Diva Tequila Review [Transcript]

Watch the original video review for Diva Tequila here.

Sipping Off the Cuff | Diva Tequila [Transcript] http://wp.me/p3u1xi-4XxAlex: You’re watching “Sipping Off the Cuff” at TequilaAficionado.com, I am Alex Perez in Southern California.

Mike: I am your local Diva here in San Antonio, Mike Morales. This is our first infused tequila on “Sipping Off the Cuff”. As you can tell we have actually drank a lot of this because our COO Lisa Pietsch has taken it upon herself to be a big fan of Diva and we have recipes on baking with Diva Tequila. She has a Diva Tequila cupcake on the website. You can find it on the website and in our Pinterest page. Check it out, it’s sugar free and it’s outstanding. It’s really good. But look at the… Check it and show your bling.

Alex: Look at my bling.

Mike: Look at that. Check that out, man. That’ll look good with your grill.

Alex: I guess they encourage people to buy and drink and collect this. So they can turn it into something…

Mike: Well, this particular brand, the brand owners, Larry Large is one of three brand owners and I think you and I talked about Penasco Tequila. You can find that review here on “Sipping Off the Cuff” at TequilaAficionado.com. This is a signature brand for them, the story goes that Larry Large’s daughter at the time she was a little girl, she’s much older now but apparently he wanted something that would attract the female audience so the little girl says “I wanna design the bottle, daddy”. So she takes all these samples of perfume bottles from her mother and then she took a little bit of here, a little bit of there.  Of course it was a rough drawing his little girl had done, Larry had it taken to a designer, to clean it up and this is what he came up with. And you can see it, it’s very cool, it’s nice and tall. It’s got on the bottom here, apparently the story goes at one of the other owner’s wife consider herself a Diva and I think that was how they wanted to design their tequila and each of their initials are on the bottom of the bottle, so it’s very symbolic, it means a whole lot for them and the family. They run contests, you can find them on Facebook, but they run a contest about promoting your Diva moment (#mydivamoment). So this is a citrus infused tequila, it is colored.  It is a certified color allowed by the normas.

Alex: Very light.

Sipping Off the Cuff | Diva Tequila [Transcript] http://wp.me/p3u1xi-4XxMike: Yeah, it’s not very, very, dark, at all.

Yeah, it almost, if you are not careful you don’t even notice it and you can see it down the bottle even the cork, the synthetic cork is pink. I mean, every little detail on this brand is very particular, it’s very meaningful to the partners and they’ve been really generous with us at Tequila Aficionado. And like I’ve said, Lisa is a whiz in the kitchen so a lot of recipes include Diva or she’s experimenting to see which one works and which one failed. Yeah, so wow.

Alex: Nice legs on the glass too.  Wow, very different.  Not what you’d expect in a blanco, if you will.

Mike: Yeah, I don’t even know what are they considering this, this says silver tequila.

Yeah, it would be like a silver and it would be considered a blanco. It would be an infused blanco.

Mike: It says citrus infused, they call it Diva Platinum.

Alex: It’s got an interestingnose.  Citrus, obviously citrus nose.

Mike: But it’s almost like a bitter citrus, it’s almost like a bitter… there’s a little bit of bitterness.

Alex: Grapefruit.

Mike: There you go.

Alex: And orange together I think.

Wow, it’s very interesting.

Mike: We’ve got to spit, folks.  We can’t drink all of this stuff.

Alex: It’s a…

Mike: I was going to say you and I don’t do a lot of infusions.  You know, you may have more than I have, but the house infusions you get it in a bar sometimes or stuff with jalapeños and tropical fruit and that stuff. My thinking is that if you focus back in our Penasco Blanco review we were really big fans of the blanco, it’s a nice beefy blanco and my thinking is this is the same blanco but they are infusing it, so that completely changed the flavor profile because the beefiness of the blanco is there but there is a… the orange is not a sweet orange, to me it’s like a bitter orange, like you’ve said, like a grapefruit, like a Ruby Red.

Alex: Yeah, almost like orange and grapefruit almost together.

Mike: Yeah, maybe even a lime, it may have a little bit of lime on it. Not lemon because it would be too sour.

