Late Night Mexican Style

Last week Mexico celebrated 200 years of independence. I happened to stumble on these celebrations in various spots all over the city. First stop was La Bibliotheca – tucked away in the basement on 3rd Avenue & 40th street. This place feels like a library where the books are replaced by bottles of tequila. It is a cozy spot that will be great during the cold winter months when a swig of Anejo Tequila is just the thing you need. Mayahuel is the goddess of tequila; in New York it also is a great spot found on 6th street between 1st and 2nd Avenues. I tried a few cocktails at this establishment; Some were delicate and subtle while others are boisterous and fun – something for whatever mood you're in. The Third spot I visited was Casa Mezcal. Mezcal is a distant, less refined cousin of tequila and is gaining momentum in the Mixology world these days. Here the Mexican fiesta was on in full form as we were very close to midnight. The upstairs is amazing – I fell in love with the big open widows and the beautiful coffee table surrounded by low comfy couches! Last but not least we stopped by PDT (a.k.a. Please Don’t Tell) – this establishment had nothing to do with Mexico but is a great speakeasy spot where you enter through a phone booth and they serve the most gluttonous food - Fried hot-dogs with Kimchi are one of the delicacies there. All in all a lovely night of great food, yummy drinks and a lot of fiesta fun!

BEAUTIFUL TEQUILA

The time has come to write about tequila; reason being it is part of my everyday life. No I am not a lush, but its the way I earn a living. Did you know that 97% of tequila comes from the Jalisco region in Mexico. It is made from the heart of the Weber Blue Agave plant (not cactus) that belongs to the lily family. Below are pictures of both; cactus on the left and beautiful agave fields on the right.

In my opinion, the best tequila comes from a distillery called “La Primavera” in Atotonilco where they make Don Julio Tequila. Don Julio (the man) started making tequila here in 1942 using the finest agaves, processes and techniques that are used even today. Below is a picture of the distillery and of cooked agave that is ready for the juices to be squeezed out to make beautiful tequila!

If you are ever in the Jalisco region you must visit tlaquepaque where they sell unique and beautiful arts and crafts. Another recommended stop is Santo Coyote - it is a beautiful restaurant in the area where you can enjoy a yummy Don Julio margaritas. For more information on tequila making you can go to www.donjulio.com

Most people think of tequila as evil and everyone has a "tequila story". After marketing Don Julio for over a year I have truly grown to appreciate the complexity of the liquid and the varieties - Extra Anejo's, Anejo's, Reposado's and Blanco's. It truly is Beautiful :-).