Tequila Aficionado: Where It All Began

In the Beginning, There Was Only Audio

Tequila Aficionado: Where It All Began https://wp.me/p3u1xi-5Gt

On October 27, 2017, Tequila Aficionado Media celebrated its 18th anniversary with an invitation-only VIP tasting at the site of the very first Sipping Off The Cuff© podcast

The iconic El Cholo Cafe in Pasadena, California.

As the crowning jewel of 2017’s Wild Wild West Tour, El Cholo Cafe itself was commemorating its 94th year serving authentic Mexican cuisine to Southern California.

[Tweet “@TeqAficion — growing with the Internet”]

For those who attended, the 2017 Editions of both anniversaries was indeed magical.

We’ll be back once again in 2018 as our last stop on the Great Festival Chase Tour.

A Celebratory Audio Podcast

During a short lull in the action, Tequila Aficionado’s Founder Alex Perez, and CEO Mike Morales, took a moment or two to catch their breath and to reflect on the nearly twenty years of honest, authentic tequila and agave spirits news and reviews.

Growing with The Internet

We often say that Tequila Aficionado has grown parallel to the Internet.

For instance, in the early days, most all of our reviews were audio only.  Later, with the creation of YouTube, Tequila Aficionado moved to strictly video reviews on its own channel.

To date, we have over 500 video reviews, with new ones being added weekly.

The Resurgence of Audio

As the Internet continues to evolve, it seems that certain thingsTequila Aficionado: Where It All Began https://wp.me/p3u1xi-5Gt never really die.  Audio podcasting has been reinvented and is even more popular than ever.

Whether using an elaborate set up, or simply pressing the button on the voice recording function of a smart phone, anyone can establish their own podcast channel.

The advances in software have allowed us to pull the audio from our Sipping Off The Cuff(c) episodes and to upload them to our BlogTalk Radio channel.

Multi-tasking is a way of life these days, but now you can take us with you wherever you go–

To the gym, on the way to work, to the local bar, or even to your neighborhood liquor store.

“Alexa, play Tequila Aficionado podcast”

Another easier way to stay up-to-date on the latest Sipping Off The Cuff(c) episode of your favorite tequila, mezcal or agave spirit, is to tell your virtual assistant, Amazon Alexa, to play it for you.

Tequila Aficionado: Where It All Began https://wp.me/p3u1xi-5Gt

Simply repeat the above command and–BAM!–Alexa will play the latest Sipping Off The Cuff(c) review for you.  If you’ve missed earlier episodes, just ask Alexa to play the previous review, and so on.

[Note:  BlogTalk Radio inserts short commercial breaks into the audio.  A radio aggregator then picks up the audio tracks and feeds them to Alexa, however, the ads are blacked out.  Please disregard the intermittent “dead air,” and keep listening to the end of each episode.]

Hey, nothing’s perfect, but…

We have come a long way from handheld tape recorders, microphones and tequila glasses.

[Tweet “Alexa, play Tequila Aficionado podcast”]

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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!

New Tequila Aficionado Podcast

Tequila Aficionado Podcast http://www.blogtalkradio.com/tequilaaficionadoTake Your Tequila (Podcast) With You

Just as you realize we aren’t sitting around all day drinking tequila (no, really, we aren’t), we realize you’re on the go too and that means you want to take your Tequila Aficionado Media with you.  That’s why we’re bringing back the podcast!

We’ve been knocking ourselves out over the past few years to take things up a notch and make Tequila Aficionado content more valuable to you and available on all platforms.

Tequila Aficionado Podcast http://www.blogtalkradio.com/tequilaaficionadoThe Podcast is Back!

Tequila Aficionado Podcast http://www.blogtalkradio.com/tequilaaficionadoTequila Aficionado began as a podcast back in 1999 and then we moved to the Vodpod video platform.  In the past three years, we’ve taken it to YouTube, YouTube Red, the Maker Studios Channel, and Blab.

Old School Podcast

Tequila Aficionado Podcast http://www.blogtalkradio.com/tequilaaficionadoNow we’re taking it back to old school tech and we’ll be bringing you the complete library (471 so far) of Tequila Aficionado audio and video via podcast through syndication on Blog Talk Radio and iTunes.
Look for more podcasts coming daily!

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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!

Santo Diablo Mezcal Review

From the Santo Diablo Mezcal Website:

Santo Diablo MezcalEndlessly Intriguing. Purely Sensuous. Unequivocally the world’s best and arguably the only Mezcal that your lips will ever crave again. Santo Diablo is heating up L.A.’s trendiest nightclubs and bars this July and then, taking the U.S. by storm this Fall, one sip at a time. Join the  revolution. What will Santo Diablo Mezcal awaken in you? Santo or Diablo. Saint or Devil.