Alex: It’s neat tequila and I will tell you why. Good for sipping, not necessary a profile I like because my flavor is not that profile but do you know what it reminds me of? This reminds me of triple sec. Triple sec, almost leaning towards a Grand Marnier. This would be great on the rocks. Because it’s got the viscosity, the coating on the palate, the infused flavor would be great on the rocks. Like I’ve said on it, if you like this flavor profile, I think it would be great on rocks. I love Grand Marnier on the rocks.  So it’s very similar, make a margarita or even float this. Make a margarita with your Penasco and float the diva on top.

Mike: Well, there we go.

Alex: Just thinking out loud.

Sipping Off the Cuff | Diva Tequila [Transcript] http://wp.me/p3u1xi-4XxMike: The other thing that we were discussing. Lisa and I were discussing off camera was this almost reminds me of the Squirt Paloma, the traditional Paloma, this is almost like a Paloma in a bottle. And it’s like you’ve said, on the rocks, it’s like, you don’t have to bother with the Squirt because (Squirt is a grapefruit soda) I mean there’s no bubbles in it.

Alex: And there’s sugar in it too. So this would be a “skinny Paloma”.

Mike: Skinny Paloma, Oh my God, we’ve just coined, it’s ours, we get scents every time you say it, “skinny Paloma”.

Alex: “Skinny Paloma”.

Mike: It’s a “Skinny Paloma”.

Mike: You can see that you can have a lot of fun with this. Like I’ve said, it’s a great meaningful brand to the brand owners. My understanding is that it’s available now in Arizona, parts of Texas, I’m not sure…

Alex: This is like a necklace.

Mike: Yeah, this looks like a doorknob. You know, my great aunt had a house in L.A. with… remember the all crystal door knobs in the cabinet knobs? That’s what it looks like but it’s faceted, like it even says Diva on it I think, does it say Diva on the inside?

Alex: Yeah.

Mike: Yeah, it does. It says Diva right there, do you see?

Alex: Very cool.

Mike: Yeah, it’s a very cool, I would say so, I think it’s kinda fun.

Alex: I would add a glorifier on it with the light going through.

Mike: I am not sure… well you have a glorifier. What does it look like with the light on?

Alex: I will try the glorifier.

Mike: But, you know, do you wanna see your Diva with the lights on or the lights off?

Alex: That’s what the diva looks like.

Mike: Check it out!

Alex: The top light is up.

Mike: Yeah!

Alex: The top lights up.  Did you see that?

Mike: It almost looks like the Luxor.

Alex: That’s cool.

Mike: Check you out man.

Diva, put the light on it.

Alex: Put the light on your Diva.

Mike: You know… Alex this is not a repulsive, I mean you and I had regular tequilas that were just horribly repulsive, but this one doesn’t, you know, it’s almost refreshing. I have to agree with you.

Alex: It’s a drink in the bottle.

Mike: Yeah.

Alex: It’s a cocktail in the bottle.

Mike: Yeah, a cocktail in the bottle.

Alex: A Diva cocktail in the bottle.

Mike: What do you think for our first infused tequila, do you think it should be a Brand of Promise with us?

Alex: I think so.

Mike: You know, like you’ve said it’s not something we’ve tried, or you and I would probably go looking for. You can take this to a birthday party, a barbecue or friend’s.  It would be a nice gift.

Alex: Yeah, it smells like a cocktail.

Mike: Like I’ve said it’s almost like a Paloma. It’s a skinny Paloma.Sipping Off the Cuff | Diva Tequila [Transcript] http://wp.me/p3u1xi-4Xx

Alex: Yeah. Well you heard it here first.

Mike: The skinny Paloma, we want 10 cents every time you say it. We’re trade marking it tomorrow.

Alex: You’ll take 5?

Mike: Well, you take 5 and I take 5. We’ve got to take 10 for you to get 5, anyway.

Alex: Look for Diva, I don’t know, where did you say that it was available?

Mike: I said it was in Arizona, I believe if it’s not in Nevada, it will be shortly, it’s in Texas also.

Alex: Nevada would be a good fit for bars.

Mike: Obviously.

Alex: You need the glorifier.

Mike: Well, Bradley Large and the brand owners have a program.  They hand out cards that say “Diva Moment”. They do particular promos specifically geared to women. And I’ve gotta tell you, this is one of the most elegant, one of the more… better ways to attract a female audience I think, I think they’re on the right track with this, I think it’s a brand of promise for infused tequilas.

Alex: And it’s not a phallic symbol.

Mike: Yeah, thank Goodness. Yeah, it’s gimmicky in kind of all the right ways, instead of gimmicky in all the wrong directions.

Alex: I hear ya.

