Tequila

Casa Noble: Driving More Refined Tequila Consumption

Filed under: Spirits

By: David Kiley

Tequila seems to have to fight for respect more than other spirits, such as whisky, rum, brandy and even vodka. Perhaps it's because Tequila seems to be more associated, in the U.S. with benders and beach parties rather than snifters and sommeliers.

But one of the small-volume craft Tequila producers helping to raise Tequila's image beyond the margarita is Casa Noble, a brand whose history dates back to the 1700s.

Casa Noble, which produces about 150,000 litters of Tequila of different ages each year, produces from a holding of about 3,000 acres of blue agave, about one-tenth that of Tequila giant Jose Cuervo (curve also buys blue agave from other growers). And Casa Noble's blue agave fields are mostly on slopes and hillsides, which stresses the plant, and the company believes produces a more complex tasting agave plant.

Tags: Casa Noble, spirits, tequila

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Why Diageo Is Seeking to Buy Jose Cuervo

by Unknown (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

By: David Kiley

United Kingdom drinks giant Diageo is believed to be considering a bid to buy the historic and iconic Jose Cuervo Tequila brand, the biggest Tequila brand and operation in the world, from the Beckmann family whose family tree traces to the original Antonio de Cuervo and a Mexican land grant from Spain in 1758 to start a blue agave farm.

Diageo already controls most of the distribution of Jose Cuervo. But media reports on both sides of the Atlantic say the beverage company, which also owns Guinness and a raft of other spirits brands, including Johnnie Walker Scotch Whisky, Tanqueray Gin and Crown Royal Canadian Whiskey, would pay perhaps $2 billion to own it outright.

The reason for Diageo's interest is open for speculation for now, since neither side is doing much talking. But Tequila consumption has been growing, though 84 percent of world consumption is still concentrated in Mexico and the U.S., according to Just-Drinks.

Tags: Diageo, Jose Cuervo, spirits, Tequila, The Beckmann Family

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Jose Cuervo Tequila to Sponsor Sauber F1 Team

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Sports

As tequila enters the mainstream as a premium spirit alongside the likes of vodka and whisky, so will it need a platform to promote itself. And few fora are proving as fitting as motor racing.

After rival distiller Patron promoted its sponsorship of individual teams in the American Le Mans Series to title sponsorship of the entire championship, Jose Cuervo has announced a new deal that takes them straight to the very pinnacle of motor racing: Formula One. The tequila company will be sponsoring the Sauber F1 team, and announced the deal shortly after the team signed Mexican driver Sergio Perez to race its cars this season.

Although Sauber may not be among the top teams today, it has fielded some of the best drivers in the sport, including world champions Kimi Raikkonen, Jacques Villeneuve and Sebastian Vettel. Though its best results came during the BMW years in 2007 and 2008 when it placed second and third in the championship, the team has since returned to using Ferrari engines.

Tags: cuervo, f1, formula 1, formula one, Jose Cuervo, sauber, sauber f1, sauber f1 team, tequila

KAH Day of the Dead Tequila

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

It's not Halloween but then skulls never really go out of style, do they? Especially not crazy artistic ones like these. Spice up your liquor collection and have yourself some great sipping spirits with KAH Day of the Dead tequilas. The Reposado, shown here in the red, is described as 'ultra smooth' and 'ultra high-proof,' with hints of vanilla and caramel after being aged for 10 months in French limousine casks. The Blanco features sweet notes of cooked agave with a spicy white pepper finish, while the Anejo is all about coffee, chocolate, and tobacco flavors. They all sound delish but what really tops the cake is that all three versions are kosher, certified organic, and come in these beautifully handmade & hand-painted decorative bottles. $49.99-$59.99

Source

Tags: day of the dead, skull, tequila

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Hot Holiday Cocktails from Hornitos Tequila

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Video

You may not think of tequila as a traditional holiday tipple, but in fact more of it is consumed over the holidays than at any other time of the year. It certainly fits the bill when you're looking for a party crowd-pleaser, for one thing. Hornitos Premium Tequila, the 100% puro agave tequila from Beam Global Spirits & Wine, named after the small agave ovens which played a central part in the great Don Francisco Javier Sauza's revolution of the tequila industry 50 years ago, has created some unexpected holiday drinks designed to "instigate a night of endless celebratory possibilities" using their acclaimed Plata, Reposado and Anejo expressions. They've also come up with an extra-special concoction for New Year's Eve which will be served at the Official Times Square New Year's Eve Party at the Hard Rock Cafe, while debuting a cool new commercial (above) set to run from December 27th – January 2 tied to the occasion. Read on for recipes and bottoms up.