Find Santo Diablo Mezcal Online

Website: http://santodiablo.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SantoDiabloUSA
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/santo_diablo_mezcal/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/santodiablomezcal

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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!

Alicantes Blanco Tequila Review

[Tweet “Mike & Alex taste and discuss Alicantes #Tequila Blanco @Alicantes_Teq”]

 

 

From the Alicantes website:

ENGLISH VERSION
Tequila is one of the oldest beverages in Mexico and the world, contrary to what people think, there are clues that our ancestors knew about distillation and were used a pair of pots for distill ; different cultures gave different names to this plant: metl, mecetl (Nahuatl), uadá (Otomi), Doba (Zapotec) and Akamba (Purepecha). The agaves were used by our ancestors to create spearheads, rope and other beverages such as “aguamiel” and “pulque”.

With the arrival of the Spaniards, the production process was enriched by merging the knowledge of both cultures without affecting the flavors, tradition and respect of our land, that should be retained during processing.

Tequila Alicantes preserves the tradition to make a distillate with this perfect fusion of cultures.

Snake, Coatl means wealth, wisdom and fear and was an important symbol for our ancestors in almost all our cultures. The Alicantes snakes are popular in the corn plots of Mexico, our ancestors considered that the Alicantes were sacred; they called them “Cincoatl” or “Cincuate” which translates as “The Corn Snake”. Because of their skin color people often say that they are “pintos”.

Our distillate is as before, like the first Tequilas, those who still have the full flavor and aroma of our land, unaffected by additives to give unnecessary colors and flavors. What is really important of a Tequila, is its agave taste, this fruit of the Mexican land grows by over 9 years for reach to your hands.

Harvested in free fields of herbicides chemicals and toxics, is made by Mexican hands under traditional methods such as cooking in stone ovens with a gentle extraction of agave honey in ancient mills with presses type “Trapiches”, and a natural slow fermentation with agave fibers without Chemical yeast and additives to accelerate. Our Master Tequilero implements high knowledge in his stills to separate volatile and heavy alcohols harmful to the body as so-called “heads and tails”, to obtain a true Tequila, which do not add anything more than the entire inheritance the great history of Mexico has given us.

The customs and flavors of our history must be respected.

VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL
El Tequila es de las bebidas más antiguas de México y el mundo, contrario a lo que se pueda pensar, existen pistas de que nuestros antepasados ya realizaban destilación de aguardientes de agave; diferentes culturas dieron distintos nombres a esta planta: metl, mecetl (náhuatl), uadá (otomí), doba (zapoteco) y akamba (purépecha). De los agaves aprovechaban para realizar puntas de lanza, hilo y otras bebidas como aguamiel y pulque.

Con la llegada de los Españoles, el proceso de elaboración se enriqueció fusionando los conocimientos de ambas culturas sin afectar los sabores que por tradición y respeto a nuestra tierra deben conservarse durante la elaboración.

En Tequila Alicantes preservamos esa tradición de hacer un destilado cuidando esa elaboración con la fusión perfecta de culturas.

La Serpiente, el Coatl, significa riqueza, sabiduría y temor y era un símbolo preponderante para nuestros antepasados en casi todas nuestras culturas. Los Alicantes son serpientes populares de las parcelas de maíz de los pueblos de México, nuestros antepasados creían que los Alicantes custodiaban el fruto del hombre y se les consideraba animales sagrados y respetados; les llamaban “Cincoatl” o “Cincuate” que se traduce como “La serpiente del Maíz” y por su color la gente dice usualmente que están “pintos”.

Nuestro destilado es como los de antes, como los primeros, de esos que aún conservan el completo sabor y aroma de los Agaves de nuestra tierra sin ser afectados por aditivos para dar colores y sabores innecesarios. Lo verdaderamente necesario de un Tequila, es su sabor a Agave, su sabor al fruto de la tierra Mexicana que crece por más de 9 años para poder llegar a tus manos.

Cosechado en campos libres de Herbicidas Químicos y Tóxicos, está elaborado por manos Mexicanas bajo métodos Artesanales como cocimiento de sus piñas en Hornos de Roca Volcánica con recubrimiento de Arcilla, con una extracción suave de mieles en molinos antiguos con prensas tipo “Trapiches” y con una fermentación lenta, natural con fibras de agave y sin levaduras Químicas. Nuestro Maestro Tequilero pone en práctica altos conocimientos en su destilación en alambiques para separar alcoholes volátiles y pesados dañinos para el cuerpo como los llamados “colas y cabezas” para así obtener un verdadero Tequila, al que no agregamos otra cosa más que toda la herencia que la gran historia de México nos ha brindado.