Mike: By the way, that’s our take on Diva, I think it’s a Brand of Promise.

Alex: Sure, it’s definitely a Brand of Promise.

Mike: I had fun with it.

Alex: I think this is probably the first marketing that I’ve seen that would be good to attract the female population and they would have fun with it. And you know what too, I think that it’s geared toward a young crowd, obviously the legal crowd.

Mike: Right. You know if it does make in Las Vegas and bottle service, can you imagine showing this bottle off on your table?

Alex: You know what these guys have to do? They have to give Mariah Carey a bunch of this stuff and have her talk about it. The Diva.  One of those Diva ladies.

Mike: Yeah, Celine Dion, who’s in Vegas these days?

Alex: I Mariah Carey.

Mike: Mariah Carey.

Alex: I can see her making a ring out of this thing right here.

Mike: I think that I’ve seen it.

Actually wearing that…

I think her husband, Nick Cannon, actually gave her something like that already.

Alex: It’s already done.

Mike: Well, we’re always late to the party.

Alex: I’m Alex Perez and you’re watching “Sipping Off the Cuff” on TequilaAficionado.com and, as always, sip wisely.

Watch Sipping off the Cuff | Penasco Tequila Plata (Blanco) here.

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Learn all about tequila from field to glass and then get paid to share your love of agave spirits with others! Buy Them Both Now!

Diva Tequila Waffles Recipe

Diva Tequila Waffles http://wp.me/p3u1xi-4uMFew infused tequilas are done well, but when you find one with as versatile a flavor profile as Diva Tequila, it’s worth taking the time to experiment with it.  I’ve been using Diva Tequila in the kitchen for years now and heartily recommend adding Diva Tequila Waffles to your next brunch menu.

Diva Tequila Waffles Recipe

  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1 box Jello (I like Orange, Strawberry or Lemon) mix
  • ¾ cup water
  • ⅓ cup coconut oil
  • ½ cup Diva Tequila
  • 3 eggs

Mix all ingredients well and cook in well-oiled waffle iron.

Top waffles with whipped cream, mandarin orange pieces and/or fresh strawberries.

Serve with a Pink Paloma made with:

  • 2oz Diva Tequila
  • 4oz Grapefruit Juice
  • Serve in glass with ice

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Learn all about tequila from field to glass and then get paid to share your love of agave spirits with others! Buy Them Both Now!

Tequila Gets Fruity: Flavors & Infusions

From the Vault Aug 12, 2004

margarita, vault

Lime Shot Bottle ImageMexico makers want to add fruit to firewater in bid to expand market.

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico’s tequila industry, in pursuit of younger customers, plans to follow other alcohol producers by offering the centuries-old firewater tinged with citrus flavors.

“Young people are drinking flavored products,” said Miguel Aguilar Romo, Mexico’s director for standards at the economy ministry. “We have vodka, we have rum, we have flavored beer. We can’t be left out of this global trend.”

Romo’s office, which sets the rules tequila makers must follow, gave the go-ahead this month to allow fruity tequila starting in January 2004.

“We are not pretending to change our drink — just looking to branch out with new products,” said Eduardo Orendain, head of the National Tequila Industry Chamber, which groups producers.

The Mexican government regulates the production of tequila, which — like champagne and cognac — has the so-called “guarantee of origin,” meaning it can only be made in certain regions.

Tequila is distilled from the pineapple-shaped core of the blue agave cactus in five Mexican states: Guanajuato, Michoacan, Nayarit, Tamaulipas and Jalisco, home of the town called Tequila and the leading state producer.

Centuries of tradition

diva tequila, silver, blanco, citrus, penascoProduction methods have changed little since the 17th century. The drink is deeply embedded in Mexico’s culture with an image some fear fruit-flavored tequila could tarnish.

“I have been drinking tequila for more than 45 years and I don’t think it should be demeaned,” said Feliciano Chavez, a businessman from Zapopan in Jalisco state. “Tequila is pure. That’s why it doesn’t cause hangovers. I think new flavors will do some damage. It’s pure marketing.”

Tequila historian Jose Maria Muria, president of Colegio de Jalisco and an avid drinker of straight tequila — the style preferred by most Mexicans — says flavors are no big deal.

“If we don’t want to tamper with our tequila, then maybe we should prohibit margaritas or drinking tequila mixed with soda,” Muria said.

The Mexican tequila industry has its sights on 20-somethings in the United States. Fruit-flavored tequila will contain the same percentage of alcohol as original tequila, but for many will be less harsh on the taste buds.

The United States is already the main export market for tequila. Mexico last year exported 63 percent of the 141 million liters of tequila produced. More than 80 percent of it went to the United States.

Head start

lampleft_5_bBut the two largest sellers of traditional tequila in the United States — Jose Cuervo and Sauza — said they do not plan to come out with fruit-flavored tequila.

“We are not interested in any tequila with flavors or fruits,” said Alejandra Castillo, a Mexico City spokeswoman for Jose Cuervo which sold about 29 million liters in the United States in 2002, making it the country’s most popular tequila.

“There are no plans, that we’re aware of, to introduce anything like this in the United States,” said Jack Shea, a spokesman for Sauza, which ranked second in U.S. sales last year with about 9 million liters.

One U.S. entrepreneur, David McQueen, has a head start on Mexican producers. He has sold flavored tequila since 2001.

McQueen, the CEO of Las Vegas-based Tukys Tequila, said he holds U.S. patents on five types of flavored tequila: mandarin-orange, watermelon, lime, kiwi-strawberry and coffee.

McQueen said the Mexican and U.S. government allow him to ship U.S.-made fruit flavors to Jalisco, where they are mixed with tequila and returned for sale in the United States.

Romo questioned the legal status of that tequila but McQueen said he has broken no rules.

“It’s legal. It’s not under the table,” McQueen said. “We’ve never had a problem calling it tequila.”

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Tequila Aficionado Media Celebrates Día de los Muertos 2015 On The Road

Announces Unprecedented Partnerships with Top Tequilas!

For Immediate Release!

August 26, 2015, San Antonio, TX:  Beginning October 14-28, 2015, Tequila Aficionado Media takes to the open road accompanied by top tier tequilas destined for the Windy City of Chicago to celebrate the popular Día de los Muertos remembrance holiday.

Palazzo

What began as a whimsical idea during a family RV vacation early in the spring of 2015, has turned into a monster tequila tour packed with stops at specially selected points-of-interest along the way, photo opportunities, and out-of-the-box social media marketing and promotion for tequila brands on a budget.

Initially scheduled for late August 2015, Lisa Pietsch, Tequila Aficionado mexican moonshine anejo, roger clyne, peacemakers, tequila,Media’s COO, admits that, “…the response from agave spirits brands was so overwhelmingly positive that we were compelled to move the tour dates to October to accommodate brands that wanted to come aboard.”

The change in tour dates notes M.A. “Mike” Morales, CEO of Tequila Aficionado Media, was fortunate for the participating tequila partners since, “…the end-of-year push for the spirits industry traditionally begins in October and lasts throughout the holiday season.”

Adds Pietsch, “Now, Día de los Muertos is an integral part of that celebration to Latinos and tequila aficionados alike.”

At press time, participating tequila brand partners are…

Currently, these tequila partners are scheduled to be featured on the following days of Tequila Aficionado’s Día de los Muertos Tequila Tour—

14-Oct Embajador Blanco
15-Oct Embajador Reposado
16-Oct Embajador Anejovarietals
17-Oct Lunazul Blanco
18-Oct Lunazul XAageGateImg
19-Oct Malinalli Blanco
20-Oct Malinalli Extra Anejomalinalli
21-Oct Titanium Blanco

titanium, tequila, flight of sites, tequila aficionado

22-Oct Dulce Vida 5yr Extra AnejoDulce_Vida
23-Oct Route 66 Reposado

route-66-slide11

24-Oct 1921 La Crema

la crema

25-Oct Diva Blanco

diva

26-Oct Mexican Moonshine Blanco
27-Oct Mexican Moonshine Reposado
28-Oct Mexican Moonshine Anejo

mexican moonshine anejo, roger clyne, peacemakers, tequila,

As other interested agave spirits climb aboard Tequila Aficionado’s Día de los Muertos Tequila Tour, this list and the calendar of open slots will be updated.

tequila aficionado, dia de los muertos tour, rv trip 2015
Click on map to see full route in Google Maps

For all the details on the Día de los Muertos Tequila Tour and how your agave spirit will benefit with Tequila Aficionado Media’s powerful, exclusive, out-of-the-box (and affordable!) social media brand exposure, click here .

***

[Tweet “Add your agave spirit brand now by contacting Chicago@tequilaaficionado.com”]

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Learn all about tequila from field to glass and then get paid to share your love of agave spirits with others! Buy Them Both Now!

Tequila Aficionado Takes to The Open Road

On The Road Again

Unlike some tequilas, most of my moves have never been smooth–or without incident.

For the better part of 18 years, I lived in New Mexico.  After a year long stay in my home state of California, I moved my personal residence and headquarters to San Antonio, TX to helm the newly revamped Tequila Aficionado Media almost two years ago.  In all that time, I’ve spent hundreds of dollars in storage fees.

Lisa drives the RV.
Lisa drives the RV.

So, when my partner, Lisa Pietsch, suggested an RV road trip in late May/early June to get the rest of my possessions in Albuquerque, I was hesitant.

The plan was to rent a Cruise America RV and to take her two home schooled boys with us, along with the two cats, the dog, and turtle, on a 7-day trek through parts of west Texas and southern New Mexico.

Since Lisa would be doing all the driving, she would break up the trip to no more than 5 or 6 hours before stopping at a reputable and clean RV park for a day or two.  We would simply retrace our route on the return trip, as well.

donner_film_landingI’m not going to lie.  Visions of the ill fated Donner Party crossed my mind.

Apart from the usual concerns about cost and current gas prices (which Lisa will tackle in blog posts of her own), my more pressing questions were–

Could the cats get along with the dog?  Would the boys freak out without wifi?  Would we even survive the first night together in the close quarters of the RV?  Could we all just get along?

Añejo the Cat doesn't travel well.
Añejo the Cat doesn’t travel well.

Luckily, the good folks at Del Bravo tequila supplied us with bottles of their Peñsaco, Diva and Route 66 tequila to calm my nerves.  Brand Of Promise(TM) winner, JLP Craft Margaritas also came along for the ride.

#TheDreamIsReal

Undaunted (and armed with a hashtag), Lisa pursued her dream of taking the kids and experiencing part of the Desert Southwest on the open road.

After a couple of hours outside of San Antonio, we stopped for lunch and took stock of our surroundings inside the RV.  So far, the ride was quite comfy.

The Crossroads of The Texas Mountain Trail

Route 66 and Diva Tequilas.
Route 66 and Diva Tequilas.

We arrived tired and hungry at our destination, the Good Sam campground in Van Horn, TX, just in time to catch a desert sunset.

Dinner in the RV and generous pours of Route 66 reposado tequila were on the menu after a long drive.  Later that evening, the campground’s flawless wifi kept us on top of our personal and Tequila Aficionado duties.

It wasn’t until the next morning, though, that we were able to appreciate the stark beauty of this historic west Texas location.

Tequila Road Show

A short two hours or so later, we entered the El Paso, TX city limits.  Here, Lisa Pietsch and I reveal our desires for the Tequila Aficionado Roadshow that we were planning for late summer/early fall 2015.

Old Stomping Grounds

Fun with the selfie stick.
Fun with the selfie stick.

We made great time into the Duke City area and settled into the spacious Albuquerque North KOA campground in Bernalillo, NM.

Later that evening, accompanied by a full moon rising above the Sandia Mountains and some JLP Craft Margaritas, along with a celebratory cigar for me, we hopped onto the park’s wifi for a little social media fun.

 How to Shop for Your RV

With the idea of shopping for a bigger RV still fermenting, we weren’t too keen on dealing with pesky and persistent salesmen.  Lisa and I decided to take a walk around the KOA park to see what Americans were RVing in.

That’s when we ran into this beauty–

Meanwhile, Back in Van Horn…

After a couple of days in New Mexico, we mounted into the Cruise America RV and made our way back to Van Horn, TX to spend a restful two days recuperating from driving and moving some of my possessions.

Family time.
Family time.

The outpouring of well wishes and the sharing of family vacation memories from our friends and followers on social media, made us pause and reflect on our own individual family outings.

The pros of being location independent far outweighed the cons of what the open road had in store (besides rush hour traffic).

And, had we not returned to the campground in Van Horn, we would’ve missed the opportunities to bond over these gems…

Living The Dream

Stay tuned to Tequila Aficionado later this month for a special announcement about our first ever Tequila Road Show to the Windy City of Chicago and how you can come along!

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Learn all about tequila from field to glass and then get paid to share your love of agave spirits with others! Buy Them Both Now!