Hornitos Holiday Smash

1 ½ parts Hornitos™ Añejo Tequila
2 slices fresh pear
1 wedge of fresh lemon
1 half moon slice of orange
½ part simple syrup
3 whole cloves

In a sturdy double Old Fashioned glass muddle the cloves. Add to the glass the orange, lemon, and pear and muddle with simple syrup. Fill glass with ice, add Hornitos and stir. Serves One. [cont'd]

Tags: cocktail, cocktail recipe, cocktails, Holiday 2010, holidays, Hornitos, New Years Eve, Sauza, spirits, tequila

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Casa Noble Single Barrel Extra Anejo Tequila

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

In time for the holidays the Park Avenue Liquor Shop in New York has acquired one of only three existing barrels of seven-year-old tequila from Casa Noble CEO Jose "Pepe" Hermosillo. These precious casks are known as his "friends & family" barrels which have never been commercially available before.

Only 300 bottles of the rare spirit, which sells for $100, have been produced exclusively for the store. The Casa Noble Single Barrel Extra Anejo Tequila is aged in a single certified French white oak barrel, individually numbered and registered, made from 100% Blue agave, triple distilled, and USDA organic.

The intense heat of the Jalisco region of Mexico where the tequila is made accelerates the aging process. The blue agave plants that become Casa Noble Single Barrel Extra Anejo Tequila - plants grown in the mountains of Jalisco by Casa Noble itself - take 12 years to fully mature, so it has taken 19 years in all to produce the precious elixir.

Tags: Casa Noble, Mexico, New York, Park Avenue Liquor Shop, spirits, tequila

$3.5 Million Bottle Of Tequila To Hit London Auction Block

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

The most expensive bottle of tequila in the world is to be auctioned in London at a starting price of $3.5 million. Made by the Tequilera Hacienda La Capilla, located in La Capilla de Guadalupe, Jalisco, the bottle contains over 4,000 diamonds and 2.38 kilograms of pure platinum. Its total weight is eight kilograms.

Created exclusively by Mexicans, the bottle is called "The Law of the Diamond."

The bottle is crafted by designer Fernando Altamirano.

It is hoped that the auction price of the bottle will smash the existing Guinness World Record, which was set at $225,000 dollars by another Tequilera Hacienda La Capilla-made bottle.

After the auction, the bottle will go on a tour of major cities including Zurich, Paris, Madrid and Monaco.

The bottle does contain some Tequila--supposedly a rather fine quality 100-percent agave tequila.

Tags: Guinness records, Law of Diamond, Tequila, tequila auction, Tequilera Hacienda La Capilla

1800 Tequila Shows Up In Twista Video, Soon To Be At Knicks Games

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Sports

Last time we checked out 1800 Tequila, Michael Imperioli was promoting the brand, projecting an air of urbane cool. Imperioli still represents the brand but the video above shows that the tequila gets around, making an appearance in Twista's video for The Heat, featuring Raekwon.The super-premium tequila is pure, 100% blue agave tequila grown on family-owned ranches and bottled in Jalisco, Mexico. Each bottle of 1800® Tequila is double-distilled and matured in French and American oak barrels and bottled with a stopper that doubles as a shot glass.

The brand also just announced a marketing agreement with the New York Knicks (following fast on the heels of Stoli's deal with the Nets). The NY Times reports that the deal includes signs at courtside and on the scoreboard as well as a number of promotional activities.

Tags: 1800 tequila, michael imperioli, new york knicks, tequila, twista

Tequila Avion, New for the Private Jet Set

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Ken Austin, Executive Vice Chairman of Marquis Jet, is launching a new ultra premium spirit called Tequila Avion for the private jet set. Austin attracted several million dollars in funding from investors including notables from the worlds of art and culture, business, technology, sports, lifestyle and luxury goods to get the new venture off the ground. Produced by fifth generation agave growers from among the finest Blue Weber agave found in the highest regions of Jalisco, Mexico, the tequila's distinct flavors are achieved through a combination of slow-roasting at lower temperatures to protect the natural flavors of the agave and an ultra-slow filtration process which creates an ultra-smooth taste profile. It's available in Silver, Reposado and Anejo varietals.

