National Tequila Day is Here!
We’re all about that lime life on National Tequila Day .
It’s National Tequila Day. That’s right. Today marks the occasion where we celebrate the drink that continues to make agave one of the most desired ingredients requested at any given bar--no matter the hemisphere.
Chillin’ and ready to be enjoyed..
Mixes Well With Others
We’re introducing ourselves to the main flavor responsible for making the perfect Tequila Sunrise, Tequila Sour or any other mixologist-created drink where the main ingredient is the root word in the name of the drink. We can’t forget how tequila’s sweet potency is also used to make all kinds of margaritas. The traditional Lime Margarita and zesty Orange Margarita filling pitchers destined for tables at bars everywhere complement the cool of a frozen Peach Margarita or Mango Margarita when you need to escape the summer heat or want a taste of the tropics in the winter. It even started acting brand new and went all metropolitan on us when it was used to create the Tequila Manhattan. A name of polar opposites that taste so smooth when stirred in a tall Martini glass just like its north of 96th Street counterpart--the Spanish Harlem Cocktail. The distilled drink has Mexican roots with a truly global appeal and comes in an array of shades that run the color wheel from bright clear to deep mahogany. Family, listen. We could go on and on about how much this in-demand spirit transcends demographics and tastes so good doing it, but let’s get to know the plant behind the root of all.
Agave being cut minutes after being uprooted.
Harvest For The World
Agave favors a pineapple in appearance with its spiky green crown and its exterior, but the syrupy nectar is nowhere near the same taste in a typical fruit salad. Native to the semiarid climes of central Mexico and the Caribbean, seekers of the purest agave start their tour in flavor going to the mix of distilleries throughout the region where the plant is cut and harvested before being tossed in a steaming oven at a distillery for all its valuable taste. (Unlike Mezcal, another regional favorite on the pallets of international drinkers, is cooked in the earth over lava and charcoal en route to being distilled in pots of clay.) Now that we know how it’s done, let’s take a trip to one of our favorite destinations and everyone else’s in black travel--Mexico’s stunning Yucatán Peninsula.
Straight ahead.
States of Taste
Made up of the three states of Yucatán, Campeche and Quintana Roo along Mexico’s southeast coast, this internationally known stretch for pale white sandy beaches and endless waves where ‘azul’ and ‘verde’ mix is also becoming known for the tequila distilleries producing what many are drinking responsibly right now. This region of Mexico, defined by the footsteps traversed by both the Mayans before colonialism and those today, is the scenic paradise that welcomes the lovers of a palm tree’s shade and the timeless history of Chichen Itza. It’s also attracting those wanting to feel the always welcomed good vibes of a chill yacht party and swimmers ready to jump into the cavernous blue watery depths of cenotes. This region is also getting praise for the factories and distilleries in bottling this temperature of firewater from Mexico like the states nearby. Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, Tamaulipas and Jalisco, the beautiful, valley-laden west coast state is home to the town of Tequila and where Patron is harvested, are all major producers of this cherished spirit. From east to west, Central Mexico is a literal hotbed for the drink that we love to sip flavorfully-mixed or straight with no chaser--Tequila.
How’s your National Tequila Day going? Tell us and let us know what other spirits you think we should know about.