Porque las costumbres y los sabores de nuestra historia deben respetarse.

The definition of ol’ skool tequila. #noadditives #handcrafted #amatitan

A photo posted by Tequila Aficionado (@tequilaaficionado) on

Find Alicantes Online:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Youtube | Google+

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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!

Open Bar with Nocaut Reserva Tequila

Join Mike & Lisa on Open Bar with Nocaut Reserva Tequila – a former champion that has come out of retirement for a comeback!

 

Don’t be fooled by imitators!

This is the original Nocaut Tequila from NOM 1459.

[Tweet “If you see a Nocaut from NOM 1499, RUN FROM IT!”]

tesla

Find Nocaut Reserva Online

Website | Facebook | Twitter

 

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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!

Open Bar with Senor Rio Tequila

Up close and personal with Señor Rio tequila.
Up close and personal with Señor Rio tequila.

Join us this evening as Mike Morales and Lisa Pietsch talk with the founders of Senor Rio Tequila about their tequila and other products they’re bringing to market from the Senor Rio family.

Jonathan Gach and Debbie Medina, co-founders of Jalisco International Imports, Inc., met in business and they first built a friendship which turned into love. They discovered that they had mutual interests and passions. One that they decided to pursue was their love for tequila, but why Senor Rio tequila?

It all begins with estate grown 100% blue weber agaves cultivated in the ideal conditions of the arid red clay soil from the low lands in Jalisco Mexico, The pinas (the hearts of the agave plants) are harvested by hand after reaching maturity. They are then slowly cooked in traditional stone ovens. After being cooked, they are fermented with the tanks open so that the fragrance from the fruit trees, which surround the distillery, blends into the tequila naturally for a hint of tropical citrus. Finally, the tequila is double distilled by their master distiller to keep the true agave flavor of their premium tequila.

Senor Rio Website | Twitter | Facebook

 

 

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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!

Open Bar #6 Andres Garcia of Embajador Tequila

Embajadores-3, EmbajadorOpen Bar #6

During Tequila Aficionado’s Open Bar #6, Mike Morales and Lisa Pietsch talk to Andres Garcia of Embajador Tequila about his recent visit to the USA Trade Tasting in New York City, his Level 3 Catador class with Ana Maria Romero Mena, and how he is expanding his brand’s market footprint.

Visit Embajador Online

Tumblr | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Pinterest | Google+ | Instagram

[Tweet “Open Bar #6: @timberelk & @lisapietsch talk to Andres Garcia of Embajador Tequila @EmbajadorTquila @MakerGen”]

From their website:

We are a family who is motivated and inspired by the idea of crafting superior quality and distinguished Tequila. Embajador is produced in small batches to focus on the brands consistency and quality principles. We produce Embajador using only 100% Blue Weber Agave that is grown on our estate located in Atotonilco in the highlands
(Los Altos) of Jalisco, Mexico. This region in the valley of the Highlands of Jalisco is distinctive with its nutrient rich soil, along with a natural spring water aquifer that runs through our land, which is the essence that gives Embajador its distinguished characteristics.

We will not sacrifice the honored value of our methods or the superiority of our Agaves for mass production. We will not cut corners to meet new demand and boost the bottom lines. Our handcrafted methodology and patience is honored and fully committed to producing superior quality Tequila.

Our goal is to craft a brand that will always be consistent in aroma, taste and quality. We want Embajador Tequila to be here for generations to come, some 200+ years. The dedicated commitment to quality measures at each step of the production of Embajador is one that will define our core strategic sales and marketing goals. We will establish Embajador for steady growth in the high-end premium category over the next 3, 5 and 10 years.

This is not a sprint race for us, but more of a marathon and we are taking the proper steps to condition ourselves to achieve a strong successful presence in the US and Global market within the High-End Premium Tequila Category.   

After all, we are the Embajador (Ambassador) of Mexico.

 

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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!

Open Bar with Andres Garcia of Embajador

Join us for Open Bar #6 with Embajador Tequila on Monday!

Embajadores-3, embajador, tequila, andres garciaMonday evening at 7pm Central, Andres Garcia will be joining Mike Morales and Lisa Pietsch for a chat about Embajador Tequila.  Andres has been hard at work at some recent big shows, just returned from a visit to Mexico to take the famed class from Maestra Ana Maria Romero Mena, and he’s also been building his team and expanding the number of markets in which his family’s tequila is available.

Join us as we discuss these and other topics with him on our weekly Open Bar show on Blab.im.

