A Guide To Drinking Tequila In Mexico

by Jessica Festa on

While tequila is typically thought of as something you took too many shots of during a crazy night out, the drink actually has a deep cultural meaning, rich history and a proper way to be sipped. To help you get better acquainted with the libation, here is a guide to drinking tequila in Mexico.

History

Originating in the northwestern state of Jalisco, tequila is North America’s first distilled and commercially produced alcohol. It is distilled from the blue agave plant, which produces sugar and is native to Jalisco. Tequila’s roots reach back into pre-Hispanic times when the Aztecs fermented sap from the local agave plants, long before the Spanish arrived in 1521. Then, when the brandy the Spaniards had brought with them ran out, they began to distill the agave plant to make tequila.

By law, tequila can only be called “tequila” if it is made in Jalisco. The first qualifications for the drink were written in 1947, and have been constantly updated ever since. If you’re looking for top-shelf tequila, make sure it’s made with 100% blue agave.How It’s Made

According to tequila distillers Daniel Osuna and Alfonso Pelayo Osuna, there is a very specific process for making tequila. First, the agave is cultivated for seven to eight years, before the spines are cut off and the piñas are transported to the distillery. Once this is done, there are four steps in the production process.

1. The piñas are roasted in the oven. This is to change the starch into fermentable sugars and to soften the piñas’ texture to be able to extract their juice.

2. Now comes the sugar extraction, where the largest amount of sugar within the agave is extracted.

3. Fermenting is the most important stage in the process for obtaining the desired characteristics of the tequila. The sugar is isolated to allow it to change to alcohol and for the pleasant aromas to appear.

4. Finally, the product is distilled. This is when the tequila is refined for perfect flavor and aroma in oak barrels. The alcohol absorbs the oak, allowing the tequila to have perfect body, softness and texture.

Classifications

There are two basic classifications of tequila, “100% blue agave” and “tequila mixto” (mixed). Mixed tequila contains at least 51% blue agave, with the rest typically coming from cane sugar. Other ingredients you may find in this type of tequila include caramel color, oak extract flavoring, glycerin, and sugar based syrup. This type does not need to be made in Jalisco. The other classification, 100% blue agave, will read “Tequila 100% de agave” or “Tequila 100% puro de agave” on the bottle. If it simply says “tequila,” it’s probably mixed.

From the two classifications there are five sub-classifications:

  • Tequila Silver – Blanco – Plata – White – Platinum: This type of tequila is in its purest form. It usually isn’t aged, with the true flavors, intensity and sweetness being present.
  • Tequila Gold – Joven – Oro: This type of tequila is usually mixed, with added colors and flavors. Most times, this type of tequila is inexpensive and used for mixed drinks in bars; however, there are exceptions to this, like when silver tequila is mixed with a reposado and/or añejo tequila. By doing this, you’re still keeping the product 100% blue agave.
  • Tequila Reposado: Known as an “aged” or “rested” tequila, the drink is aged in wood barrels or storage tanks from anywhere between 2 to 11 months. It’s usually gold in color and has flavors of agave and wood. Sometimes, the tequila will be aged in a barrel that once contained a different spirit like whiskey or wine, giving it some of those tastes, as well.
  • Tequila Añejo: This “extra aged” tequila is aged for at least one year. The liquid usually takes on an amber color that is more smooth, dark and complex than the other sub-classifications.
  • Tequila Extra Añejo: Known as “ultra aged,” this tequila is aged for three years or more. The extended aging gives it a very dark color, and the flavor is often hard to distinguish between other high-quality aged spirits. After the aging process, distilled water is added to dilute the tequila.

The Difference Between Tequila and Mescal

Today, majority of mezcal is made in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. Unlike tequila, there are five varieties of agave mezcal can be distilled from. Additionally, while tequila is double and sometimes triple distilled, mezcal is usually only distilled once to give it a stronger taste. Currently, more than 500 different brands of tequila are on the market, while mezcal boasts only 100.

