Sandwiched on a popular stretch of Mercer St in SoHo, in an unassuming office buliding, past a nondescript desk, three flights up a modest elevator, down a conventional corridor past a row of plain, stark doorways, is a charming and sensuous hideaway to which you’ve never been.
Because it’s "by invitation only."
Once you get inside, cozy up to the rustic bar, and let the skilled mixologist craft you one (or four) of their specialty margaritas made with fresh and superb ingredients. Nibble on the savory complementary Mexican fare, and let the varied selection of deliciously infused tequilas work their magic on your senses.
Have your satiated fill and leave the premises without ever seeing a check. If you’re one of the "lucky ones," that is.
How’d you get to be so lucky? Why, you must be a Beverage Director or a General Manager of a fine-dining eatery or an upscale bar that might appreciate the outstanding quality and craftmanship Tanteo 100% de Agave Tequila has to offer.
Give it a try. You’ll see.
yah so
last night was this awesome private dinner at LaEsquina thrown by JoseCuervo to celebrate Mexican Independence Day and to help promote their Platino and Extra Añejo Riserva de la Familia tequilas to… ummm… "influentials" (? that would be ME. yay!)
it was really great and delicious (there’s new stuff on the LaEsquina menu! did you even realize?) and believe it or not, even though i consumed about a half dozen JoseCuervo tequila drinks in various incarnations, i still managed to learn quite a lot about tequila.
wouldn’t you like to learn some too? sure you would. okay here goes. did you know:
- that tequila is like "champagne" or like "bourbon" in that in order for it to be called "tequila" it MUST be made in the region of tequila,mexico (which is comprised of five regions within itself). any similar liquor produced outside this region must be denominated otherwise— like "mezcal" or some such, etc.
- tequila is also like wine, in that it has an "NOM" classification (Nominacion Original sumpn sump? or sumpn? whatever) very much like the french AOC and the italian DOC.
- that any tequila which is 100% agave (like Jose Cuervo’s Riservas) is completely free of sugar and therefore "will not cause headaches or hangovers…"
(it’s also only 60 calories an ounce and contains no carbs!)
- somewhat by virtue of this, Jose Cuervo is also currently awaiting FDA approval to label their Riserva tequilas "organic."
- that Patron is owned by paul-mitchell (the hair products dude)… thereby making Patron something akin to the Absolut of tequilas, if you hear what i’m sayin (big vodka fanatic here).
- that the former JoseCuervo "1800" is no longer a part of JoseCuervo? it "separated itself from the company," and although 1800 is still made in Cuervo distilleries, it no longer bears the name "Jose Cuervo."
- that all Riserva de la Familia bottles are still hand filled, labeled, and numbered— because JoseCuervo remains a 10th generation family-run business that fully espouses the tradition of sustaining the employment of local mexican laborers and artisans…
- … in fact, the Extra Añejo bottles come packaged in a special wooden box, re-designed annually by local artists, some of the sales proceeds of which are then donated to help fund a local university for the arts.
- that the Platino is best served "chilled and/or in cocktails" but the Extra Añejo should be "room temperature, in a snifter."
- that to recognize any "very good tequila," you should notice "spiciness in the mouth and taste buds only" with "a warmth in the throat and downward"— but NEVER a spiciness in the throat and downward.
- that by nosing the Extra Añejo in the glass, you will recognize the different notes by nosing "the front" (the pepperiness), "the center" (the "honey" and agave), and "the back" (the oak and wood notes).
also— keep your mouth slightly open to help dispel the "alcohol" fragrance.
isn’t that fascinating ?
in short:
that shit is GOOD.
yay José!
= "personne extraordinaire"