Jose Cuervo factory with the church in the distance

I didn’t expect much from the tour of the Jose Cuervo factory but it turned out to be a lot of fun. It is entirely possible that the tequila samples provided along the way had something to do with its success. I did learn a few things about tequila though. For example, did you know that:

* tequila is made from the Weber blue agave plant and to be called Tequila it has to be made of at least 51%  blue agave that has grown and has been harvested in one of the 4 states certified by the Mexican government: Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacan, Nayarit and Tamaulipas.

* There are 2 categories of tequila: Tequila 100% de agave and tequila with a lower agave content that is called Tequila or  Tequila “mixto” (mixed)

* there are 5 types of tequila: blanco, joven, reposado, añejo and extra añejo and the difference has to do with the aging process and  the length of the aging of the tequila in the wooden barrels which cause the change in flavor and color

tequila barrels

* the traditional tequila glass is called caballito, little horse, or tequilita. Caballitos were originally called cuernitos, which means little horn.

the evolution of the tequila glass

* Jose Cuervo carries a lot of brands of tequila, including Jose Cuervo Especial Reposado, this is the most sold tequila world-wide, Tradicional, 1800, Centenario, and Reserva La Familia.

* the Jose Cuervo family has been making tequila for over 250 years

* Cuervo means crow! This explains the big crow called ´Pepe´ sitting in the cage at the factory. I had no idea. and yes I do speak Spanish.

Pepe

The tour ends at the bar, of course, where you get a free margarita before they send you on your way. Salud!

More information about Jose Cuervo and the tours of the factory  can be found on the Mundo Cuervo website. Another great source of information about Tequila in general can be found on the Tequila Source website.

Tequila and the Carribean

Every year Playa del Carmen hosts a tequila festival. Even better it is completely free! What could be more fun than that? So eat a hearty meal and head on over to 16th street and 5th avenue where you will find a block of booths of different tequilas for you to sample. I have loved tequila even before I moved to Mexico and was thrilled when I experienced my first festival. Most people are aware of Don Julio, Petron and Jose Cuevo as tequilas but the festival features many new tequilas that you can buy on site. I sampled many new tequilas that I may not have bought because I did not know them. I was convinced to try a cream tequila (and I don’t like creamy drinks) which has inspired me to make a dessert out of it! It is called the Berry White…not after the musician but may inspire you to listen to him if you drink enough! We have hosted many a tequila tasting paired with foods and have many menu items that are tequila inspired such as one of my favorites, tequila lime shrimp.

Check out the festival which starts today, July 23rd to July 25th. See you there!
Stay tuned for some of my tequila inspired recipes. I may even get some ideas tonight!

By: Susan de Lima

Lime Margarita

by Susan de Lima

Being a professional caterer in a resort area definately is a dream job! Who would not want to plan parties whether a dinner party or a wedding where the guests are perpetually happy to be there and always ready to have fun!
Even before I moved to Playa del Carmen, I enjoyed tequila for years. Now that I do live here I can honestly say I make a pretty mean margarita and so I wanted to share my tried and true recipe with you all!

- fill a martini shaker with ice
- 1 1/2 ounces of tequila for every margarita *I use the best I can buy! No Cuervo for me!!!
- 1/2 ounce triple sec or Cointreau or for an out of this world marg use Grand Marnier
- 1/2 ounce Jarabe (simple syrup) or to taste
- 1 1/2 ounces fresh squeezed lime juice

Shake and serve on ice in a glass with the rim salted. An excellent variation to salt on rim is mixing chili powder with salt for a nice kick!

Enjoy! They taste so good you’ll be tempted to blame me for the morning after….

Share your favorite margarita recipe with us!