Many margaritas

The SF Chronicle has a story today on variations of the Margarita, with or without triple sec, etc. Funnily enough we were just talking about this at Tales of the Cocktail. I think the consensus among experts like Jacques Bezuidenhout and Robert Hess (who were speaking on the Margarita at Tales) is that if it doesn't have an orange liqueur like triple sec, Cointreau, or Grand Marnier, such as the Tommy's Margarita with just lime, agave nectar, and tequila, it technically isn't a margarita. Still, they argued that it's necessary to explain what the drink is in terms people know at this stage in the game- people who want a Margarita would be hesitant to order a Tequila Gimlet. It's a slippery slope, of course, as most of the same people would say that all the variations of a Martini (Appletini, Summertini, Bacontini) are not Martinis at all. It's funny that the category of foundation drinks that is lime, sugar, and spirit doesn't have its own name. We have the Gimlet, Vodka Gimlet, Daiquiri, Caipirinha, and Tommy's Margarita for gin, vodka, rum, cachaca, and tequila. Each of these drinks allows the base spirit in a cocktail to shine through, just diluting and sweetening it so you don't have to take a mouthful of raw booze.

Tequila Terroir

Run screaming to your local newsstand to pick up the June issue of Wine & Spirits magazine, with the Top 100 Value Wines on the cover. Also on the cover is a mention of a story inside on Tequila Terroir, written by me. Hooray! My pal Jenn Farrington took the photos. Here's the teaser:

This February, a new Tequila called Ocho launched in Europe with a small but significant difference from other brands: each bottling is labeled with the harvest year and name of the agave field from which it came. Tequila is a spirit unusually ripe for the study of terroir as its raw ingredient does not vary, it is grown in a specified region with diverse soils, and it does not need to be aged like whisky or Cognac so it can be appreciated without the influence of wood. Yet until now brands have provided consumers with only broad clues as to the origin of the agave in each bottle.

On the page after my story, you'll be treated to a tasting story on tequila written by David Wondrich, in which he explains terroir in spirits better in three paragraphs than I did in 1200 words.

Her name is Paloma

Anita says the Paloma is the new Dark and Stormy in San Francisco. Good call on that one, and a good drink. Of course, they have to get all fancy here and make their own grapefruit soda (probably biodynamically and organically grown grapefruit too). I'm not fully on board with the froo-froo version of the drink, because I had so many in Mexico made with Squirt and really good tequila. It's one of the few drinks that brings me back to a specific place that's not a bar stool two miles from my house. And I like to keep it real, yo.

Internet booze news for Monday, May 5

Here are some stories from the around the web. - Art that you drink? That's my kind of exhibit. [via Dowd on Drinks] - Rick Lyke wrote a list of 125 places to have a beer before you die for All About Beer magazine. - Eric Asimov of the New York Times discusses mezcal. - Matt Rowley finds a video on making 60 proof alcohol using wine and a salad spinner.

Different ways to get stinko on Cinco

The Chronicle does a nice round-up of non-margaritas in SF, including several versions of the Paloma, the Mescal gimlet, the fabulous Carter Beats the Devil at Flora, and the spicy Toro del Fuego at Laiola.

National Eben Clemm day

Today New York's Eben Clemm got a lot of press. He was an expert on Eric Asimov's NYTimes article on citrus flavored vodkas, in which they hated almost everything but Belvedere's Cytrus and Hangar One's Buddha's Hand. And he was also quoted as an expert in Nick Passmore's Business Week story on premium tequilas.

Top tequilas

The results of the Agave Spirits Challenge, a judging of tequila, mezcal, and sotol, were recently announced. Here are the tequila results:

Top Rated Tequila El Gran Jubileo Tequila Extra Añejo

Tequila 100% Blanco Arette Tequila Blanco

Tequila 100% Reposado Vida Tequila Reposado

Tequila 100% Añejo Tres Mujeres Tequila Añejo

Tequila 100% Extra Añejo El Gran Jubileo Tequila Extra Añejo

The results of the other categories, as well as judges' favorites and "top spirits families" are on the Agave.net website. I've sampled a good deal of tequila lately, yet I haven't tried any of these winning products! My work is never done...

