Tequila Confidential

Foreal tho

We're so back

New juice alert! Welcome back for Season 3! Coming in hot with a love letter to the tequila category from Melanie Shelby. A new brand with only a Blanco at the moment, but so much more to come.

Thats right, we had a DON on the show! Find out how Don Pilar got to where he is, and why we should all have a bottle or two on our back bar.

Tony Salles has created the exception to the rule... Tune in and find out why El Tequileño is such a unique brand in addition to being a phenomenal sipping tequila!

You think you know about tequila, until you start talking to Jimmy...Listen to find out what he's been working on, and why Entre Manos should be on your agave radar!

Part 2 has arrived!

What's cookin' in the Camarena kitchen?? We sit down with Lalo and Mauricio Camarena to find out and chat father and son with father and son!

Surprise! Another episode in rapid succession! Yéyo with the help of Jon Bullinger and Sergio Cruz is doing some really exciting work in the tequila space. Listen to what Jon has to say about what’s coming and what’s out now!

Part two of our interview with Carlos Gomez of Dos Boots Mezcal!

We sit down with Mezcal producer Carlos Gomez and talk about Dos Boots!

Here's part 2!

We sit down with another tequila legend: Jake Lustig! This man is a tequila guru and industry expert. There will be much more to unpack in part 2 coming soon!

What does it mean to have tequila made by a celebrity? Have a listen to our conversation about the  differences in quality and impact some of these brands have; we'll try and discuss Cincoro, Teremana, and 818!

Part 2 of our interview with Julio!

We're back! We sat down with Julio Bermejo, the owner of Tommy's Mexican Restaurant and did a little tequila chatting. If you were wondering, yes, thats right, this is the same Julio that invented the most popular iteration of a margarita on earth; Tommy's Margarita is on menu's around the world -- but we'll talk about that in part 2...!

Everyone talks about Jalisco when it comes to tequila, but that's not the only place tequila is produced (and where blue weber agave is grown)! Nayarit is one of these places. Nayarit has an interesting future in tequila, so tune in to find out why!

Most of the tequila we drink is blended, but what does that mean? There are several reasons why and several different ways tequila is blended. Tune in to find out why and how!

YES, we have opinions. NO that should not keep you from trying Cristalinos for yourself. This category is EXPLODING in spite people like us...What are Cristalinos, why are they being made, and how are they effecting the tequila market??

A barrel has so much to do with the process of making tequila. Join us as we discuss some of the general rules and processes involved in making barrel aged tequila!

Here are some brands to get your collection started!

Listen in as we talk about what factors you should consider when trying to start and curate a collection of your own! Emotion, money, fresh flavors, and where to find your tequila are all important, and we have some opinions, tips, and tricks to help you get started (or refine your tequila curation skills).

If you haven't heard episode 9 yet, go back and listen to it first! Thanks for baring with us and these delays!

What are all the crazy things people are doing with tequila nowadays? Not the most academic episode, but very fun to record...

The current standings are in! This is obviously subject to change, but for now, Tapatio and Tezón take the top spot for our favorite tequilas. Join us while we unpack why we appreciate and love these tequilas so much.

In this episode, we'll cover some of what it means to grow and distill in el Valle, AKA the lowlands (which are not so low). There's even more fascinating history that we didn't get to cover, so please check out the further reading which I'll post on FB tomorrow!

NOM NOM NOM on dat NOM! Join us as we discuss what a NOM is. A little history, a little production analysis, and an intro to why these little four digits are so important.You will be able to find our sources for this episode next week on Facebook (I'm on Vacation -- gimme a break).

On this episode we'll introduce you to our new series within the podcast: Fancy Bottles! Each bottle of tequila has a story to tell, and what better way to kick off a series about these stories than with Clase Azul. Be sure to check out our Instagram for photos of the bottles!Find the sources for this episode on our Facebook Page!

There is so much to talk about when it comes to additives in tequila. This is just an introduction to additives or "abocantes." That being said, in this episode, we will give you some tools to detect additives and talk about the future of additives in tequila. Specifically the new Excelencia Libre De Aditivos Producto Certificado trademark registered by the CRT!Sources:https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jchem/2016/6254942/https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/6/1719https://www.foodandwine.com/additive-vs-non-additive-tequila-6912542?utm_source=emailshare&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=shareurlbuttonshttps://tastetequila.com/2017/the-lowdown-on-tequila-additives/https://agaveroadtrip.com/episodes/s2e83-super-sugar-tequila-fortified-with-four-essential-additiveshttps://blacksheeptequila.com/blog/8595/What-is-in-your-tequilahttps://www.patrontequila.com/stories/2021-01/additive-free.htmlhttps://tequilaraiders.com/article/additives-tequila-faq/https://www.crt.org.mx/index.php/en/el-tequila-2/certified-companieshttps://www.crt.org.mx/index.php/en/el-tequila-2/clasificacionhttps://alter.com/trademarks/excelencia-libre-de-aditivos-producto-certificado-97204093https://www.sipoutsider.com/news/additive-free-tequila-certification-added-to-crt-endorsement-marks-heres-what-we-know-so-far/https://internationaltequilaacademy.com/tequila-additives-second-opinion-from-crt-unofficial/https://internationaltequilaacademy.com/tequila-additives-complete-guide-2020/https://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5282165&fecha=13/12/2012#gsc.tab=0https://www.tiktok.com/@tequilamatchmaker/video/7186719954022976773?_r=1&_t=8a4MPhe2Zoshttps://www.experienceagave.com/2014/05/mexico-bans-additives-in-blanco-tequilas/