Diva Tequila Truffles Recipe

Tequila Test Kitchen

diva tequila truffles, recipeAfter judging some stupendous Suerte Tequila Truffles by Piece, Love & Chocolate for the 2014 Brands of Promise Awards, I decided to take truffles to the Tequila Test Kitchen.  Since the folks at Diva Tequila were kind enough to provide us with a sample for experimenting, I decided to create Diva Tequila Truffles.  Here’s how it went:

Diva Tequila Truffle Ingredients

diva1/4 Cup Butter (Don’t skimp on this, folks.  It must be real butter.)

1 Mandarin Orange

2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream

3 Tablespoons Diva Tequila

8 Ounces White Chocolate

8 Ounces Milk Chocolate (Dark Chocolate is highly recommended)

[Tweet “Diva Tequila + Chocolate = Truffles to die for! @Diva_Tequila“]

Some Assembly Required

Place the butter in a small pot and cook on high to melt.

2014-11-29 16.31.05-1

 

While the butter is melting, zest the skin of the mandarin orange into the pot with the butter.  Then slice the orange and squeeze the juice into the pot as well.

2014-11-29 16.28.57

 

 

 

Place your white chocolate in a bowl, preferably ceramic to hold the temperature, and microwave for about 30 seconds to start the softening.

Once the butter has melted and the contents of the pot are bubbling, add the heavy cream and scald.

2014-11-29 16.33.38Pour the hot contents of the pot over the chocolate in the ceramic bowl.  Allow this to sit for 5-10 minutes to soften the chocolate then whisk the contents so the chocolate is completely melted and all the contents are mixed thoroughly.

Add Diva Tequila to the contents of the bowl and whisk again.2014-11-29 16.41.12

 

 

Set the bowl in the refrigerator to begin the setting process.  Every 15 minutes, whisk the contents together again as they may separate as they cool.  After about an hour of cooling, this should have the consistency of fudge.  This is the truffle filling.

2014-11-29 18.25.00

Remove the filling from the refrigerator and prepare to work quickly.  Scooping one tablespoon of filling at a time, roll it into a ball and place it on a freezer-safe plate.  Do this with all the filling.  When you’ve finished, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until solid (about an hour).

 

When the filling is frozen,  place your 8 ounces of milk or dark chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring well each time, until it is melted.  Be sure not to microwave it too long as it will burn.

[Tweet “Make your own @Diva_Tequila Truffles for your holiday party.”]

2014-11-29 19.09.10Remove the balls of filling from the freezer and, using two forks, roll each ball through the melted chocolate to cover it completely.  (This can get messy if you don’t work quickly.)  Let the excess chocolate drip off and then place on a freezer-safe plastic plate or a plate covered with wax paper.

Before the chocolate shell has set, you may choose to garnish with a sprinkle of colored salt, a twist of orange, a dusting of cocoa or confectioner’s sugar.  Once the chocolate shell has set, you might also garnish with a bit of melted white chocolate, piped through a pastry bag.

diva tequila trufflesWhen all the truffles have been coated, place the plate in the freezer again for about 10 minutes or just until the chocolate coating has set completely.

Remove your truffles from the freezer and store at room temperature in an airtight container.  Serve/eat within a few days for best flavor.

Salud!

[Tweet “Diva #Tequila #truffle recipe just in time for the holidays! @Diva_Tequila“]

 

 

 

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Learn all about tequila from field to glass and then get paid to share your love of agave spirits with others! Buy Them Both Now!

Penasco Plata Tequila Review

Alexander Perez and M.A. “Mike” Morales taste and discuss Penasco Tequila Plata (Blanco). They also discuss why they’ve nominated this tequila for the 2014 Brands of Promise Awards.

We apologize for the sound quality.  We’ve fixed the issue in recording and this is one of the last reviews with poor sound quality.

 

[Tweet “Penasco #Tequila Plata review at Tequila Aficionado @tequilapenasco”]

penasco tequila, tequila,

 

 

Visit Penasco Tequila online at TequilaPenasco.com

Follow Tequila Penasco on Facebook here.

Follow Penasco on Twitter here.

[Tweet “Penasco #Tequila Plata nominated for 2014 Brands of Promise Awards @tequilapenasco”]

 

From their website:

Welcome to the world of Tequila through the vision of Del Bravo Imports.

We are committed to bringing you one of the finest distilled 100% blue agave tequilas on the market.

