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Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/121046
WHICH UP-AND-COMING TEQUILA ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT? ���I love T1 Tequila Uno, produced by German Gonzalez, who was the master distiller at Chinaco for years���just like his father and father���s father. They have a distinctive ���avor due to being aged in Scotch barrels. You can actually taste a hint of peat along with the usual agave ���avors of citrus and pineapple, and it is a perfect ���bridge��� tequila for your Scotch drinkers who haven���t tried ���ne tequila in awhile.��� ���Chuck Meyer, managing partner, La Condesa, St. Helena, CA Because many guests are familiar with the concept of single-estate wines and how terroir impacts their ���avors, helping them understand that the same is true of tequila can be an effective selling tool. The blue agave earmarked for tequila can legally be grown in just ���ve areas of Mexico (Jalisco, plus small parts of Tamaulipas, Nayarit, Guanajuato and Michoacan). Because the soil, moisture and temperature varies, tequilas made from agave grown in these different terroirs have different ���avor characteristics. Agaves grown in the ���highlands��� of Jalisco, where the earth is iron rich and nighttime temperatures are cooler, will produce tequilas considered to be sweeter, more aromatic, ���oral and fruity. Agaves grown in ���lowlands,��� where temperatures are hotter and soil is volcanic, produce tequilas considered to be drier, more ���avor-forward and assertive. ���The concept of terroir is one of the most important aspects of distinguishing tequilas,��� says David SuroPi��era, owner of the Siembra Azul tequila brand and owner of Tequilas restaurant in Philadelphia. ���In our restaurant, we don���t let our servers suggest brands, only ���avor pro���les.��� Most tequila terroir talk focuses on highland and lowland characteristics. But experts say to look for more information on the other terroirs in the future. ���MKR 18 | APRIL 2013 You have to be really picky, advises Jay Silverman, food and beverage manager at Mexican restaurant Agave in New York. ���And block everything out but the taste.��� Erwin Stone, general manager at El Carmen in Los Angeles, notes that a lot of places want to have ���as many tequilas as are known to man.��� But it���s not about the numbers, or the deals and discounts offered by reps, he says. ���You really have to make your decisions based on the taste and your own personal research.��� The very nature of tequila engenders respect: Unlike vodka, gin or other spirits distilled from quickly-grown or easilyobtained sugars, tequila is legally made from the core (pina) of only one kind of agave plant���the tequilana Weber blue variety. The succulent typically takes six to 12 years to mature. But even with a perfect pina, many steps will ultimately determine the quality of the resulting tequila, from how it was harvested and cooked to how it was juiced, fermented and distilled. Add to that differences in terroir that affect flavor, plus all that goes in to aging reposado and anejo tequilas (the types of wood barrels the tequilas were rested in, what was in the barrels if previously used to age other spirits, length of time in the barrels), and you begin to see why homework is required. To stay on top of tequila knowledge and terminology, operators say it���s a good idea to schedule as many restaurant visits from tequila makers and representatives as possible. Visits to the actual distilleries in Mexico are another way to learn about tequila. You can also hire tequila experts or consultants to come in and talk. This has a two-fold benefit: Experts can train staff at behind-the-scenes restaurant sessions, and educate guests in open-to-the-public classes and dinners. www.cheersonline.com JODY HORTON La Condesa in St. Helena, CA, offers several tequila cocktails, including the Alma Blanca (shown at left), with habanero-infused Zapepon Blanco tequila, with Xtanbentum (Mayan honey-anisette liqueur), fresh corn, fresh pineapple juice, agave nectar and anisette spray in a glass rimmed with hibiscus salt.