To make mezcal, the sugar-rich core of the agave plant called the piña, is baked in a rock-lined pit oven over charcoal. It is covered with layers of palm-fiber mats and dirt, giving the drink a strong, smoky flavor. Locals in Oaxaca drink mezcal to calm their minds and lift their spirits, as well as stimulate their creativity. Moreover, the libation is made by hundreds of small family businesses called “palenques,” which preserve traditional methods of mezcal production.

How To Sip Tequila

Typically, tequila is sipped slowly and enjoyed without salt and fruit. People began doing shots in this fashion because, in the past, the liquor was so strong drinkers needed to take the salt and lemon or lime to make it smoother. Specifically, tequila used to be made with 55 to 60º of alcohol, while today it is made with 38 to 40º, or 80 proof. To properly enjoy tequila, you should follow these steps:

  • Purchase the bottle of your preference
  • Pour a small portion into a globe glass, which keeps the aromas inside for you to enjoy
  • Swirl the drink around like you would a fine wine
  • Smell the tequila with your left nostril, then with your right nostril, to discover hidden scents
  • Tap a small sip and swirl it around your mouth, swallow and take a deep breath. You’ll hopefully be able to taste some flavors of wood and melchonte, or cooked agave.
  • Drink slowly and enjoy how the flavors and aromas interact with your senses

Distillery Tours

The Tequila Express (or Tequila Train) is a Mexican regional train service that operates from Guadalajara, Jalisco, to the municipality of Amatitán, Jalisco. Why is it called the Tequila Express? Because passengers will be given tequila tastings, ride through blue agave fields and end at the Tequila Herradura distillery at the San José del Refugio Hacienda. Prices are $850 M.N. (about $65 USD) for adults, and $480 M.N. (about $37) for children 12 and under. Children under 5 ride free. You can purchase tickets on Ticketmaster’s Mexico website or call 333-818-3802.

[Images via Photomag, Mexico Tourism Board, Mexico Tourism Board]

Eerie Travel Coincidences Or Fate?

by Dave Seminara on

Do you believe in coincidences or do you think that everything happens for a reason? Nine years ago, my wife and I met an old man with a grizzly white beard in the lovely mountain village of Apiranthos on the island of Naxos, who offered to pose for a photo with my wife and a young Italian woman we were traveling with. He was so photogenic that I couldn’t resist the offer, but the old pervert also took advantage of the moment, by trying to reach around and grope the women’s breasts.

In June, we returned to the same village, by chance rather than by design, and when we arrived, we didn’t immediately place the groping incident to Apiranthos. We split up so I could take some photos of the village and, at one point, passed an old man with a long, gray beard who looked somewhat familiar. I took his photo and thought nothing more of it, until I showed my wife the photo later on, and she immediately recognized him.

“That’s the same pervert who groped me nine years ago!” she exclaimed.I searched for the old photos and could only find one shot, but sure enough, not only was it the same guy, but he was also wearing the same shirt and same hat. I don’t know, perhaps the guy has only one shirt and hat, and maybe he had barely moved from the spot we first saw him nine years before, but it seemed like a bizarre coincidence.

That is, until I typed the word Apiranthos into Google images and noticed that a Canadian guy had photographed the same guy in 2011, and someone else photographed him and submitted it in a photo contest earlier this year. I kept looking and found another, and another, and another. In each photograph, the guy is wearing the same shirt and hat.

This past winter, I experienced another déjà vu incident in another remote mountain hamlet, San Sebastian del Oeste, in the Mexican state of Jalisco. I photographed the same man, sitting in the same square two years in a row. But that incident didn’t surprise me as much, because in San Sebastian, pretty much everyone sits in the town’s lone square all day long, and only a year had elapsed between encounters.

