Tomb

Tequila is entrenched in Mexico’s history. When the Spaniards first arrived, they found the Aztecs gathering the maguey agave plant to make a magical fermented beverage called octli, which they used for religious ceremonies.

The Spaniards, shortly thereafter, started distilling the blue agave plant in the same manner as Scotch — fitting because in many ways tequila is the new Scotch. The blue agave plant, in the hands of an artisan distiller, can be every bit as contemplative, intriguing and wonderful as the finest dram of whisky — some will argue it’s even better.

In order for a spirit to be called tequila, it must be made from blue agave and production must take place in the state of Jalisco, around the town of Tequila. Technically, tequila has to be at least 51 per cent distilled blue agave and the other 49 per cent can be filler, such as fermented corn syrup. But save that stuff for blender drinks; we are only concerned with the good stuff here — 100 per cent blue agave tequila.

Calgary already boasts a stellar tequila selection, but a new artisan tequila, The Spirit of Don Manuel, has entered the market, and it has a Calgary cowboy-hat connection.

The owner of Smithbilt Hats, Bryce Nimmo, came to the tequila business by way of his straw cowboy hat wholesaler in Mexico. It turns out the straw hat supplier planted hundreds of acres of blue agave when the market was inflated a couple years ago. When he tried to sell, the bottom fell out of the market and no one would pay him the price he wanted. Determined not to take a loss on the plants, he decided to distil tequila himself. Nimmo now sells cowboy hats and tequila. Could there be a more natural combination?

The Spirit of Don Manuel uses a much slower process than many modern tequilas. It’s free of chemicals, and the agave is slow-baked, slow-brewed and artisan distilled in small batches. The agave is first shredded and rolled the old fashioned way (with a stone), to release all of the plant’s sorcery.

There are three types of tequila: blanco, or silver, which is quickly bottled after distillation, and has a stronger tequila bite; reposado (rested), like its name implies, sits in wood casks for up to one year, and soaks up some of the barrel’s mellowing wood flavours; añejo (aged) takes it a step further and sits in barrels for one to four years, producing a smooth, warm drink.

Don Manuel Silver (40 per cent) — this has the purest agave taste and the driest flavour. The silver spends no time resting in wood and goes straight from distillation to the bottle. This bold spirit has a smoky caramel flavour with a hint of pepper in the finish.

Don Manuel Reposado (40 per cent) — this tequila spends time in oak — it is aged long enough to develop some sweetness and smoothness from the wood, but not so long that it would lose the primal agave flavour. A little softer than silver, this reposado has a hint of maple syrup, ending with a pleasing warming effect, but still presents a peppery, dry finish.

The Spirit of Don Manuel doesn’t have an añejo on the Alberta market yet, but I tasted a sample of it, and it is a treat. The añejo is more subdued than the above-mentioned styles.

With Cinco de Mayo so close, and many believing añejo is the king of tequilas, here is one solid recommendation: Herradura Añejo (40 per cent), which is aged 25 months in oak barrels. This is sweeter, smoother and darker than the other tequilas mentioned, and warms the senses with big notes of vanilla, agave, cinnamon, wood and pears. This classic demonstrates all that wood barrels and the blue agave have to offer.

A word of warning: if you are trying any of these tequilas, put away the salt and the lime; these are not shots. Respect the blue agave the same way the Aztecs did; sip it. Serve good tequila straight, in a narrow glass called a caballito (“little horse” in Spanish), but a snifter or tumbler will do in a pinch.