New tricks at Brick

Recently I checked out the new cocktail menu at Brick, designed by Ryan Fitzgerald of Tres Agaves. They keep it simple with just seven specialty drinks. The Elder Sour has been on a few menus around the city and country (bourbon, St. Germain, lemon juice) and the Spiced Pear seems like a popular flavor profile for Winter 07/08 (except he uses pear nectar and plain vodka instead of pear-flavored vodka). I didn't try the Grapefruit Royale though it would be hard to go wrong with sparkling wine, cassis, grapefruit juice and grapefruit bitters, but did have the terrific Floridinho (pronounced "floridinyo") with Beleza Pura cachaca, maraschino, grapefruit, lemon, and agave nectar, served over ice. That one is a total winner and a perfect use for cachaca. I also had a sip of the Mexico 70- a nice take on the French 75 with Partida Reposado and agave nectar instead of gin or brandy. Overall, the drinks were modern, bright and refreshing, tending toward sour or tart end of the spectrum, and seemed to pair well with the food. (I only had a few snacks, but the country-fried mushrooms are a must order.) A short cocktail list, but nicely done.

Up to my ears in tequila

I have three current assignments on tequila, which means I've been tasting a ton of it. Tequila is a tough category to write about for a few reasons. Each brand has a minimum of three expressions, but usually four or five, and then there is a bargain line produced by the same distillery. And unlike scotch, just because you like one brand expression is no indication that you'll like any of the others so you need to sample them all and pick and choose. Also, every time you write about tequila, you have to explain mixto, blanco, repo, anejo, extra, which takes up a lot of words that could be otherwise used to provide new information. And finally, tequila can be hard to learn about, as distilleries use different methodologies to make it, age expressions it for different amounts of time in different types of wood, and source agave from different regions. Much of this information doesn't make it onto the website so you have to track down the right person, which isn't usually the PR person but the brand manager or even master distiller. That said, I find it all fascinating and I'm *loving* the work.

Tequila Thrills!

Here is a video of a bottle inspection on the labeling line at Partida, or as I like to call it, the most boring 16 seconds you can spend in a tequila distillery. Enjoy!

The other agaves

Tequila and mezcal we've heard of, but it turns out there are several other kinds of agave spirits like raicilla and bacanora. William Down gives the run-down.

Mexicoh!

I'm back from a week in Mexico, where we toured 5 distilleries 5 days in a row. Between them- 4 Copas, Partida, Cazadores, El Tesoro, and Herradura- I endured at least 9 mariachi bands, 1 bout of Montezuma's revenge, 1 venue in which you can pee in a trough beneath the bar, very few hours of sleep, 1 missed flight, more than 60 pages of notes, 684 photos, 30ish great co-travelers, 1 two-story pour of tequila into my mouth, 6 bottles smuggled home in my luggage, and so much information that I could write tequila stories for the next six months with the information gleaned on this trip alone (editors: e-mail me, okay?). I'm unlikely to have time to describe the trip in detail now (I'm still three trips behind in that) so instead here are the pictures.

Pink Margarita

I am going to be writing about cocktails and spirits in a monthly column on Gay.com and PlanetOut.com. My first one is just an intro to tequila and margaritas than you can either read here or here.

Distillers are the new rock stars

A blurb by me in today's San Francisco Chronicle:

Next big thing: Tequila bottle signings Camper English Friday, August 10, 2007

Further evidence that distillers are the new rock stars: Carlos Camarena, owner and third-generation master distiller of El Tesoro Tequila, will be in town next week to sign autographs. The distillery recently launched a limited edition 7-year-old El Tesoro Anniversario tequila in celebration of its 70th anniversary. Camarena will sign bottles of the product at the John Walker & Company liquor store (175 Sutter St., at Kearny, San Francisco; 415-986-2707) from 4 to 5 p.m. Wednesday. Bottles may be purchased at the store for about $185 or you can bring your own should you happen to have one sitting around. Then follow the tour to a Q&A session and discussion with Camarena about the history of El Tesoro from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at nearby Cantina (580 Sutter St., at Mason, San Francisco; 415-398-0195) the same day.

