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RANCHO ESCONDIDO AGAVE LIQUEUR: Nectar of the Sun RUBY RED RANCHO ■ Rancho Escondido Agave Liqueur Brand Mixologist Joey Torres. ■ ■ ■ ■ 2 oz. Rancho Escondido Agave Liqueur ¼ lime, muddled 2 oz. pomegranate juice ½ oz. fresh guava juice Top with soda water and garnish with lime and mint. AzUñIA TEQUILA: Tradition Meets Innovation One of the oldest agave-growing families in Tequila, the Zuñiga family has had generations of experience in producing Mexico’s native spirit, and today, brings that spirit Stateside. With the crystal-clear Platinum cooked in traditional clay ovens and the Reposado and Añejo baked in more modern stainless steel autoclaves, Azuñia tequila finds and strikes the perfect balance between old and new. Poolside Appeal: When Chris Melendez, VP National Accounts for Azuñia set out to craft the ideal poolside cocktail, his mind instantly turned to the fairer sex: “I watched a cooking show that mentioned that licorice and cucumber are very appealing to women, so I thought, why not combine the two?” So Melendez got to the business of infusing agave nectar with anise seeds, which, when combined with the coolness of cucumber, created a uniquely fresh sipper. Our Panel’s Palate: “The cucumber is appealing enough, but the addition of basil makes it an excellent cocktail.” —Jared Sowinski “Anise notes from the fennel add a unique perfume on the nose and palate.” —Mike Muncal july 201 1 / the tasting panel / 95 Having already found success in the tequila produc- tion game, Rancho Escondido’s latest project is a foray into two of the hottest trending categories today: liqueurs and simply-sweet agave nectar. The result is a 56-proof liqueur that’s as good as a honeyed ray of sunshine in a bottle—and perfect for enhancing cocktails. Expect to see more great things from this new-to-the-States brand. Poolside Appeal: With a tropical personality, Rancho Escondido Agave Liqueur is a fruity drink’s best friend. Noting the just-right sweetness that mix- ologists fawn over and a tequila-like character that just begs for bright lime and acid, Brand Mixologist Joey Torres knew that citrus would be the perfect pair for this unique spirit. Our Panel’s Palate: “An unexpectedly refresh- ing pool-centric cocktail. The agave flavors shine through: not cloying but instead blendable with the selected fruit.” —Trudy Thomas “A well-balanced approach to an agave-sweetened cocktail.” —Todd Grobstein THE PLATINUM CUCUMBER ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 2 oz. Azuñia Platinum Tequila 1 oz. agave nectar 1 lime Muddled cucumber and basil Splash of water Garnish with fennel. For more photos from this story, check out our Facebook page! Chris Melendez, VP National Accounts, and Alex Baca, Sales Manager for Azuñia Tequila.