This is an extremely informative & highly stylised publication that provides a potted history of 10 drinks that changed the world.
They are – in order of appearance in the book;
Baijiu
Cognac
Vodka
Scottish & Irish Whiskies
Shochu
Tequila & Mezcal
Bourbon
Rum
Gin
Absinthe
Packed full of colourful stories, factual details, cocktail recipes & suggested bottle choices – the publication is an entertaining insight into the various worldwide spirits categories.
There’s only two I haven’t yet explored – Shochu & Absinthe.
This book makes me want to seek them out & give them a taste!
Browsing through the music venues for the Guiness Cork Jazz Festival 2022 Tequila Jack’s caught my eye.
It’s not often you get a bar namechecking Mexico’s famed beverage!
We duly ended up at the establishment!
An impressive display of Tequila & Mezcal graced the entrance foyer leading into a large & spacious central bar area surrounded by dining tables. Not partaking of food we sat on the comfy bar stools & selected suitable drinks from the well-presented Day Of The Dead themed Cocktail Menu and an extensive Tequila & Mezcal Booklet – ‘Vol 2’ I noted!
While my fellows went for differing cocktails, I choose a distinctively tall tequila bottle of Corralejo.
Tequila Jack’s specialise in cocktails & their friendly bartenders were kept busy entertaining the customers with their creations.
Meanwhile – I appreciate my tequila neat!
Corralejo Silver is a 100% blue agave unaged tequila presented at 38%.
It has that classic rich agave nose followed by peppery spice, a smooth & oily palate with loads of dry pepperiness on the rear.
Nice!
While enjoying our drinks a very lively group of teenagers turned up with their brass instruments & proceeded to entertain us with their infectious interpretations of modern tunes!
Rebel Brass are certainly a group to catch live!
We decided to stay for another round.
Zignum Reposado Mezcal at 40% made my glass.
This was a richer, warmer caramelly kind of nose. Hints of woody sourness pulled me in. Mild & mellow palate opened up to soft woodiness with gentle wafts of smoke on the rear.
An unusual yet engaging mezcal which connected with me!
Loved my time at Tequila Jack’s – if only it was closer to home!
Rather than use 1 type of agave for distillation like Tequila – Mezcal uses up to 40 different varietals offering a far wider flavour spectrum.
Mezcal Artesanal must also prepare that agave – agave angustifolia for La Medida – in earthen or stone pits giving a smoky element to the product – which attracts me.
There’s a stack of information on the back label – but how it tastes is paramount to me – so I poured a glass.
The earthy agave notes are quite soft & subtle, augmented by a gentle smokiness which enticed.
Smooth oily mouthfeel slowly develops an engaging dry vegetal smoke giving a warm embrace to the proceedings.
Leaves with a dry prickly pepper fading away.
La Medida is a well balanced offering showcasing a complex interplay between the vegetal agave notes & those fabulous smoky vibes.
Anytime I pop over the Irish Sea I tend to use up my amazon.co.uk vouchers – which are otherwise worthless – & order up a bottle of spirits.
Rather than leave behind a partially drunk full-size offering the attractively designed Madre Mezcal 200ml caught my eye.
Made using 2 different styles of agave plant – Espadin & Cuishe – & roasted in earthen pits – Madre Mezcal is all about the raw ingredients & artisanal production methods used in this unaged spirit for the wonderful flavours to be enjoyed.
And what flavours they were!
An engaging soft smokiness off the nose. Not peaty – more earthy or woody like a gentle campfire.
Smooth & oily on the palate coating the mouth in subtle herbal agave notes.
A flourish of warming heat on the finish where the dry & slightly prickly smoke reappeared leaving the embers slowly drifting away.
A well rounded & finely balanced Mezcal offering a delicately smoked agave rich introduction to the flavourful charms of this wholesome spirit.
Mezcal – the artisanal spirit from Mexico that’s attracting attention right now.