In this episode, we'll continue our discussion of vessels and techniques, but we'll also touch on some interesting tequila pairings and give El Tesoro a rating.Sources:https://agavecocina.com/the-right-way-to-taste-tequila/https://paquitequila.com/tasting-tequila-101/https://tastetequila.com/2010/hardcore-tequila-tasting-part-1-warming-up-your-mouth/https://tastetequila.com/2010/whats-the-best-glass-for-tasting-anejo-tequilas/https://www.casasauza.com/all-about-tequila/tequila-tastinghttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/neat-and-tidy-map-tastes-tongue-you-learned-school-all-wrong-180963407/https://www.patrontequila.com/stories/2016-08/tequila-101.htmlhttps://www.departures.com/cuisine/how-to-drink-tequila-casa-dragonesMartineau, C. (2019). How the Gringos stole tequila: The modern age of Mexico’s most traditional spirit. Trinity University Press. 

In this episode, we'll discuss pros and cons of a handful of the vessels that are used to drink tequila as well as some of the different techniques that can be employed to discover flavors within.Make sure you also catch part 2, which will be posted in a few hours!P.S. - I've heard Riedel pronounced both Reed-el and Rye-dell by experts in the industry... I like the latter.Sources:https://agavecocina.com/the-right-way-to-taste-tequila/https://paquitequila.com/tasting-tequila-101/https://tastetequila.com/2010/hardcore-tequila-tasting-part-1-warming-up-your-mouth/https://tastetequila.com/2010/whats-the-best-glass-for-tasting-anejo-tequilas/https://www.casasauza.com/all-about-tequila/tequila-tastinghttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/neat-and-tidy-map-tastes-tongue-you-learned-school-all-wrong-180963407/https://www.patrontequila.com/stories/2016-08/tequila-101.htmlhttps://www.departures.com/cuisine/how-to-drink-tequila-casa-dragonesMartineau, C. (2019). How the Gringos stole tequila: The modern age of Mexico’s most traditional spirit. Trinity University Press. 

Have you ever wondered why tequila is sometimes crystal clear and sometimes a darker brown (and everything in between)? This is because they are different "expressions" of tequila. In this episode, we'll talk about what makes a tequila a blanco, a reposado, an añejo, or an extra añejo.Sources:https://www.iscbarrels.com/international-spirit-spotlight-tequila/https://longislandloutequila.com/aging-process-of-tequila/#.ZGAmnezMI-Qhttps://tastetequila.com/2017/the-lowdown-on-tequila-additives/?ref=longislandloutequila.comhttps://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1447&context=eblhttps://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/43263642/Agaves_as_a_Raw_Material_Recent_Technologies_and_Applications-libre.pdf?1456918966=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DAgaves_as_a_Raw_Material_Recent_Technolo.pdf&Expires=1684434407&Signature=TQsJqg4Lz~VgJlchL1ZbkfyWngxc24IB4KexELkd3uOYteN8~wX8uIvFdtMJ1p~JVl0hrCRj8gwpxED05WUvZMuLp4zYhyghBTH2kwdNIB-1JJnt8R5ZDKWjoqsBvF3eqnrFTjwa-KjZYFRKMS-r5nthnc03VnGwMG5NmDOs9WSLn5FKgSJb1D7ZwzcdqB6UhrhhNKU7KRmaR~3ciBxm9PMiz2GWxSilyxaUA7fQS4bXw0vzZ~EtR8SyQmvsq8wdX5r9DtTgmvtChRJNqRtJ2kkaF2GOKVODz6uaG-dgjBHSkcNkLnsEd4YLHN~JEDxZD3Iw5cCRSCj6cMn2a~2ixw__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA

In this episode, we'll let you know who we are and what we're all about! Because it's our first episode, we went a little longer, but in any case, join us as we discuss what Tequila is.Sources:https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1447&context=eblhttp://www.youngsmarket.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/TEQUILA-Craft-Spirits-Newsletter-Summer-2014-revision.pdfhttps://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/43263642/Agaves_as_a_Raw_Material_Recent_Technologies_and_Applications-libre.pdf?1456918966=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DAgaves_as_a_Raw_Material_Recent_Technolo.pdf&Expires=1684434407&Signature=TQsJqg4Lz~VgJlchL1ZbkfyWngxc24IB4KexELkd3uOYteN8~wX8uIvFdtMJ1p~JVl0hrCRj8gwpxED05WUvZMuLp4zYhyghBTH2kwdNIB-1JJnt8R5ZDKWjoqsBvF3eqnrFTjwa-KjZYFRKMS-r5nthnc03VnGwMG5NmDOs9WSLn5FKgSJb1D7ZwzcdqB6UhrhhNKU7KRmaR~3ciBxm9PMiz2GWxSilyxaUA7fQS4bXw0vzZ~EtR8SyQmvsq8wdX5r9DtTgmvtChRJNqRtJ2kkaF2GOKVODz6uaG-dgjBHSkcNkLnsEd4YLHN~JEDxZD3Iw5cCRSCj6cMn2a~2ixw__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA