Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/41419
Gran Dovejo Blanco Tequila ($43.99) With 142 registered distilleries and over 1,100 certi- fied tequila brands, the tequila market has become incredibly crowded and competitive. So why did Frank Mendez of Mendez Imports and his cousin Jesus Venegas decide to make another tequila? "We felt that the market is eager for an ultra-premium, single-estate tequila with an unadulterated agave flavor that everyone, especially aficionados, will love," explains Mendez. To create that tequila, Gran Dovejo Tequila, Mendez and Venegas enlisted the help of the Feliciano Vivanco distill- ery, located in the Highlands of Jalisco, in the town of Arandas. They added to the mix two of Mexico's most influential and reputable "tequila gurus," Gabriel Espindola Martínez and Leopoldo Solis Tinoco, to help create the flavor profile and tequila experience they were looking for. Gran Dovejo Tequila has a delightful nose that combines fresh agave notes with green pepper. The entry is immensely smooth and flavorful with delicious herbal and peppery notes backed by very slightly sweet agave. The finish is very long and dry with the slightest bit of pepper spice to it. Monte Alban Silver Tequila ($15.99) Many of the new tequilas on the market come from smaller independent producers, but that doesn't mean that the major distributors don't have their eye on this space, too. Monte Alban is imported by Sazerac North America. "Sazerac has always been in the tequila space, but this is our first 100% agave entry," comments Lori Logan, Brand Director for Monte Alban. "In the ever-expanding 100% agave cat- egory, we felt we had much to offer with a premium 100% agave tequila steeped in the history of one of Mexico's oldest cities," says Logan. To that end, Sazerac enlisted the González family to produce Monte Alban. The family has distilled tequila for more than 125 years, and in 1986 Rodolfo Gonzalez decided to start his own distill- ery in the city of Guadalajara. Today, it is the fourth largest exporter of tequila. The nose of the Monte Alban is of roasted agave, with an almost smoky note that floats above the agave. The entry is fairly thick and sweet, opening up to a mix of pepper and spice with an herbal undertone. The roasted smoky agave notes also emerge in the mid-palate and sticks around for a long, slightly salty and spicy finish. Avión Silver Tequila ($40) Avión Silver tequila has gotten a lot of attention from its starring role on the HBO series Entourage, but it's the spicy earthiness that grabbed the attention of Adam Robinson, Bar Manager of The Bent Brick in Portland, Oregon. Robinson is a big fan of bridging tequila through the seasons and sees many ways bartenders can take a tequila like Avión Silver and make it fall and winter friendly. "You can take tequila in a much more spirit-forward direction and back away from the citrus," explains Robinson. "Tequila works extremely well in spirit-forward cocktails." For the mixologist challenge, Adam Robinson wanted to preserve some of the late summer flavors while still presenting a fall cocktail. "Summers are so short here in Portland; it sort of falls by the wayside, and that inspired my drink." Adam Robinson holds on to some of the summer fruit by preserving cherries both in spirit for the garnish and in a shrub for the drink. "Making a shrub is a great way to hold on to some of the late summer cherries and prolong those flavors into the fall." Avión Silver Tequila and the cherry sage shrub work perfectly together, and combined with the spicy carda- mom and hibiscus flavors in hum liqueur, they make a drink that is extraordinarily drinkable and distinctly fall. WAYSIDE COCKTAIL ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ by Adam Robinson of The Bent Brick, Portland, OR 2 oz. Avión Silver Tequila ¾ oz. cherry/sage shrub (vinegar, sugar, fruit, spice) ½ oz. unfiltered and unpasteurized apple cider 1 tsp. hum botanical liqueur ½ oz. Small Hands Gum Syrup 1 dash of Angostura Bitters Shake with ice and strain. Garnish with two cherries. september 201 1 / the tasting panel / 101 The Mixologists Silver Challenge We asked four of Portland, Oregon's top mixologists to use some of today's hottest silver tequilas to create unique cock- tails. The results are as unpredictable as they are delicious. Adam Robinson of Portland's Bent Brick. PHOTO: GEOFF KLEINMAN