"I've always experimented and searched for a tequila that is smooth and has great character, whether I drink it neat or in a cocktail," Austin notes. "Over the years, close friends and business associates who were also passionate about tequila have joined me in this pursuit. We came to realize that if we wanted the ideal tequila – balancing exceptional taste, character and smoothness - we would have to create it ourselves. With the help of experts that understood our quest, that is exactly what we have achieved in Tequila Avion, a distinctive and defining new standard of quality and taste in tequila, or 'Taste Elevated' as we refer to it." Tequila Avion is now available at select locations including New York's Park Avenue Liquor Shop.

Tags: agave, Marquis Jet, Mexico, Park Avenue Liquor Shop, private aviation, private jet, spirits, tequila, Tequila Avion

Patron Tequila Introduces "The Art of the Drink"

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Inspired by the number of fresh, mixable ingredients available in the warmer months, Patrón, the world's #1 ultra-premium tequila, is inaugurating a new series called The Art of the Drink dedicated to re-thinking the elements that make up the perfect summer cocktail. For the first installment in the new series, Patrón reached out to mixologists and bar chefs across the country to re-imagine the classic margarita and examine the perfect balance of salty and sweet that has made it one of America's favorite cocktails. Kyle Fountaine, the mixologist at Blackbird in Chicago, created the Rubia Bonita (below, left), re-examining the sour element of the margarita with unripe strawberries, and adding cilantro, lime juice and orange bitters to showcase the balanced flavor of Patrón Silver tequila (above, middle).

Tags: Chicago, cocktail, cocktails, margarita, mixology, New York, Patron, Patron tequila, summer cocktails, tequila

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The Spirits of Father's Day. Ten Bottles To Buy Dad.

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

With Father's Day sneaking up on June 20, it is never too late to get Dad a gift he will appreciate if he keeps a bar and the better liquor retailers are open.

Choosing ten bottles as choices or Father's Day is not easy. But I apply a few criteria for gift giving suggestions.

1. Don't just get Dad a bottle of what he always drinks. If he drinks Wild Turkey week-to-week, think about a Small-batch bourbon that gets opened for special occasions, like when you surprise him with a Sunday afternoon visit he didn't expect.

2. Stay within his wheelhouse. If he drinks whisky 80% of the time, and hasn't made a Rum drink in 20 years, don't spend your money on an expensive Rum just because you like the bottle or the box it comes in.

3. Don't go for Vodka. Even if he drinks Vodka 90% of the time, I have yet to find the bottle of vodka I thought was worthy to give as a gift. It's colorless with barely a distinguishable taste. That doesn't say, "I love you Dad," in my book.

4. Think about introducing him to a new expression that is related to his taste. If he likes Islay (peaty) single-malt whiskies, buy one you don't see on his shelf that is more than he would spend on himself.

5. If he really is focused on one brand, like Glenmorangie Scotch, Jose Cuervo Tequila or Jack Daniels, you can't go wrong by buying him one of those distillery's premium or limited edition expressions. If he buys 12-year old Glenmorangie for himself, for example, he should love it if you buy him the 18-year old or one of the other premium or super-premium expressions.

If you are still stymied, and want an extra degree of novelty, go to www.johnniewalker.com, and take the Father's Day quiz, which asks the gift-giver to match the characteristics of their father to the right expression of JW: Red, Blue, Green, Gold or Black. I took the quiz for myself, and found that the best match for me is Johnnie Walker Gold.

Here are ten bottles I eagerly recommend for Dad, covering a few different categories: whisky, bourbon, rye, Port, Tequila and an after-dinner digestif.

Gallery: Ten Great Pours For Father's Day

Tags: alcohol, bourbon, fathers Day bourbon, Fathers Day Gift Guide, Fathers Day Spirits, Fathers Day Tequila, Fathers Day whisky, liquor, port, rye, tequila, whisky

Hopquila, A New Way To Drink Hops And Barley

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Hopquila? The last liquor mash up comes from New Holland Brewing of Holland Michigan, a company that makes craft whiskey, rum, gin, vodka and now, Hatter Royale Hopquila. The bottle is adorned with a Mad Hatter-like figure and the creation itself was a bit of an experiment. The Chicago Tribune reports that the beverage is bit of a coss between a beer and a spirit. The product website says that the Hopquila is a fermented wash of 100% barley is twice distilled, then steeped with Centennial hops. The resulting beverage is actually an un-aged whiskey but has the hoppy notes of a beer with some of the citrusy and floral notes of a tequila. So far it sells in just a few states and costs $35.