Already a convert – mainly due to the smokey element – I eagerly signed up for the Celtic Whiskey Bar & Larder Zoom Tasting with Del Maguey Mezcal.
The 1st offering – Vida Mezcal, 42% – immediately satisfied. A seductive smokiness combined with those rich earthy agave notes reeled me in!
Gorgeous!
Chichicapa Mezcal, 46%, dialed down the smoke a touch & ramped up the pungent agave along with a prickly dryness on the finish from the higher ABV.
Unlike the whiskey world – which for some is all about the wood to bring about complexity & flavour – Mezcal is all about the raw ingredients & production methods used to deliver a fully flavoured spirit with depth & complexity straight from the still.
Tobala Mezcal, 45%, shone in this department. Using a roast time of 30 days accentuated the rich smokiness. A long fermentation of up to a week brought out some cheesy funky notes & using the A. potatorum agave species added pungent earthy overtones.
Certainly the Mezcal that enamoured me the most!
Pichuga Mezcal, 49%, rounded the evening off.
Compared to the others there was less smoke evident – but those engaging earthy agave aromas entertained me no end.
The Del Maguey website is packed full of information on these single village mezcals.
If you haven’t ventured into Mezcal yet – you won’t go far wrong enjoying any of the above.
Tequila – along with it’s agave stablemate Mezcal – features in this adventurous tale of a teenager traversing Mexico in a car – purchased in Texas – with the goal of selling it in Belize & thereby funding the trip.
There are many twists & turns along the way.
Get lost in a book! c/othewhiskeynut
Tequila Oil is actually a cocktail.
The author used it to cement business deals – as recommended by the bank he worked for in Mexico City.
The ingredients are;
Tequila
Tomatoe Juice
Habanero Chilli Sauce
Maggie Liquid Seasoning
Mix together to form a black oily consistency.
Garaunteed to blow your head!
I didn’t try it personally – but then I’m not seeking a bank loan in Mexico!
It’s great to see the independent drinks specialist Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) launch a course in Ireland courtesy of Spirits Training.
When I completed my Spirits Level 2 module a while ago I visited the UK to sit the exam.
It shows a growing appreciation of and increasing demand for the spirits sector in Ireland.
My extra curricular training in Manchester proved to be very entertaining nonetheless! Visit my blog here.
WSET Spirits L2 c/othewhiskeynut
The Spirits Level 2 course doesn’t just cover whiskey – all distilled spirit categories including Gin, Vodka, Brandy, Mezcal & more are explored.
Many I’d little knowledge of – let alone tasted – which is an integral part of training.
I grew to understand each sector has it’s own rules & regulations, history & customs, as well as creative interpretations & representations of those traditions across the world.
At the end of the day however – it all came down to which spirits excited my palate.
One I’d never encountered before was Grappa.
Long tall Luigi c/othewhiskeynut
Grappa – by definition – is an Italian based spirit distilled from grapes – the leftovers that is from wine production – or pomace as it’s known – and tends to be made by small producers.
The only grappa I could easily find in Ireland was by Luigi Francoli in my local O’Brien’s store.
Presented in an attractive bottle at 41.5%, it stated the grape varietals used – Muscato e Brachetto – as well as ‘Barrique’ aged – in contrast to the usual unaged Grappa’s.
Oh – the distillery was founded in 1875.
Italian Grappa c/othewhiskeynut
The grape influence was evident – but not in a sweet way – which usually puts me off – more of a nutty, earthy kind of experience.
A lovely soft mouthfeel grew in depth adding fruitiness & more of that nuttiness too – before finishing with a gentle spiciness to add character.
I’d happily enjoy one or two of these after a meal – which is the custom – and possibly explore other offerings as well.
If anything the WSET Spirits course has expanded both my knowledge of the spirits world & introduced my palate to a greater repertoire of tasting experiences.
WestmeathWhiskeyWorld 