Well…there’s tequila and then there’s Mexican tequila. What you probably didn’t know is that almost all Mexican tequila is produced in the state of Jalisco…where we are currently living. It’s an incredibly labor-intensive process…way more so than bourbons. And….the agave plant it’s made from isn’t a cactus, it’s a desert succulent. Most of the tequilas you see on the shelves are very young, some as young as 2 months! Yikes…that’s the stuff I think I had in college. The good stuff, however, ages for 3-10 years. Like bourbon, the longer it ages, the better it tastes.
If you go into a liquor store in the states looking for tequila, you might find a half dozen varieties…most dominated by the Don Julio company. When we were in Chicen Itza back in 2011, we went into a local bar and the bartender recommended a Don Julio Reserva. It was amazing. However, when I bought the exact same bottle of it in Florida, it tasted nothing like the one we had in Mexico. I did some research and found out that even though the bottles look the same…it isn’t. Even the expensive $50-$60 stuff wasn’t smooth. Smooth, as in drinking shots, not margueritas. Really good tequila isn’t mixed…you sip it like fine bourbon. And, no…it doesn’t burn at all.
So, today we went looking for local tequilas. We wandered into a local liquor store and….stood in amazement staring at probably 150 different tequilas and mescals, ranging in price from cheapo ones for $10 to a 10-year old Don Julio selling for $3000 pesos (about $150). To put that in perspective, a similar bottle in the states would be $300…if you could even find it. I asked the nice sales clerk to recommend a local brand and she pointed us to a $50 bottle and when we sort of balked at the price, she immediately pointed to another priced at $35 and said “this is the one…only shots please”. Home we went to try it. Absolutely delicious….with a smoky taste very similar to bourbon. And indeed many of the high end tequilas are stored in aged American and French oak barrels. So….I’m guessing it would take us many years to sample them all…and we’d probably die from the process….but no doubt with a smile on our face. The bottom line is….the tequila we get in the states is, by and large, nothing like the tequilas here in Mexico. No big deal, all you have to do is get in your car and drive for three days to Jalisco. BTW…the helpful clerk at the liquor store said most of the tequila sold at the airport shops is not authentic. Interesting….I heard the same thing about the cigars.
That’s it for now. Go out and find a good bottle of tequila. You’ll be glad you did. And don’t use lime or salt with it. Want more than one? Have someone drive…this stuff packs a punch.
Salud!
Wayne, Claudia and Tuck
Which brings me to the next hunt….finding the best local tacos. There are literally dozens and dozens of small Mom & Pop taco stands lining the streets around here. In every neighborhood, there is a least one taco stand on every block. We found out that anyone can open a stand in front of their home, or a small grocery, or a mechanics shop, or….whatever. The government doesn’t monitor this and it gives the local people a chance to make some extra money.
The taco's here come in many varieities…just like the tequilas. Some are filled with chicken, some with fish, some with beef, some with beans and lettuce and cheese, some with lamb, some with middle Eastern spiced meats, some with vegetarian mixes….the list goes on. The taco shells can be soft or fried, corn or flour-based and many different diameters, although most are around 6”. Today, we visited Lake Taco, which sits beside a car wash and overlooking Lake Chapala. The fish tacos were made with mahi-mahi and were delicious. The home-made salsas and local crema make a huge difference. Tomorrow we’re hitting the current Yelp favorite in Jocopetec, a small town about 20 minutes away. Stay tuned.