Aged agave

William Dowd has a good article on the increasing popularity of aged (extra-anejo) tequila, addressing the question: at what point is tequila no longer tequila?

Biofuel Blows Your Drinking Budget

A short piece by me in today's SF Chronicle:

Biofuel blows drink budget

Cleaner-burning biofuels made from agricultural crops may be a more environmentally sound way to deliver energy than fossil fuels, but they may also drive up the price of your favorite adult beverage.

In news stories released last week, we learned of two examples where raw materials for drinkable alcohol are being replaced by crops to produce non-potable ethanol.

The Associated Press reports that in Germany, farmers are abandoning barley in favor of subsidized crops for biofuels. Thus barley prices have doubled in the past two years, and the increased cost of the raw materials is now being passed along to beer drinkers.

In Mexico, Reuters reports a similar phenomenon. A current glut in the agave market has inspired some growers to burn their fields and plant corn to meet U.S. demand for ethanol instead. While it doesn't appear that current Tequila prices have been raised, agave can take up to eight years to mature, so the next decade could see a shortage.

As if you needed another reason to stock up.

Once in a Blue Moon...you get a cheap drink at Tres Agaves

If the alcoholic product you’re promoting doesn't have a built-in annual event associated with it like the Kentucky Derby or New Years Eve, you might consider pulling a Hallmark and inventing your own drinking holiday. And since we’re in San Francisco, why not make it a tie-in to the lunar cycle? Tres Agaves is promoting a one-day special coinciding with the blue moon May 31, during which they’ll be offering their Luna Azul cocktail (“valued at $18”) for the bargain price of seven bucks. I think one-day-only promoted cocktails are awesome, though I'm not sure why I think that. Anyway, here is the press release.

Tres Agaves To Celebrate Blue Moon With Rare Cocktail “Luna Azul” cocktail to be offered once in a blue moon

SAN FRANCISCO — May 22, 2007 — According to modern folklore, a Blue Moon is the second full moon in a calendar month. Usually months have only one full moon, but very rarely a second one sneaks in. In the spirit of this rare occasion comes a rare cocktail created by Tres Agaves Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Lounge, which sold more Tequila than any other single restaurant in the country in its first year of operation and will be offered only once in a blue moon – or Thursday, May 31st, 2007. Tres Agaves, winner of Sante Magazine’s highest award (Grand Award) for the best spirits program in the country (2006), has created the “Luna Azul,” or the Blue Moon cocktail. The Luna Azul is made with Penca Azul Tequila, which is named for the blue leaves of the agave plant. Penca Azul is very unique; only one batch is made per year, and all bottles are labeled with the year of production, making it a vintage-dated distilled spirit. It comes in a hand-blown glass bottle with a blue glass agave plant in the bottom of each bottle. The Luna Azul, valued at $18 will be sold at the house margarita price of only $7 for this special evening. Luna Azul - $7 ======= 1 1/2 oz. Penca Azul reposado 2 oz. blueberry nectar 1/2 oz. fresh lime juice 1/4 oz. agave nectar Located at 130 Townsend Street (at 2nd St.) San Francisco, CA 94107 (one block from AT&T Ball Park), Tres Agaves serves lunch, dinner and Tequila daily. Brunch service is offered on the weekends. Ample street parking is available on non-game days, as well as a convenient garage right around the next store. All major credit cards accepted, and walk-ins are always appreciated. For reservations, call 415.227.0500 or http://www.tresagaves.com

Casho for Cabo

Sammy Hagar sold 80 percent interest in his Cabo Wabo tequila to Campari, which owns or is owned by Skyy Spirits out of SF (I've heard it either way), for $80 million. I guess he wasn't exaggerating when he said he's made way more money in the liquor business than he ever did in rock and roll.

Neighborhood Tequila Guide to San Francisco

Sometimes on the Seis de Mayo our memories are not as clear as they should be. If you've misplaced your cell phone or wallet (or pants) somewhere in the night, you can try to retrace your steps to find them, but this isn't easy if you can't remember where those steps were. If you can't recall where you were drinking in San Francisco but do remember what you were drinking, this guide should help get you to the right neighborhood.