Tequila Peñasco represents quality, is named for the famed beach town located in the Mexican State of Sonora, on the sea of Cortes. Today, Tequila is one of the fastest growing liquors in the world. The direction of the growth is decidedly upscale. An entire tequila culture is being developed not just in Mexico but all over the world. Enjoyed in many countries, local pubs, neighborhood bars as well as many sophisticated restaurants around the world.

There is a large market of excellent 100% blue agave tequilas available in the range of $20 to $30. A greater quality of tequilas made of 100% blue agave in the $30 to $50 dollar range. Most all tequilas priced under $20 dollars are mass produced for local markets and export and are made from a mix of agave plants.
For the enjoyment of our beloved loyal Tequila drinkers; Tequila Peñasco is enjoyed in the USA in Arizona, Texas and South Carolina, as well as 3 northern states of Mexico, Sonora, Chihuahua and Baja. Let your senses be your guide! DISCOVER THE DIFFERENCE…

 

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Learn all about tequila from field to glass and then get paid to share your love of agave spirits with others! Buy Them Both Now!

Cranberry & Orange Diva Tequila Scones Recipe

Cranberry & Orange Diva Tequila Scones

I’ve found Diva Tequila to be particularly versatile in drinking, pairing, and cooking.  I’ve wanted to create a tequila scone recipe for some time now and am happy to announce that I’ve finally got a keeper!  These scones may be a little darker than yours might turn out as I use a 50/50 mix of white and whole wheat flour.  Happily, I discovered that the whole wheat didn’t bring this recipe down a bit!  The Diva Tequila scones were light, fluffy and delicious!

Give the recipe a try and see for yourself!

[Tweet “Cranberry & Orange Diva Tequila Scones @diva_Tequila”]

 

scones, diva tequila, cranberry, orange, recipeIngredients:

3 Cups Flour

2 Tbsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1 Cup Splenda

½ Cup Butter

2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil (we used Coconut)

1 Cup Craisins

¼ Cup Diva Tequila

1.5 Cups Milk (Half & Half or light cream for a really rich scone)

Zest of 1 Orange

1 Cup Flour for kneading

1 Beaten Egg to glaze

Soak Craisins in ¼ Cup Diva Tequila Overnight, mixing often to be sure they’re all covered.

 

To Prepare:

scones, diva tequila, cranberry, orange, recipeMix Flour, Baking Powder, Salt & Splenda thoroughly in a large mixing bowl.

Add Craisins and Orange Zest, then mix until all are covered with flour mixture.

Add Vegetable Oil and Milk.  Stir until mixed but don’t over mix.

Sprinkle countertop with flour and roll dough (it should be very sticky) onto the floured surface.

Fold over/knead for about a minute and pat down (no need to roll it) to about one ince of thickness.

Cut with a biscuit/cookie cutter and place on greased baking sheet.

Brush tops with egg wash before baking.

Bake at 400 for 25 Minutes

If you haven’t seen the Diva Margarita Cupcakes yet, check them out here! 

[Tweet “Tequila Aficionado Test Kitchen: Cranberry & Orange Diva Tequila Scones Recipe”]

 

Tequila Aficionado Test Kitchen recipes are made with tequilas provided by the brand for review in Sipping Off The Cuff and/or use in the Tequila Aficionado Test Kitchen.  The cost of all other ingredients, presentation pieces, kitchen facilities, and utilities  are provided solely by Tequila Aficionado.  To have your tequila, mezcal or sotol brand or other products considered for use in the Tequila Aficionado Test Kitchen, email Lisa@TequilaAficionado.com.

diva tequila, del bravo, test kitchen, tequila aficionado, recipe, orange, cranberry tequila, scone

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Diva Tequila Review

diva, diva tequila, diva del bravoDiva Del Bravo Tequila is a citrus infused blanco tequila with distinctive packaging.  M.A. “Mike” Morales and Alexander Perez taste and discuss this infusion and explain why they feel it merits a nomination to the 2014 Brands of Promise Awards.

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Read more about Diva Tequila in the Tequila Aficionado Test Kitchen.

Look for Sipping Diva with Saranna DeWylde coming soon.

Read Steve Coomes’ reviews of Del Bravo’s Penasco Tequila Varietals:

BlancoReposadoAnejo 

 

 
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Quinceaneras are for Divas: Diva Tequila Cupcakes

diva tequila, silver, blanco, citrus, penasco

We’re expecting the gentlemen from Del Bravo for a visit on Monday so I’m doing a little preparation in the kitchen today.

