A place to discuss all things Agave and Agave cocktails.
Tequila is on a trajectory like Bourbon was 6 or 7 years ago in the last few years, with the ability to surpass Vodka in the US in value.
A few favorites of mine:
Tequila: Terralta (great source for high proof, same team as G4), El Mayor, Fortaleza (everything), Cuervo RDLF, Rey Sol, Siete Leguas, Herradurra Repo, Dobel Diamante, Centenario Plata, San Matias GR, and Volans
Mezcal: El Jologorio, 400 Conejos, Xicaru, Marca Negra, Agave de Cortes, Vago
Not to be a downer, but those in the know are very wary of the impact of “big tequila/mezcal” on the market and the ability of the agave fields to keep up with demand (pollination and time to maturation being the big obstacles). There is plenty of very good product coming out these days, but I’m a little scared for the future (especially from an artisanal point of view). I hope to be proved wrong.
There are definitely some outcomes to this, one being inferior product with under-matured pinas, the other is a Napa Valley like effect where demand drives the price up to a point where all the garbage contracted product is priced out. The fact that a pina takes 7+ years to mature and you can buy 100% Agave Tequila for $25 vs. a bottle of wine with grapes harvested every year or bourbon made from corn is a ludicrously low ROI.
The impact on land isncertainly a concern with the Covid explosion for Tequila and agave demand.
At least bourbon had old stocks unfortunately like Japanese whiskey that cushioned the blow for a few months. I like agave spirits, more so mezcal and blanco tequila, but not a bourbon fan.
Our stores limit folks to one bottle a day, but no one hear really requests it outside of a couple restaurants, so I oop in and grab one each time I am in town…Blanco is now $48 and Repo $55, rarely zee Anejo or Still Strength or limited releses like Winter Blend.
Just opened a new Blanco, delicious. The Repo I just opened is corked.
[quote=“Kris_Patten, post:5, topic:295200, full:true”].
I’d like to hear what people are drinking and how they choose to consume it.
[/quote]
Primarily use mezcal in cocktails. I like Union (quite smoky) in a Naked and Famous, but there’s a lot going on in that drink with the chartreuse, so you don’t really need a super complex mezcal.
Primarily use mezcal in cocktails. I like Union (quite smoky) in a Naked and Famous, but there’s a lot going on in that drink with the chartreuse, so you don’t really need a super complex mezcal.
[/quote]
I’d argue that you need a smoky mezcal for a Naked and Famous. I use Del Maguey Vida.
I am a big fan of replacing Vodka or Tequila in drinks with Mezcal just to keep it fresh and interesting, especially Palomas, Margarita variations, Mules, a Smash, a Sour, or an Old Fashioned.
I don’t regularly enjoy pineapple juice, but with Mezcal it really brings out some interesting flavors.
Oddly I like sipping Blanco and Anejo, and mixing Repo in the Tequila universe.
