If you’re lucky, as you drive into Tequila the smell of cooked pinas hits you in the face. It’s a scent that’s definitely on par with the peated barley that’s dried in the Speyside of Scotland. Mondo Cuervo has prime real estate once you enter the small town that their glorious spirit is named after. They are the biggest distillery Mexico. On closer inspection, one of the most beautiful too. But before we get to what’s inside it’s interesting to note how one can get to his beautiful cobblestone laced town. We had a driver. Mark, the Guy I mentioned earlier, is an American born Mexican who has worked for Joe Crow for five years now. He met us at our hostel with a driver, and guided us to our destination. This is one way to get to Cuervo. The other is the Cuervo Express. A train the brand has invested $35m to take tequila-loving tourists from Guadalajara to the distillery. Let’s go over that again. $35,000,000 has been spent on a single train that serves Cuervo, is all about Cuervo that runs from A to B directly, express-ly. Incredible.
An in-depth tour of the world’s biggest tequila distillery gives me insight, and stunts somewhat my disdain for this spirit behemoth. Maybe it’s just good old-fashioned Australian ‘tall poppy syndrome’ that makes me want to hate Cuervo. I mean they’re popular; their biggest brand is a mixto tequila. Known to those in the know as an inferior product. Their best however, is delicious. In fact we get a special tasting of the Reserva de la Familia that we help ourselves to from a barrel stored in the basement below he distillery. Their rejected Agave is said to be “thrown over the fence” to the Sauza distillery next door. The competition is only a Tamale toss away. Like I mentioned earlier, Tequila is a small place. In fact, as you come into Tequila town, the famous Herradura distillery greets you, and its distillery is found by driving through the local cemetery. Jose Cuervo tells us it’s an indication of its products quality. Herradura tells us it makes great compost for the Agave. Lunch in the Cholula restaurant next door is followed by the obligatory Batanga at the famous La Capilla. Don Javier himself is there, all eighty-eight years of him, sitting behind the bar and I felt a deep sense of privilege in having the man himself make me his most famous concoction. Our day in Tequila was complete.
I’ve always said if you’ve seen one distillery, you’ve seen them all. So my enthusiasm for a 9am pick up to see the Don Julio distillery in the highlands, the following day was mirrored with my holiday shaving routine. There wasn’t any. Obligingly though we met our host for the day, along with New York Mixologist* Jason Litrell. He, like us wanted to know more about Tequila and was researching in Mexico. His interest was more focused on Mezcal. The Indie Scotch of Central America, and he had just spent a week trekking through Oaxaca drinking his face off. Otherwise known as researching. (I love my job). Surprisingly the Don Julio tour was not only interesting, but also very hands on. Our morning started with us cutting Agave with the Jimadors, and ended with tasting the complete range, including the newly releases Anejo Blanco expression, Don Julio 70. In fact we not only tasted the DJ70, but we tasted both versions being released. A U.S one at 80 proof, and a domestic version at 70 proof. For me, the true drunkard, I enjoyed the 80 proof more. Surprise, surprise.
That night I stayed in. My body needed sleep and sobriety. Luke and Jason were headed to a local bar, where that evening a group of Mezcal producers were doing a talk on its production ins and outs. Basically, a nerdy bartender thing. I was skeptical it would be any good considering I don’t speak Spanish. Turns out I was right. Luke later told me it was shit. Wait a second, your telling me a talk for a spirit you’re not really into, at a place where you know no one, in a country you don’t speak the language was shit? Hmm, wonder why. I was happy I stayed in.
Our week was nearly over, and as it came to a close a decision was made to see what other adventures we could squeeze from our time here? Stefano and his girl Pau were heading to Nayarit, a three-hour drive away, in another state for a camping weekend. So it was decided for our last night in Mexico we were going to make our way to a beautiful valley, in a foreign country, and sleep in a tent by a fire. Apparently there’s a lake we are going to camp by. A big, beautiful one in the middle of the valley. It’s also not going to be raining. That’s a relief from the unseasonable weather we’ve been having whilst we’ve been here. This would give me ample time to reflect on my Mexican adventure. And that I did.
When I sat on a deck chair, and drank yet another cerveza, admiring the stunning lake that was in front of me, I was already missing Mexico. I’d tried a lot of brands whilst I’d been there. Some fantastic, some just ok. I’d seen the insides and outs of Mexico’s biggest, Mexico’s finest, and Mexico’s coolest and most exciting tequila brands. It’s been a week and a half of some of the most intoxicating fun I’ve ever experienced. I’ve learnt a lot about Mexican culture. Learnt that Mexico is not a dirty third world country you see on TV. Its people are culturally enriched, its best cafes serve great coffees, and its bars are inspired and bursting with local artist contributions. In so, so many ways Mexico is an inspiration to the rest of the bar world. How many Tequila bars are there in Sydney now? A lot more than ten years ago when the only person waxing lyrical for Tequila in this country was Phil “I love this town” Bayly. I think with the rise of well-made tequila, comes the rise of Mexican street and bar culture also. In my opinion bartenders selling Tequila are not just selling a liquid – they are selling a revolution. I now see what the revolution is all about. It’s not about old Mexican men with moustaches and cowboy boots, shooting pistols in the air, drinking Tequila until they fall over. They are selling the 21st century Mexico. One that is being stalled by its government, yet still one that the people are pushing. Mexican culture is cool. It’s warm hearted, it’s beautiful, it’s fun, it IS Tequila.
Vive le Mexico**
* For the record, I promise to never use the word “mixologist” unless referring to an American bartender.
** Martin Lange (Brisbane bar owner / Male Model said I should change this. Apparently it sounds French. I told him to “fuck off”. His amendment is this “viva la revolución”. He’s probably right though…)