Tags: hopquila, hops, spirits, tequila, whisky

The Perfect Margarita for Cinco de Mayo

by Ariston Anderson (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

The perfect tequila is neither too sweet nor too salty. It's made from all natural, high-quality ingredients. And, it has just the right amount of kick to accompany your guacamole. This year, celebrate Mexican heritage right on Cinco de Mayo with CORZO's Evolutionary Margarita, designed by Mixologist Jonathan Pogash.

Gone are the days of mixing margaritas with sugary Triple Sec or additive-laden tequilas. "The use of savory ingredients in this drink is one of my favorite trends that we're currently seeing a lot of at the bar," says Pogash. The Evolutionary Margarita is the prime example of fine tequila cocktails today, made from delicious fresh peppers and lightly sweet blue agave nectar. The combination perfectly complements the naturally sweet CORZO Reposado, which is made with twice the agave plants of normal tequilla as well as a triple distillation process to achieve the uniquely smooth CORZO taste. And with a green lime and red pepper garnish, colors from the Mexican flag, it's a perfect cocktail for the fifth of May.

Tags: cinco de mayo, cocktail recipes, corzo, corzo reposado, margarita, margarita recipe, tequila

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Ten Terrific Tequilas To Ring In Cinco de Mayo

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Drinking tequila if you get drawn out to the bars on Cinco de Mayo is a must. Consider the obligation akin to ordering Guinness on St. Patrick's Day.

But instead of just imbibing some mysterious "ita" drink conjured by the bartender (though some of these can be very nice), consider trying a new brand straight and chilled in order to really note the flavors.
Not a lot of Tequila gets consumed straight in the U.S. For many, they don't want to see it unless its in a traditional margarita, or otherwise tarted up with lots of fruit.

Here is my guilty pleasure when I'm not drinking it chilled and straight. Take a shot of tequila, and a 100% fruit frozen popsicle. Cut the the popsicle off the stick into a blender, add the Tequila, blend, and serve. Garnish with lime and or salt on the rim of the glass as with a standard margarita, or get jiggy with the salt. Blend the salt with orange zest, or fresh ginger, or fresh rhubarb, mint, or even basil. Be your own mixologist.

You can also use frozen fruit in a bag, but the popsicle approach makes for a perfect serving size, and friends get a kick out of it.

Gallery: Ten Terrific Tequilas for Cinco de Mayo

Tags: Casa Noble, cinco de mayo, Don Julio, Jose Cuervo, Patron, Tequila, Tequila Anejo, Tequila Blanco, Tequila Reposado

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Rosangel Hibiscus-Flavored Tequila, A Cinco de Mayo Treat

by Ann Brenoff (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Sipping a margarita made with the hibiscus-infused Gran Centenario's Rosangel's Tequila took me back several decades to when I tasted my first flavored spirit. It was a Buffalo vodka and appropriately enough, it was served to me in the former USSR on the eve of May Day.

So here on the eve of celebrating Cinco de Mayo, it seemed only appropriate to try the fanciful combination of an hibiscus-infused tequila that debuted to market about a year ago. While not a frequent tequila drinker, I was curious about the hibiscus, which as a tea drink is consumed hot or cold all over the world. In Mexico, the hibiscus is known for its mild flavor, tanginess and color.

Rosangel is made of the "finest, sweetest, highest quality" 100% Highland blue agave, and only harvested after a decade or more. The hearts of the agave are baked for up to 72 hours in traditional clay ovens to "guarantee that even the subtlest flavors of the agave remain." After the resulting spirit is fermented and distilled, it rests in new French Limousin white oak barrels for a minimum of 10 months, then blended with a small amount of older tequila reserves for balance and character and then set to rest for another two months in port barrels.

Tags: alcohol, cinco de mayo, Gran Centenario, Gran Centenario Rosangel, spirits, tequila, tequila recipes, tequila tasting

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