Beverage Dynamics

Beverage Dynamics May-June 2016

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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30 Beverage Dynamics • May/June 2016 www.beveragedynamics.com A t a time when tequila sales are booming both in the U.S. and internationally, and a fl ood of new brands continue to appear at retailers' doors, it's diffi cult to assemble a price assortment that sticks to value as the most important matter. Part of the problem is that tequila is so tied in these days with luxury imagery, celebrity promotion and brands that are contracted rather than produced by the brand owner. Not that those brands can't be quality (after all, when Patron broke open the luxury tequila market, its liquid was being produced at a dis- tillery it didn't own). With so much of the brand identifi cation tied to position- ing, it can be hard to know how exactly one tequila differs from another. "Only a few brands are explaining how they make their tequila, but the good news is that there is a lot of information out there these days and a little research will tell you all you need to know," says Patron's production manager, Antonio Rodriguez. Beyond marketing and promotion, there are a limited num- ber of factors that impact the quality and production expenses related to making a tequila, and in this and a subsequent piece on aged tequila expressions, the July/August issue of Beverage Dynamics will tease out the various steps that create quality ex- pressions in aged tequila. Labor and time create the major costs. "There are tequilas that are produced less cost-effective than others, with everything cut and harvested and roasted by hand," says Beam Suntory master spirits ambassador Iain McCallum. "Whenever you use handcrafted methods, you are being less effi cient and so there is likely to be a higher cost associated." EMPHASIS ON AGAVE First and foremost, of course, there are the agaves. The increase in focus on 100% blue Weber agave tequilas means producers are less frequently including other sweeteners as they do in mixto tequilas, and all ultra- and super-premium tequilas are generally 100% agave. Simple enough, but which agaves? From where? How old? With what sugar content? How are they processed? Examining the Mexican spirit's ingredients, production methods and distillation. Tequila In-Depth (Part One) BY JACK ROBERTIELLO More on Tequila The July/August issue of Beverage Dynamics will examine aged tequila.

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