Tequila Sunrise

Once upon a time I went on a yearly trip to Central Mexico.

I would travel to the center of the center of Mexico, where history was made and time stands still, more or less; San Miguel de Allende. It is in this town that Padre Hidalgo joined forces with General Ignacio de Allende to overturn Spanish rule, and  gain Mexico’s independence from Spain, September 16, 1810.

But wait I am digressing, what I really wanted to write about was tequila and adventure. And while this story is about both, it is in the past. Let’s talk about the future.

My favorite pastime is to partake of cultural traditions that are unknown to me.

A secondary favorite is to go on hiking adventures. The adventure has certain parameters, one being that I must be unfamiliar with the territory, get lost, be challenged, then hopefully come out unscathed. If I’m very lucky, I can enjoy both of these experiences at the same time.

This is why walking into the tequila store in San Miguel de Allende was a great adventure. While I traveled through life thinking that all tequila was equal, one trip to a tequila store put me on the right path. Tequila was the first distilled drink made in North America, in the early 1500s, under the Spanish influence. It must have no less than 51 percent Weber blue agave, but can have up to 100 percent. The higher the agave percentage, the better the tequila.

The visit to the store gave me a chance not only to practice Spanish and learn more details about the process of tequila making, but allow me to look at what interested me even more; tequila bottles. Tequila bottles are often handmade, and are expressive of a culture of pride, excellent craftsmanship and ofttimes, humor. Savor the experience.

I will be playing at Azul Tequila on Saturday, April 28, 7-9 con sabor. Come, have some tequila and a bit of adventure with me.