Beverage Dynamics

Beverage Dynamics May/June 2015

Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.

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38 Beverage Dynamics • May/June 2015 www.beveragedynamics.com T here's a mystique and romance surrounding tequila that few products enjoy. The import has captivated the imagination of the American drinking public, making it the fastest growing category of spirits in the country. As afi ciona- dos grow more discerning, distillers are responding by releasing the best and brightest their craft can produce — innovative offerings such as ultra-premium blancos, vintage-dated and single-estate bottlings and increasingly rarer and older añejos. "I'm confident that in the foreseeable future tequila will challenge vodka as America's spirit of choice," contends Gary Shansby, founder and chairman of Partida Tequila. "Tequila has everything consumers are looking for in a spirit — body, texture, enticing aromatics, layers upon layers of sensational fl avors and unlimited drink applications. Vodka simply can't offer consumers the same enticements." Crafting great tequila is a labor- and time-intensive process. Agaves mature at their own pace, irrespective of demand. It takes the plant between eight and twelve years to reach maturity and optimally is harvested when the plant's natural sugar content has peaked at about 21-25 brix. The agave thrives in rich volcanic soil, and a warm and dry T here's a mystique and romance surrounding tequila that few products enjoy. T here's a mystique and romance surrounding tequila that few products enjoy. T here's a mystique and romance surrounding tequila that few products enjoy. T The import has captivated the imagination of the American drinking public, T The import has captivated the imagination of the American drinking public, T The import has captivated the imagination of the American drinking public, T making it the fastest growing category of spirits in the country. As afi ciona- T making it the fastest growing category of spirits in the country. As afi ciona- T making it the fastest growing category of spirits in the country. As afi ciona- T dos grow more discerning, distillers are responding by releasing the best and T dos grow more discerning, distillers are responding by releasing the best and climate. Cutting corners or speeding up the process may make fi nancial sense, but it's not how to make great tequila. NEW TEQUILAS LAUNCHED The unfettered growth of tequilas has left many consumers feeling overwhelmed. As of November 2014, there were 1,324 brands ("marcas") of tequila being pro- duced by 154 registered tequila distilleries. So in case you've missed the initial fanfare over their release, here is our take on new tequilas destined for the fast track. After all, nothing breeds success like success. An excellent example is DeLeón Tequila, a super-premium brand hand- crafted in the Los Altos Highlands from sugar-rich agaves. The blanco is double distilled, chill-fi ltered and bottled unaged. The brand's reposado is matured two months in both charred, American white oak barrels and French oak casks, while the DeLeón Añejo is rested a minimum of 12 months. According to Miguel Cedeño Cruz, master distiller of DeLeón Tequila, the brand is establishing a new standard of luxury. "Every step of the production pro- cess is taken to the next level in order to THE TEQUILA Class of 2015 New tequila sensations debut in U.S. BY ROBERT PLOTKIN

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