Mens Journal

NOTEBOOK

FOOD

&DRINK

D

ISTILLING A BATCHof tequila once

took weeks. Huge hearts of agave

had to be slow-cooked for days then

left to ferment in the open air before being

crushed by millstone. The process was sim-

ple natural and eff icient enough — at least

until Americans decided they liked tequila

too. So to keep up with demand produc-

ers introduced all manner of modernity to

the ritual: industrial shredders artificial

chemicals and enzymes pressurized steam

ovens. The casualties of industrialization

though are nuances in f lavor. With every

step of the process that’s skipped or sped up

tequila risks becoming nothing more than

vodka Mexicano.Luckilythereareafewold-

school tequilas still holding the line as well

as a few newer ones looking to the past for

inspiration. And whether it’s sipped straight

or in a cocktail you can tell the difference in

the rich agave f lavor that’s a bit like tupelo

honey. Here are the time-honored production

methods that make these throwback tequilas

so special and the best bottles to seek out.

Tequila

the Way

It’s Meant

to Be

Traditional distilling methods

which produce a full-flavored

spirit are finally making a

comeback.byST. JOHN FRIZELL

SLOW-COOKED

Hearts of agave can weigh hundreds

of pounds so in the old days

they were cooked over low heat for

at least a day — far longer than

mass-produced brands. Fermenta-

tion took even longer relying on

temperamental native yeasts rather

than artificial yeasts and accelerat-

ing enzymes.Fortaleza ($50) cooks

its agave in brick ovens for 36 hours

andSiembra Azul ($37) ferments

its agave with champagne yeast

for nine long days.

TOMMY’S

MARGARITA

You can drink any of

these tequilas straight

but here’s the best

cocktail for getting to

know a new bottle.

2 oz blanco tequila

1 oz lime juice

¾ oz agave nectar syrup*

Shake with ice; strain

into an ice-filled rocks

glass. Garnish with a

lime wedge.

*Dilute agave nectar with

an equal volume of water.

ROCK AND ROLLED

Once cooked the agave is mashed

to a pulp. Today most hearts are

pureed in mechanical shredders

but some producers still crush their

agave in an old-fashioned stone

mill called a tahona. “The gentle

pressing by a tahona produces

a rounder smoother tequila” says

Chantal Martineau author ofHow

the Gringos Stole Tequila.Roca

Patrón Silver($70)Olmeca Altos

Plata ($25) andSiete Leguas ($49)

all use tahonas for a richer flavor.

STILL STRENGTH

Tequila in the U.S. is typically

watered down to 80 proof. But

before industrialization the spirit

was routinely bottled north of

90 proof out of respect for the

complexity of the spirit — and

the kick is unmistakable. In

cocktails like Tommy’s Margarita

(right) bold flavors of ripe fruit

from overproof tequilas such as

Tapatio 110 ($58) andEl Luchador

($55) muscle past the lime juice

and take center stage.

MEN’S JOURNAL 48 SEPTEMBER 2016

FOOD STYLING BY JAMIE KIMM; PROP STYLING BY TIZIANA AGNELLO

photograph by NIGEL COX