Alcolog

There's something nice about a bar that does specialty nights for alcohol. Sure, some places will do half price pitchers or rails; but it's nice when a place will do specials on whiskies or (in the case of Psycho Suzi's tonight) Tequila.

The liquors menu has a selection of twelve Tequilas to choose from, varying from the common Jose Gold to some rarities that I haven't seen since I was in Arizona. One of those, el Teporocho, started the night and is the picture for tonight. It's a mild Tequila with a touch of honey to the taste. The bottle is interesting, but the glass will have to suffice for now.

The second for tonight is Gran Cententario Plata which as the name implies is an unaged Tequila. The unaged Tequilas will be "Blanco" or "Platino" or some variation thereof. The ones that are aged for under a year will be "Reposado" to suggest that it's rested for a while in an oak cask. "Anjeo" is anything aged for more than a year. If you're a Jose-lover, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but "Reserva" isn't a type of Tequila and can be seen as marketing.

The key to Tequila is that the young tastes like agave and the older the Tequila the more it will taste lke oak. I like the taste of agave, so I tend to stick to younger Tequilas. If you're taking steps into the realm of Tequila, make sure to try the three types of Tequila before deciding on a preferred age.

One other tihng to note - Tequila will have something of a "fuzz buzz" to it. It's subtle and nothing to worry about, but bear this in mind if you've mostly had vodka, whisky, or beer beforehand.

The old saying goes, “What’s in a name,” but when it comes to Tequila, the question really should be: “What’s in a NOM?” NOM, which is an acronym for “Normas Oficial Mexicana”, is a set of obligatory regulations to ensure Mexico’s emblematic products meet certain expectations. And one of Mexico’s most emblematic products is its Tequila. The Normas standardizing Tequila production were first introduced in 1974, with the latest update coming in 2006. The Normas cover all areas of production, from the cultivation of the agave to the packaging requirements. The Normas for Tequila is the major reason why I claim that Tequila is one of the most regulated drinks in the world.

But why does it matter? Sure, there can be some bad Tequila, but that can be avoided by paying attention to the label. In fact, you can learn a lot from the labels because of the Normas. If the Tequila isn’t made from 100% agave, the label needs to say it’s a “mixto”. Likewise if it’s unaged Tequila with color added, it needs to be labeled an “oro”. Not that these are bad, but if you’ve only had mixto, then there are much higher quality Tequilas to be had.

The most important part of the NOM for Tequila is the requirement that every bottle of Tequila will have a registration number and the name of the distillery. While it’s rare that a single malt Scotch will have a name other than the distillery, this is the most common feature of Tequila. The oft quoted statistic is that there are over 700 brands of Tequila, but less than 150 distilleries. Do you like Herradura? El Jimador is made at the same distillery, though nowadays it’s a mixto. Don Eduardo is also produced there, though this is a recent change as it used to be produced by El Mejor. Confusing, isn’t it? Generally speaking, the distillery’s flagship will bear the same name as the distillery, while the secondary brands and ones produced on contract will have a different name or a generic distillery name.

There are a number of large and reputable brands who are distilled on contract. Cabo Wabo, for example, does not own a distillery. Until a few years ago Patron didn’t either. Casa Noble switches its distilleries from time to time without losing too much in the way of quality. Industry consolidation contributes to this as well, when Brown-Forman bought Casa Herradura it made more sense to have its second Tequila brand, Don Eduardo, made in their facility. So if you notice your favorite Tequila has chaged a little since the last time you had it, it might be because they changed distilleries.

So if you’re a fan of Tequila, especially a specific Tequila, it pays to pay attention to the label. You might be surprised and happy to find that there are siblings that you enjoy just as much.