Tequila Aficionado Magazine
Tequila Aficionado Magazine began as a website in 1999 and run single-handedly by founder, Alexander “Alex” Perez. The website went through several incarnations and design changes over the years but what remained the same was Alex’s passion for Mexican spirits: Tequila, Mezcal and Sotol.
In 2000, Alex met M.A. “Mike” Morales and, while discussing their tequila tasting during a podcast for Tequila Aficionado, Mike coined the phrase “Sipping Off The Cuff”. From that day forward, Alex and Mike’s occasional podcasts would be known as Sipping Off The Cuff. As YouTube and Skype became more user friendly, Alex and Mike moved from podcast to video.
As often happens with labors of love, life’s labors called Alex and Mike elsewhere and Tequila Aficionado went on hiatus.
During this hiatus, Mike hosted “Intimate Tequila Tastings”, tequila tasting events in New Mexico that introduced new aficionados to the joys of tequila tasting. He was then asked to host and co-produce a television program called “Last Tequila Standing.”
Tequila Aficionado Media
In early 2012, with Mike’s first season of Last Tequila Standing already completed, Mike and Alex were approached by a social media consultant and community manager with a taste for tequila and a desire to see Tequila Aficionado relaunch as Tequila Aficionado Media.
Lisa Pietsch envisioned Tequila Aficionado Media producing and publishing podcasts, video programs, an extensive library of in-depth written reviews, books, magazines, events and more.
In 2013 Alex stepped back from Tequila Aficionado, occasionally returning for Sipping Off the Cuff episodes. Since then, with Lisa at the helm, Tequila Aficionado has produced and published podcasts, an extensive library of video programs, written reviews and articles, books, magazines, courses, events and added a talented team of tasters which is led by Master Catador Mike Morales.
Contributors:
Alvin G. Starkman, PhD.