Tequila y Mezcal
Tequila is a distilled spirit made from the Weber Blue Agave plant (a relative of the cactus). The starchy, round root of the agave plant is called a ‘pina’ because when the leaves are cut back the root resembles a pineapple, though it is not a fruit. If eaten raw, agave tastes like a very starchy, bland jicama, but when it is roasted it tastes and smells sweet like a roasted yam.
Agave is nearly always hand harvested, using traditional tools and methods and the men who harvest the agave are known as ‘jimadors’. Once the pinas are harvested, they are slow baked in ovens to convert the starches into sugars. Traditionally, the agave would then be pressed under a large stone called a ‘Tahona’, though most producers now use more industrial methods. The juice is then fermented, then distilled.
The Aztec people used to drink a fermented beverage from the agave plant called ‘pulque’, which is essentially to tequila what beer is to whiskey. When the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the 16th century, they soon ran out of their own brandy and started distilling agave to create North America’s first indigenous spirit.
By law, all tequila is from Mexico, specifically from the state of Jalisco. Much of the production is centered around the town of Tequila, about 40 miles north west of Guadalajara. Within Jalisco, there are four sub regions of tequila production; Michoacán, Guanajuato, Nayarit and Tamaulipas.
There are two major classifications in tequila styles: 100% blue agave and mixto. 100% blue agave is the more distinctive product, while mixto tequila only must be from 51% blue agave, with the other 49% may be made from a variety of sweeteners such as caramel, glycerin, corn or cane sugar. We do not carry mixto tequilas at any Handcrafted restaurants.
100% agave tequila is then made in five different styles:
- Silver/Blanco: pure, clear and typically unaged. These tend to have the most pure agave flavor.
- Gold/Joven: this category encompasses many inexpensive mixto tequilas, which add caramel coloring to achieve the golden flavor. There are higher quality ‘joven’ tequilas that are 100% blue agave, but these are typically blends of silver, reposado and/or anejo tequilas.
- Reposado: these are tequilas that are ‘rested’ is wood barrels between two months and one year.
- Anejo: aged between one year and three years in barrels that do not exceed 600 liters. Smoother with more vanilla, spice and caramel notes. Typically amber in color.
- Extra Anejo: aged more than three years in barrels that do not exceed 600 liters. Rich mahogany color with lots of complexity and smooth texture.
Mezcal is a spirit also made from the agave plant, but while tequila is made from Blue Agave in Jalisco, Mezcal is can be made from several different agave varieties and is usually made in Oaxaca. The most common (and highest quality) variety is called ‘espadin’. Mezcal will typically have a smoky quality from being roasted underground in a fire pit, rather than being baked in an oven as in tequila production. Also, while tequilas are usually distilled from pure agave liquid, mezcals may use the starchy solids in the distillation process, giving more complex vegetal notes. Artisan mezcals are almost always clear to preserve the agave and smoky flavors.
Some low-end mezcals will have a worm in the bottle, a corny marketing gimmick started in the 1940s. The worm is actually the larvae of a moth that lives on the agave plant.
The most popular cocktail made with tequila is most certainly the ‘Margarita’, classically made with tequila, Cointreau (or another orange liqueur such as curacao) and lime, with a salted rim. In Mexico, the most popular drink is the ‘Paloma’, made with tequila, grapefruit soda and lime. In the town of Tequila, Don Javier at La Capilla (the town’s oldest and most awesome bar) makes a drink called the ‘Batanga’, made with tequila, lime and coca-cola.
Tequila Brands
Casamigos Blanco: premium 100% blue agave tequila.
Casamigos Reposado: premium 100% blue agave tequila, aged seven months in used American oak whiskey barrels. George Clooney is a co-owner of this product.
Casamigos Anejo: premium 100% blue agave tequila, aged fourteen months in used American oak whiskey barrels. Smooth and complex with lots of vanilla notes and just the right amount of agave sweetness.
Clase Azul Reposado: made from all organic agave, aged 8 months in used oak barrels and served in a handmade ceramic bottle. Very smooth with more caramel notes that other reposados.
Don Julio 1942: aged 2 ½ years in American oak. Complex and rich with caramelized agave, toffee and spice notes.
Pueblo Viejo Blanco Tequila - 100% blue agave tequila with citrus and herbal notes. Awesome in a Margarita or Paloma! (This is our new well tequila, replacing El Jimador)
Fortaleza Blanco: 100% blue agave tequila made in a traditional style, pressed by large stone called Tahona. The blanco is clean and grassy with a very pure agave flavor.
Fortaleza Reposado: 100% blue agave tequila made in a traditional style, pressed by large stone called Tahona. The reposado is exceptionally smooth and balanced.
Fortaleza Anejo: 100% blue agave tequila made in a traditional style, pressed by large stone called Tahona. The anejo is golden in color with vanilla, caramel and roasted agave aromas.
Maestro Dobel: a very unique aged tequila that looks clear due to their filtration process. Actually a blend of reposado, anejo and extra anejo tequilas. Incredibly smooth, this is what to suggest in lieu of Patron. We are currently serving a single barrel Maestro Dobel, aged in 100% French oak and bottled exclusively for Monkeypod Kitchen.
Siete Leguas Anejo: smooth, full-bodied anejo aged 24 months in oak. Siete Leguas (‘Seven Leagues’) was the name of Pancho Villa’s favorite horse.
Don Cheyo Tequila:
Silver, 100% Blue Agave, Clean, Clear and Fresh $11
Anejo, aged 18 months in oak barrels, elegant, full bodied with long smooth finish $13
Extra Anejo, aged 36 months in oak barrels, Rich, Elegant and full bodied $17
Mezcal Brands
Del Maguey ‘Vida’: affordable mezcal from San Luis del Rio with fruity aromas and a hint of honey. Great for mixing in cocktails.
Del Maguey ‘Chichicapa’: single-village mezcal from San Balthazar Chichicapa village, which lies at 7000ft elevation. Smooth and accessible with aromas of citrus and mint.
Del Maguey ‘Minero’: single-village mezcal from Santa Catarina Minas. Robust and sweet with vanilla, fig and floral notes
Del Maguey ‘Pechuga’: single-village mezcal that begins just as the Minero mezcal, which is already double distilled. On the next distillation, a combination of wild mountain apples, plums, plantain bananas, almonds and uncooked rice are added to the mezcal, which is then distilled through a washed chicken breast (pechuga) is suspended in the still so the vapors can pass through it. No joke. This stuff is really unique and special.
Xicaru: traditionally made mezcal at an affordable price. 100% espadin agave, tahona mashed and cooked with mesquite and ocote wood. Smoky with nice earthy and citrus notes. Xicaru means beautiful in Zapotec. 81 proof