a new brand of tequila named 901. In development for more than two years, the liquor will hit store shelves in early May in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and St. Louis. The reason behind the numeric name? “901 is that time of night when your evening is ending, but your night is just beginning. It is also a subtle nod to his hometown,” says the singer's spokesperson, referring to the area code for Memphis, where Timberlake grew up. The new venture is the latest addition to Timberlake’s growing business portfolio, which includes the fashion line William Rast and the music label Tennman.

Interesting News

noreply@blogger.com (The team) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 09:48:00 +0000

agave syrup is made from the same plant as tequila . it is four times sweeter than table sugar and contains 60 calories per tablespoon . it is mostly fructose, a sugar that has little impact on blood sugar.

-according to university of guadalajara researchers , blue agave -a plant extract used to make tequila -can pass through stomach acids without being destroyed. the hope is that doctors will be able to use agave as a vessel for delivering colon -cancer drugs more effectively.

according to mens' health magazine south africa where men rated their happiness , mexico came out tops. on a scale from one to ten mexican men averaged 7.61. runners up were the netherlands at 6.97 and ukraine at 6.94

Tequila Growers Hurting as Industry Turns to Big Farms

noreply@blogger.com (The team) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:04:00 +0000

Discovery Channel.com, February 9, 2009
10/02/2009 09:55:26

Emily Sohn, Discovery News

For many people, drinking tequila is a good way to forget life's worries -- at least for a while. But behind each sip of salt-rimmed margarita is an agricultural system that is filled with worry, according to a new study. While the tequila industry has grown tremendously in recent years, changing industry practices are shutting out small-scale Mexican farmers and damaging the environment of the region where agave plants are grown for tequila production. "There are a lot of ways that [tequila] has been really successful," said Sarah Bowen, a sociologist at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. "But not for everyone." Like Roquefort cheese and Champagne, laws require that tequila be made only a specific part of the world. Designated areas like these are called geographical indications, or GIs, and GIs are designed to add value to a product. The idea is that a region's climate, soil properties and other geographic peculiarities produce unique flavors that can't be created anywhere else. In many cases, GIs have also lent cultural and historical pride to a region, supporting independent farmers and traditional farming techniques. In Mexico, things haven't worked out so well, Bowen said. She focused her research on one community in the Mexican state of Jalisco, where tequila production began more than 400 years ago. Jalisco, along with parts of four other states, earned GI status in 1974, making tequila the first GI outside of Europe. To be called tequila, at least 51 percent of a bottle's contents must be made from blue agave plants grown within designated boundaries. These days, transnational companies like Cuervo do most of the tequila making, but the process is the same as it always was: First, leaves are plucked. Then, the plant's pineapple-like hearts are roasted, crushed, fermented, and distilled into tequila. The trouble for tequila companies is that agave is not a particularly reliable crop. It takes between six and 10 years from the time a seed is planted until it can be harvested, so variable growing conditions lead to cycles of boom and bust. And bad years create shortages that lack a quick fix. Those cycles have been getting worse in recent years, with an especially extreme shortage in the 1990s, even as worldwide demand for tequila has continued to escalate. To protect themselves against the uncertainties, companies started growing up to 90 percent of their own agave instead of relying on small farmers to provide the crop. That switch has been tough on farmers, who have long relied on agave for their main source of income. "Farmers were really concerned," Bowen told Discovery News. She and colleague Ana Valenzuela Zapata conducted extensive interviews and workshops with farmers, government officials, tequila producers and other players in the industry. Their analyses appeared in the January issue of the Journal of Rural Studies. "It's a desperate situation," she said. "They're not aware of all the politics in the industry, but they are aware that it is becoming almost impossible to sell agave and that tequila companies are cutting them out." Compared to traditional methods, tequila companies also use far more herbicides and pesticides, and they are less likely to intersperse agave with other crops. These practices have increased soil erosion and reduced water quality. Ironically, they've also led to higher levels of pest infestation and disease, Bowen said. Stricter rules by the Mexican government would be necessary to make tequila successful for both companies and farmers, said Peter Gerritson, a rural sociologist at the University of Guadalajara in Mexico. He also suggested narrowing the size of the GI, which is now relatively large and spread out, to help revive the spirit of what the designation was meant to do in the first place: create unique flavors and inspire regional pride. "Tequila is promoted as the national drink of Mexico," Gerritson said. "It has this geological indication, which gives the idea of a locally-based product that is related to its region and natural resources. I think the message of this work is that, well, it is much more complex than that.

noreply@blogger.com (The team) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:58:00 +0000

Celebs Savour Mexican Delights

noreply@blogger.com (The team) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:36:00 +0000

Diamonds produced from tequila: Scientists in Mexico say they've managed to turn tequila into diamonds

noreply@blogger.com (The team) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:17:00 +0000

By Greg Morsbach, BBC News

A method of producing synthetic diamonds using tequila - Mexico's favourite alcoholic drink - has been discovered, scientists there say.