If you were drinking a	Then you were drinking in
Body shot off a stripper	North Beach
Mexican coffee	The Tenderloin
Patron shot with salt and lime	The Marina
Tequila sunrise	The Richmond
Partida anejo, neat	Downtown
Margarita by the pitcher	The Mission
Frozen margarita with a straw	The Castro

Tequilapalooza!

I would have mentioned it in the article I wrote about the Tommy's Mexican tequila club had I known... Master's degree and higher members of the club (with at least one exception for me) get invites to private Tequilapalooza parties a couple of times a year. The one yesterday was a hoot because Tommy's seats only about 9 people at the bar, whereas a larger crowd can mingle together elsewhere. It's another bonus beyond bragging rights to "earning" your Master's at Tommy's. (More pictures here.)

Now that's a spicy tequila!

Tommy's Mexican has a program where if you drink four shots of Julio's habanero-infused tequila and hold it for 15 minutes (without puking and only drinking beer or water) you get your name etched onto the bottle and a free membership into the tequila tasting club. Only 17 people have achieved this so far. Here's a YouTube video of someone attempting that feat.

Tasting Tequila at Tommy's Mexican

Mastering Tequila, One Glass at a Time

Camper English, Special to The Chronicle

Friday, February 23, 2007

Tommy's Mexican Restaurant, with a mere 275 bottles squeezed onto its shelves, no longer has the largest selection of 100 percent blue agave Tequila outside of Mexico, but likely has the most Tequila-savvy clientele. The restaurant's Blue Agave tasting club is the nation's largest, with more than 6,000 members -- not too shabby considering the restaurant is located out in San Francisco's avenues and the bar has only nine stools.

The club began around 1989, according to beverage manager Julio Bermejo, who runs the family restaurant with his father Tommy, mother and two sisters. Bermejo got the idea for the tasting club while at UC Berkeley, when he frequented Raleigh's, a bar with a beer-drinking club.

He started the Blue Agave Club a bit later, but says that, at first, "it wasn't taken seriously at all."

The rest of the story is here.

My story in today's Chronicle talks about Tommy's famous tequila tasting club. Going into it I knew that there was no discount for being in the club, and in fact you have to pay to join, so I couldn't figure out why anyone would actually do it.

As the story hopefully shows, Julio Bermejo has created a warm environment conducive to learning about tequila from people who are also in the program above you. It's a mentoring community of tequila drinkers on Monday and Wednesday nights, where you pay for drinks but get the information for free. Now that I've been there I get it- and have my own tequila club card to prove it- but I sure wish it weren't so darn far away.

Update: The first line in the story said that Tommy's no longer carries the largest selection of 100% blue agave Tequila in the country, but I didn't have space to say why that is. This is from the Tommy's website by Julio Bermejo:

The article also mentioned that Tommy's no longer has the largest selection of 100% agave Tequila in the U.S. This is true. What I say is that we carry the best selection of legally imported 100% agave tequila in the U.S. How can this be? Well, first we refuse to play the game of carrying every single 100% agave Tequila available. We have seen many people try this approach and sooner than later they revert to carrying only the best products they can get. As most of you know, there are many distilleries that put out a plethora of Tequila labels. I refuse to carry seventy products from 1 producer whom I believe to only make mediocre products. Our list continues to have at least 30 selections that are no longer made that none of our competitors can get. Tommy's continues to be the premier Tequila bar on Earth. We are grateful the Tequila industry holds us in such high esteem and we are flattered that all of our competitors come to Tommy's to learn about Tequila!

Vanity Spirits update

This is getting a little out of control. Though celebrities have been buying up vineyards for years (I call them vainyards), more of them are getting into the spirits industry. One of the first was Sammy Hagar with Cabo Wabo tequila. Now we have Willie Nelson's Old Whiskey River bourbon, Trump Vodka, Jay-Z and Damon Dash's Armadale vodka, and I just read that Vince Neil bought a tequila Tres Rios.