Less than two weeks after the Apiranthos incident, we had an even stranger travel coincidence in London. Prior to our trip, I booked a room at a chain hotel called The Premier Inn near the Earl’s Court tube stop based upon some positive reviews I read online. I wasn’t searching for a specific neighborhood, I just wanted a place that was somewhat affordable and in a central neighborhood near a tube stop.

As soon as we walked into the hotel, we had a strange sense of déjà vu that we couldn’t understand because on our last visit to London, ten years ago, we stayed at a place called the Comfort Inn. Still, I couldn’t shake the sense that we’d been there before so I asked the young woman at the check in desk if the place had once been a Comfort Inn.

“It certainly was,” she said. “It became Premier Inn about five years ago.”

Ten years ago, we were in London on our honeymoon and had been assigned the Comfort Inn by chance, through priceline.com and then we returned, again by complete chance, for our anniversary, ten years later. Given the fact that there are nearly 2,000 hotels and B & B’s in London reviewed on Trip Advisor, the coincidence is pretty remarkable. There’s no way we could have known ten years ago that we’d return to the same place, by chance, with two children in tow a decade later.

I’m the kind of person who is always conjuring memories of travel moments triggered by seemingly unconnected events. I can be driving down the street in Falls Church, Virginia, and suddenly think of a person I met in Cluj, Romania, or a meal I enjoyed in Uzbekistan.

I don’t know what triggers these memories, but I do know that while at home, time tends to slip past me as days run together in a forgettable blur. But while I’m traveling, I tend to remember the people I meet, the places I stay and the things that I experience more acutely – especially when my wife is groped by a heavily bearded senior citizen.

In case you’re wondering, the Greek gentleman didn’t remember me, or ask where my wife was, but then again he gets his photo taken more often than Brad Pitt does.

Think Globally, Eat Locally At Culinary Backstreets

by Meg Nesterov on

Budget-savvy and food-loving visitors to Istanbul have found an excellent resource in Istanbul Eats for several years, and now can find more authentic and off-the-beaten-path tips in Athens, Barcelona, and Shanghai, with Mexico City on the way. Culinary Backstreets was launched this week as an extension of IstanbulEats.com, a blog reviewing Turkey’s best street food, hole-in-the-wall restaurants and unique dishes. Founded in 2009 by two American expats, Istanbul Eats launched a book in 2010 (now in its third edition, and available at nearly every bookshop in Istanbul and online, in English, Turkish, Greek, and even Korean!) as well as culinary tours through the Old City, Beyoglu, and even cross-continent. Istanbul Eats has garnished a devoted fan base who’ve been wishing for “an Istanbul Eats-like guide to restaurants in every city,” hence the creation of Culinary Backstreets.

Culinary Backstreets is a site for travelers who eschew tourist menus, ask cab drivers where to dine, and frequently find themselves the only foreigner in a cafe. Each city will be covered by local food writers who regularly comb the streets in search of the tastiest tidbits. So far, each city has posted a “State of the Stomach” guide, outlining the current food scene, the eats locals line up for, and practical tips for following your stomach to the traditional and the trendy restaurants. Culinary walks are currently being offered in Istanbul and Shanghai, with more cities coming soon.

Get hungry at CulinaryBackstreets.com.

[Photo courtesy of Yigal Schleifer]

Baja California: Mexico’s Up-And-Coming Wine Destination

by Jessica Festa on

While many people know Mexico for its amazing tequila, a little known secret is the country also has a thriving wine destination: Baja California, or Baja for short. Although this sounds like it’s on the West Coast of the United States, this is, in fact, an area in Mexico. The Mediterranean climate makes it ideal for producing the libation. In fact, 90 percent of the country’s wine comes from the Ensenada region of Baja.