[Tweet “Tequila Aficionado’s Open Bar with Embajador Tequila”]

Follow Embajador Online

WebsiteFacebookGoogle+TumblrTwitter | YouTube PinterestInstagram 

About The Family

We are a family who is motivated and inspired by the idea of crafting superior quality and distinguished Tequila. Embajador is produced in small batches to focus on the brands consistency and quality principles. We produce Embajador using only 100% Blue Weber Agave that is grown on our estate located in Atotonilco in the highlands
(Los Altos) of Jalisco, Mexico. This region in the valley of the Highlands of Jalisco is distinctive with its nutrient rich soil, along with a natural spring water aquifer that runs through our land, which is the essence that gives Embajador its distinguished characteristics.

We will not sacrifice the honored value of our methods or the superiority of our Agaves for mass production. We will not cut corners to meet new demand and boost the bottom lines. Our handcrafted methodology and patience is honored and fully committed to producing superior quality Tequila.

Our goal is to craft a brand that will always be consistent in aroma, taste and quality. We want Embajador Tequila to be here for generations to come, some 200+ years. The dedicated commitment to quality measures at each step of the production of Embajador is one that will define our core strategic sales and marketing goals. We will establish Embajador for steady growth in the high-end premium category over the next 3, 5 and 10 years.

This is not a sprint race for us, but more of a marathon and we are taking the proper steps to condition ourselves to achieve a strong successful presence in the US and Global market within the High-End Premium Tequila Category.  

After all, we are the Embajador (Ambassador) of Mexico.

 

What is Blab?

[Tweet “Join @TequilaAficion, @timberelk & @lisapietsch for Open Bar on @blab every Monday at 7pm CT”]

Blab is a livestreaming platform that enables a public video chat among four participants at a time. If you are familiar with the likes of Periscope, Meerkat and Google Hangouts, it basically combines all three. 

Viewers come in to watch the livestream and they can participate by leaving comments on the left hand side of the desktop application or below on the mobile version. 

If one of the four seats is open, a viewer can easily request to join and it’s up to the host to accept them into the livestream.

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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!

Open Bar #5 | Bradley Large of Del Bravo Imports

del bravo tequila reposadoIn our 5th Open Bar show, Mike Morales and Lisa Pietsch talk with Bradley Large of Del Bravo Imports. Some of the topics include the Route 66, Diva, Penasco, and Del Bravo Tequilas as well as how Del Bravo separates their brands from the rest.

Del Bravo Tequila:
Del Bravo on Facebook

[Tweet “Open Bar with Bradley Large of Del Bravo Imports: Route 66, Diva, Penasco & Del Bravo Tequilas”]

diva tequila Diva Tequila:
Diva Tequila Website
Diva Tequila Twitter
Diva Tequila Facebook
Diva Tequila YouTube

Diva Tequila on Tequila Aficionado

Penasco Tequila:
Penasco Tequila Website
Penasco Tequila Twitter

Penasco Tequila on Tequila Aficionado

 

 

route 66 tequila del bravo

Route 66 Tequila:
Route 66 Tequila Twitter
Route 66 Tequila YouTube
Route 66 Tequila Vine

Route 66 Tequila on Tequila Aficionado

 

Tequila Del Bravo is a company dedicated to the production and distribution of premium tequilas in the national and international market. We employ award winning “Masters of Distilling” premium tequila’s from the state of Jalisco, Mexico.
OUR MISSION is to provide the world with the finest tequila produced from the highest quality of ingredients. Our unique process allows us to maximize the transformation from the agave fields to the bottle.

Our commitment and our goal is to continue to improve our process to exceed your expectations for your enjoyment.

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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!

Milagro Anejo Tequila Review

milagro-anejo__72137_zoomMilagro Tequila Anejo

Milagro Añejo is an estate-grown, 100% blue agave tequila which is aged in American oak barrels for a minimum of 14 months and a maximum of 24 months. The aging results in a taste that is smooth, refined and still agave-forward.
COLOR Pale amber
NOSE Caramel, coconut, toasted oak
TASTE Caramel and coconut with chocolate, tobacco and tropical fruit notes, and a sweet, yet spicy finish

 

 

Sipping Off The Cuff™

Sipping Off The Cuff™ began as an audio podcast in 2006 and is Tequila Aficionado’s first and longest running tequila review program.

Sipping Off The Cuff(TM) is broadcast every Friday (and occasionally Tuesdays) on YouTube and TequilaAficionado.com. If you are a Tequila, Mezcal or Sotol brand owner and would like your product(s) reviewed on an upcoming episode of Sipping Off The Cuff(TM), please contact Mike@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!