Whenever we’re contacted by brand owners who will be coming through San Antonio, we like to invite them to the Tequila Aficionado Headquarters for drinks and a chat.  We like to film a great deal of the chatting part which you’ll soon see in several articles coming up from Mike Morales.  Since I love to pair and prepare foods with tequilas and mezcals, I usually make a little something so we don’t send our guests off into the night hungry.  I’m particularly excited about meeting the gentlemen from Del Bravo Tequila, the makers of Penasco and Diva Tequilas. diva

I’ll admit, I’m not a big fan of infused tequilas for the sole reason that nine times out of ten, they are overdone, poorly done, or are just a company’s way of putting sub-par products on a shelf to sell to those women who still think tequila is for shooting.  (Yes, I’ve become a bit of a tequila snob.)  Diva Tequila is one of the very few infusions to pass the sip test here at Tequila Aficionado.

My first reaction upon seeing Diva’s presentation was a very girly “Ooh, what a pretty bottle!”

Let’s face it, the tall, faceted bottle topped with the brilliant-cut diamond style stopper is just plain gorgeous.

The question that followed was a practical one “But how’s the juice?”

Truth be told, I was afraid of being disappointed yet again with the promise of a pretty bottle with no substance to back it up.  So I gave Diva a day and tried the Penasco blanco instead.  After enjoying Penasco, I was prepared to give the Diva my undivided attention the next evening.

diva cupcakesI wasn’t disappointed.

Instead of the usual overdone, sugary sweet concoctions marketed to the female drinker, I found the same crisp, clear blanco that Penasco delivered only this time it had a delightful twist of pink grapefruit.  Not too tart, not too sweet, and still a wonderful sipper!  (Like Goldilocks only with tequila instead of porridge!)
The Del Bravo folks know what they’re doing.  From the Diva Tequila bottle design (which would look lovely placed in a box of long-stemmed roses for Valentine’s Day *hint*) to the juice inside, they’ve done this right.

2014-05-14 13.20.43After a few sips, I knew I had to take this lovely lady into the Tequila Aficionado Test Kitchen.  I could see pairing her with brunch items, desserts, salads and so much more.  Yes, this is the guest you must invite to your girls’ night in or ladies’ brunch.

My first project was to tweak a Strawberry Margarita Cupcake recipe I’d found on Pinterest.  It was a hit!

Here’s the original recipe:

Strawberry Margarita Cupcakes
  • 1 box dry white cake mix
  • 2 .30 oz dry sugar free strawberry jello mix
  • ¾ cup bottled strawberry margarita mix
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ cup tequila
  • 3 eggs

[Tweet “Diva Margarita Cupcakes from the Tequila Aficionado Test Kitchen by @lisapietsch”]

2014-05-14 13.33.432014-05-14 13.34.45Here’s my version:

Diva Margarita Cupcakes

  • 1 box Pillsbury Sugar Free Yellow cake mix
  • 2 .30 oz dry sugar free orango jello mix
  • ¾ cup JLP (Ready to Drink) Golden Lime Margarita
  • ⅓ cup coconut oil
  • ½ cup Diva Tequila
  • 3 eggs

I prefer to cook sugar free since I have sugar issues and, nobody trusts a cook who doesn’t eat her own creations!

The orange jello was the perfect complement to the pink grapefruit in Diva.

The JLP Golden Lime Margarita was a no-brainer.  I absolutely love these margaritas and knew it would be excellent in this citrus dream.

[Tweet “JLP Golden Lime Margarita – Ready to drink and great for cooking & marinades too!”]

I thought coconut oil might give the cupcakes just a pinch of tropical flavor to set off all the citrus and I was right.

2014-05-14 14.54.17This recipe yielded 18 cupcakes. 

When it came time to top off little darlings, I wished I had created tiny white chocolate crowns.  As it turns out, they didn’t need anything so glamorous as all that.  Instead of the Tequila Cream Cheese Frosting, I used the Pillsbury Sugar Free frosting and added a tablespoon of Diva.  It worked out great!  Then I topped each cupcake with a single chocolate pearl.

We enjoyed them for a very long time!

2014-05-14 21.25.38Tequila Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 2½ cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp Tequila
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • zest from 1 lime
  • optional-white sparkling sugar

2014-05-14 14.24.20
Of course, if you don’t feel like going through the hassle of baking, Diva Tequila pairs just as well with dark chocolate covered strawberries!

No matter how you enjoy Diva Tequila, you WILL enjoy it.

Salud!

 
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