Mexico for the Win!
Mexico may very well be my favorite country to visit. I look for any excuse to visit and am delighted by the new discoveries I make during each trip. This voyage was at the invitation of our friends at El Tequileno. This brand is based in Tequila, Mexico, the birthplace of the iconic spirit. Unlike other trips to Tequila country, this distillery is located in a more remote, more rural part of the city.
As such, El Tequileno and Casa Salles hotel have created resort-like accommodations for guests. Complete with a gourmet restaurant, craft cocktail bar, full spa and my favorite feature, a sparkling swimming pool.
While this location is perfect for a vacation, I was there to study and hopefully pass my Level 1 Spirits exam hosted by WSET. The Wine & Spirits Educational Trust is an internationally recognized organization of spirits educators. The instructors are trained to explain the nuances of each spirits category in an understandable and consumable way. Our instructors, Peter Smolarz and Gina Castillo were engaging and informative.
I was most impressed by the diversity among the exam takers. Our class consisted of bartenders, chefs and beverage professionals from Mexico and the United States. Some attendees needed help with language translation that our WSET educators were able to accommodate. Very impressive.
After the studying and test taking was complete we received a guided tour of El Tequileno distilling operation. The brand stays true to its roots, following family tradition by using the same tried and true methods since their 1959.
But El Tequileno isn’t stuck in the past. We had the pleasure of trying the newest edition to their brand portfolio, Reposado Rare. This aged Tequila has been rested in American Oak barrels for 6 years. This limited expression essentially created a new age statement for Tequila. Way to lead the pack.
In an industry full of celebrity brands, El Tequileno is staying true to form while pushing the limits of product innovation.
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