The Beginning

Mexico is actually the oldest wine-growing region in America, having produced wine since the sixteenth century when the Spaniards arrived to the country with vine clippings from Europe. Soon after, immigrants from other European countries, such as Italy and Russia, arrived to the area with their vine cuttings and planted them in Baja’s Guadalupe Valley. Baja California’s wine is rarely exported, meaning you’ll need to make a trip to the area to sample it for yourself. Some of the popular varieties you’ll find include Chenin Blanc, Colombard, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Zinfandel, Malbec and Barbera.Road Trips

When visiting Baja California, one great way to explore the different areas of the region is to take a road trip. Some suggested itineraries include:

Ruta del Vino

The “Ruta del Vino,” or “Wine Route,” connects over 50 wineries in the Baja California state. The Valley of Guadalupe, Valley of Llano Colorado, Valley of Santo Tomas and the Valley of San Vincente, as well as the port city of Ensenada and the border cities of Tijuana and Tecate are all included. Along with sipping wine, travelers can indulge in world-class restaurants, stay at luxury hotels and visit interesting museums along the way. Click here for a map of the “Ruta del Vino.” If you need a designated driver, Baja Wine & Sun offers numerous tours through the area’s wine routes.

The Baja Gold Coast

This road trip will take you through a mix of experiences, as you begin at the most visited border in the world, Tijuana, and make your way down to Catavina. You’ll also pass through Rosarito, the world’s lobster capital, Ensenada, the land of wine, and Bahia de San Quintin, the farmland capital of Baja. In Tijuana, make sure to explore the city’s cultural side through the numerous galleries and museums. Moreover, the area is known for its delicious Baja Mediterranean cuisine, so eat up and pair it with some local vino. For more information, click here.

The Path of La Rumorosa

On this road trip, you will begin in Tecate, a small city full of colonial architecture, cattle fields, beautiful mountains and renowned wineries and breweries. Moreover, the area is known for producing excellent artisanal pottery and fresh bread. Next, it’s on to Mexicali, which is historic for its settlement of the Chinese. There are many activities, like enjoying the boiling mud lagoons, learning about Mexican history in the Regional Museum, dancing in trendy nightclubs and hiking and swimming in the beautiful surroundings. You’re last stop on the itinerary will be Algodones, where you can go duck hunting, see the Colorado River’s Morales Dam or just enjoy the warmth of the sun in one of the driest places in North America. For more information, click here.

Annual Events

Every August, the Valle de Guadalupe in the Baja California region hosts their “Fiesta de la Vendimia” to celebrate the year’s harvest. Put on by the Association of Viniculture, the event lasts for about a month and showcases the best wines in the area through tastings and themed events. Additionally, there is art, music and a rodeo. This year’s event will take place from August 2 to August 19, 2012.

Top Winery Experiences

In the Baja California area there are many different experiences to be had. Guided tours, wine tastings, markets, boutique hotels, gourmet restaurants, local museums and indigenous communities all help to add to this culturally rich wine destination. When touring the wineries, some top picks include:

  • Adobe Guadalupe– This adobe-style winery and bed and breakfast has been operating since 1998 on 60 acres of vineyards. Their varietals include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Nebbiolo, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, Shiraz and Viognier. Tour the winery, participate in tastings or horseback ride through the vineyards. For tastings, you can make an appointment by clicking here.
  • Casa Madero– Latin America’s oldest, traditional winery has been around for over 400 years and produces some of the best Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay in the country.
  • L.A. Cetto– Established in 1974, L.A. Cetto is one of Mexico’s largest, and their oldest, wine producers. They are open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for guided tours, free wine tastings and strolls through their well-manicured gardens. Their varietals include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Nebbiolo, Tempranillo, Grenache, Petite Verdot, Malbec, Sangivese, Mourvedre, Sirah, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Savingnon Blanc and Muscat Canelli. Additionally, they are known throughout the country as being one of the best at what they do, which can be seen through their 132 international awards.
  • Casa de Piedra– Owned by Mexico’s wine legend, Hugo D’Acosta, this winery is uniquely situated near San Antonio de las Minas. At this charming farmhouse-style winery, they make Cabernet Franc, Tampranillo and Chardonnay, and vistors can participate in tours and tastings by making an appointment.
  • Bodegas Santo Tomás– Operating since 1888, they have two locations, Ensenada and San Antonio de las Minas. Both are great for tours and tastings, which take place every hour from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and then again at 3 p.m. Make sure to sample their award-winning 2000 Cabernet, as well as some of their other varietals like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Barbera.
  • Casa Pedro Domecq– Established in 1972, Casa Pedro Domecq is the second largest wine producer after L.A. Cetto. Their many varietals include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Nebbiolo, Tempranillo, Barbera, Grenache, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, French Colombard, Savingnon Blanc and Reisling. Casa Pedro Domecq was the first commercial winery in Valle de Guadalupe, and is well known for producing wine and brandy. They are open daily except Sunday, and offer tastings and tours to visitors.
  • Vinisterra– Vinisterra operates under the idea of interfering in the process of winemaking with technology as little as possible. They officially opened in 2002, and are located in the town of San Antonio de las Minas. The winery building is unique, as it is made of thermal materials and is partially buried to maintain a naturally cool temperature. Varietals include Cabernet Savingnon, Merlot, Syrah, Nebbiolo, Grenache, Chardonnay, Viognier and Rousanne. Make an appointment to participate in tastings.
  • Monte Xanic– The vision of Monte Xanic isn’t to copy what other big name wineries are doing, but to set the standard for the industry themselves. Moreover, they aim for their wines to reflect the pride of the country and its people. Their varietals include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Sirah, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Savingnon Blanc and Semillon. You can participate in wine tastings and tours by making an appointment.

[Images via Fir0002, Gabriel Flores Romero, Hungry Girl]

Is Mexico The Zombie Capital Of The World?

by Jessica Festa on

With zombie culture becoming more and more popular, it’s not uncommon to see corpse-themed walks and parades popping up in cities all over the world. While it’s easy to get into these events and have fun, Mexico seems to take celebrating the undead to a whole different level.

Zombie Walk started as a way to promote a film festival in Sacramento, California, in 2001. The event began spreading all over the globe, including to Mexico. After breaking Sydney‘s Guinness World Record in 2011 with more than 9,803 zombies in Mexico City, the country’s zombie culture has grown tremendously. Zombie Walk Mexico has gone from being an annual event to a full-on lifestyle, with themed parties, film festivals, media releases containing zombie news, promotions and games. In fact, each month, there are at least one or two zombie parties.

Along with the parties, says Martín Emilio Zavala Santamaría, the Press Department Chief of Zombie Walk México, “It is fairly common that there are from one to three zombie activities each month, mostly during October and November, as the date of the ‘Dia de los Muertos’ comes close in Mexico.”

%Gallery-159825%

He continues to talk about how the movement has grown, explaining, “In the beginning we never expected 12,000 zombies at our walk, and now we see at least 200 people at every zombie event and are expecting a thousand runners in the Zombiecausto. With a webpage producing texts, audio and photos, making our own videos, appearing in public radio and TV, we keep producing more because people keep asking for more.”

Some activities Zombie Walk has had in the past include “Sony Flash Mob,” where they helped Sony with the recording of an impromptu public zombie dance; “Zombie Night at the Drive-In Cinema,” where they played “Night of the Living Dead,” served themed foods and gave out costume prizes; and the “Morbido Film Festival,” an annual horror and fantasy film event.

Their biggest event, however, is right around the corner on August 4, “Zombiecausto.” It entails racing through the woods scrambling for your life to get away from a zombie mob to a safe zone. The goal of the event is get participants to feel as if they’re actually living in the world of the undead. Additionally, the country’s next zombie walks will take place on October 22, in Guadalajara, Leon and, of course, Mexico City.

If you’re interested in taking part in some zombie-related fun in Mexico, you can contact info@zombiewalk.mx for information. For a more visual idea of Zombie Walk Mexico, check out the gallery above.

[Image above via Bob Jagendorf; Gallery photos via the Mexico Tourism Board]