A mere mention of “tequila” reminds many of images of shot glasses and slices of lemon and pinches of salt. But to prove there is more to this spirit than a liquid fire downed in one shot, leading tequila brand Jose Cuervo brings to the Philippines Stelios Papadopoulos to talk about one of Mexico’s gifts to mankind.
“What people have in mind is that tequila is all about shots. But actually, it is not only about shots. It is about mixability. Using the right product for the right occasion,” Papadopoulos said at The World of Tequila held at The Island in Bonifacio Global City.
He added, “I want people to delete everything they know about tequila and start all over.”
Held across major cities in Asia that started in Japan, the World of Tequila is a master class that gives bartenders and tequila lovers alike the chance to learn more about tequila.
The special master class in Manila thoroughly discussed the process of tequila making, from the blue agave fields of Jalisco to the distillation process at La Rojeña distillery. Papadopoulos revealed it can take almost a decade to produce a single bottle of Jose Cuervo.
“In order to produce tequila, you need the blue agave which is very similar to grapes. The blue agave plant takes seven years to reach maturity, in approximately nine years to produce a bottle of tequila,” said Papadopoulos.
He continued, “If it’s not produced in the five states (DO) of Mexico it cannot be considered Tequila. They use neutral alcohol, sugars, artificial aromas, and additives in order to recreate the taste of tequila.”
Once guests understood the history and hard work behind each shot of tequila, they were given the chance to savor generous samples from Jose Cuervo’s reserves.
Papadopoulos guided each guest through the process of tequila tasting. Where most people often take a single shot in celebration, his insight enabled guests to slow down and savor the bold, rich flavors of tequila.
“The whole tasting experience starts from the aromas (our sense of smell). When we taste, we need to have our mouth a bit open as we are tasting high abv (alcohol by volume) spirits,” advised Papadopoulos.
“The first thing that you never do is swirl the glass. The only thing you will achieve is to burn down your sense of smell. So taste it gently, go easy. Approach the glass. There are so many elements and aromas that come through!”
The World of Tequila was attended by a number of guests from the world of lifestyle and nightlife, including bartenders from some of the hottest nightspots in Metro Manila.
