What is “Mezcal”? Mezcal is a classification of agave-based spirits distilled within the territorial boundaries of Mexico’s Denomination of Origin for the category. As initially determined in 1994, five states were permitted to produce spirit called “Mezcal”: Oaxaca, Guerrero, Durango, San Luis Potosi & Zacatecas.…
The ArteNOM project of bottling distinct tequilas from different distillers is a first in the tequila industry and highlights “selecciónes” from a range of geographies. David Driscoll, of K&L Spirits, remarks “…this blanco from Rancho Buenavista distillery is probably the best blanco tequila I’ve ever had. So clean, pure, and vibrant.”
What do the names of Tequila mean? Blanco Tequila Blancos, also known as “Silvers” and are un-aged tequilas that are generally crisp and dry in taste. Blancos are not necessarily served as a shot, but can be served on the rocks or mixed into a…
Tequila manufacture starts with the blue agave plant. After planting, agave is watched for ripening, an astonishing 8 to 12 years. The plant leaves are then cut, and the core, called a piña, is pulled from the ground. The piña, aptly named because of its…
Holiday hangover? Cure it quick with Pete Gugni’s morning reviver. This is sort of like a cross between a Bloody Mary, which is made with vodka, and a Bloody Maria, which uses tequila. But instead of tequila, I use a barrel-aged version of its smokier cousin, mezcal.
San Francisco’s first locally owned brand of bourbon, Cyrus Noble ($24.99/750ml)–bourbon made in Nelson County, Kentucky, but owned and distributed by Haas Brothers–is available again. Named after a distiller who fell into a vat of his own whiskey, the bourbon was sold in the city since 1871,…
This city may have a proud history of drinking, but bourbon is not exactly the first thing that comes to mind. Bourbon is the spirit of Kentucky, the base of a mint julep, something you’re supposed to drink on a hot day on a wraparound…
An Incredible Elixir By Eric Lawlor, Published in Saveur on May 8, 2002 Until the end of the last century, Alberto Sánchez López tells me over chiles rellenos de picadillo at the excellent El Topil restaurant in the city of Oaxaca, mezcal was the libation of…