The amazing discovery was made by physicists from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and could have many industrial uses.

There is one catch however. The synthetic diamond crystals are too small to be turned into jewellery.

Mexico produces hundreds of millions of litres of tequila every year.

Annual sales to the US alone are worth about $500m.

The head of the scientific team, Miguel Apatica explained to the BBC how they came up with their discovery.

"First of all we turn the liquid tequila into vapour by using a lot of heat. The gas molecules are then broken up into tiny particles. Then we increase the heat even further - to around 800 degrees celsius."

"The end result is that we get carbon atoms which are then deposited in the shape of a very thin diamond film," he added.

The synthetic diamond crystals can only be seen under an electron microscope.

Although they cannot be used for jewellery, there are plenty of practical applications for them.

They can be used as an alternative to silicon in computer chips or as ultra fine cutting instruments in medical procedures.

One advantage of making diamond film from tequila is that it is extremely cheap.

The scientists found that even the cheapest of tequila brands, averaging at $3 a bottle, are good enough to make diamonds.

BBC NEWS

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Tom Parker Bowles' adventure to the Tequila Valley

noreply@blogger.com (The team) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 13:47:00 +0000

Mexican stand-out: A tequila buzz without the hangover
Tom Parker Bowles for Mail Online 18th November 2008

Five minutes after midnight in the Mexican highland town of Arandas, and the unassuming taco stand was wreathed in smoke and crowds.

Plump links of hand-made chorizo dangled from the awning, spring onions charred over the flames and tortillas were made to order.

My Spanish isn't up to much, so I just pointed at various piles of sizzling beef and pork, emboldened by the tequila coursing through my veins.

I slathered a trio of fresh salsas on top, finished with a twist of lime, and rolled the lot up into a puffy tortilla. The cost was minimal, no more than 20p, yet the pleasure was intense.

What was more remarkable still was my state the following morning. Or rather lack of. The previous night had been spent tasting tequila, and what had started with polite sips and civilised discussion descended into a very merry session.

But the bottles of tequila in question were as far removed from the mass-market head-wreckers as a child's stick-man is from a Titian cherub.

All were made from 100 per cent blue agave, a member of the lily family indigenous to the state of Jalisco. In fact, only agave grown in this state (as well as those grown in specific parts of four other states) can legally be called tequila.

The plant takes about eight years to reach maturity, then it's stripped of its leaves so just the pina, or heart, remains. This is steam-cooked in brick ovens for 24 to 48 hours, crushed and the resulting liquid mixed with local spring water.

Natural yeast is added and it ferments, from 48 hours to four days, before being distilled twice.

Tequila blanco is not aged, while reposados needs a minimum of two months in wooden barrels and anejo needs at least a year.

Terroir is everything, from the climate to the soil. Ultra-premium Partida comes from agave grown near the town of Tequila, sitting about 1,500m above sea level.

The blanco is peppery and sparky, with a strong, vegetal hit of agave. Ocho blanco, hailing from the Arandas area, about 2,000m above sea level, is more smooth and rounded. But both are superior tipples.

The Partida reposados is rich, smooth and full of caramel, the Ocho rather more nutty, with a hint of sweetness. Both anejos are as rich and complex as good brandy, the digestif to blanco's aperitif.

After three days spent in tequila country, quaffing the very best, I was hooked. Even better still, tequila of this quality produces next to no hangover.

This might sound too good to be true, but even after a good few glasses, the next morning brought barely a twitch. Beautifully made and wonderfully varied – with the very finest tequila, there's no such thing as a downside.

Partida tequila from £45, Ocho from £18, thedrinkshop.com and harveynichols.com

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Tequila Ocho takes part at the Cafe Iguana's tequila masterclass in Singapure

noreply@blogger.com (The team) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 13:40:00 +0000

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