As if you needed more reasons to drink tequila, researchers have found it has some potentially huge health benefits. We’re not surprised. How could something that feels so right be wrong?
Researchers have found that the non-digestible sugars found in tequila known as agavins can aid in weight loss. Yes, you can start celebrating now. With tequila.
OK, tequila and hangover prevention may sound like an oxymoron, but there’s something to it. Those magic agavins don’t absorb like other sugars, so you don’t get as bad a hangover – just be sure you get a bottle that’s 100 percent agave. Sorry, José Cuervo.
It Puts A Pep In Your Step
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Many believe tequila is an ‘upper’ rather than a ‘downer.’ While there’s been no scientific evidence, people do report feeling perked by tequila and often order it to energize themselves as opposed to how wine might just put them to sleep. One thing’s for sure, that spicy zing wakes up your senses!
Yep, you can add the ability to lower cholesterol to the list of tequila’s virtues. Perhaps this is why abuelo lived to be 106 despite his decades-long diet of tacos and tequila.
Who knew tequila’s de-stressing abilities were thanks in part to lower blood pressure – in moderation of course. Too much alcohol raises blood pressure.
Yep, it’s a thing. Due to the skin benefits of tequila, some spas now offer tequila massages, where tequila is used topically to help relaxation and soothe pain.
Love it or hate him, there is no denying that tech billionaire Elon Musk is a real disrupter. He is one of the minds behind the groundbreaking online transactions system PayPal, among other successful digital ventures. He has also revolutionized the car industry with his clean Tesla models and is in the run to be one of the power players in the private space industry with his project SpaceX.
So what is next for this mogul who is famous for his sometimes overwhelming frankness and for almost always getting his way? Musk is the man who famously said: “When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor” and “I could either watch it happen or be a part of it”. So the story you are about to read does not fall out of character for this man born in Pretoria, South Africa, in 1971, and who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania.
Read on to find out what the new goal is for this modern-day Citizen Kane. Sign with us: “Tequila! nana nara na na na na”.
This might sound like an April Fool’s joke, but it isn’t: Elon Musk actually wants to release a tequila-like drink.
Credit: @elonmusk / Twitter
On October 2018 the technology mogul announced that he was developing Teslaquila, a drink derived 100% from Blue Agave, the plant that tequila comes from. We mean, the word “Teslaquila” is adorable and smart, but isn’t tequila supposed to be produced in Mexico only? Isn’t making a tequila that has nothing to do with Mexico a sort of cultural appropriation? Tequila, es importante decirlo, has a Denomination of Origin, which means that it can only be produced in the region of Tequila, Mexico. Problems ahead for Elon and his company, as the tequila industry is a tightly knit group that has resisted production outside of Mexico for decades.
And of course, social media wasn’t taking it too seriously. Musk in the tequila business, seriously?
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Memes started to come out about Elon’s new project. Fake bottle designs such as this one, featuring a gringo having a siesta by his Tesla, soon started to populate social media. We all had a good laugh about it, but when Musk sets his mind on something things usually are set in motion.
Hey, Elon, shake those maracas, muchacho!
Credit: t35l_4 / Instagram
Some fake bottles were more on brand, such as this one of Elon’s silhouette while shaking a pair of maracas and being serenaded by a mariachi band. A little too much gringo-cinco-de-mayouuuu for us.
Although some of Elon Musk’s fanboys couldn’t wait to crack a Teslaquila bottle open!
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Musk has legions of hardcore fans, particularly men who venerate him like a god. Of course, the idea of having a Teslaquila-infused fratboy party really got their juices flowing, and some even created artistic odes to Elon Musk’s new great idea. Online transactions, cars, the new space age… tequila!
Here is the approximate design, pretty much in the same high tech style of the rest of the Tesla emporium
Credit: Screen-Shot-2018-10-12-at-10.22.52-AM. Digital image. Tech Crunch.
Elon even released this approximate design for the bottle. It looks high tech and kind of cool, to be honest. Will we ever see those on shelves? First Elon needs to solve a “little” problem.
But they couldn’t so they are involved in a trademark dispute, because tequila has to be produced in a specific part of Mexico.
Credit: maxresdefault. Digital image. My Tesla Life
The Tequila Regulatory Council made it very clear in November 2018 that Musk’s Teslaquila would not fly, even if the billionaire vowed to fight “Big Tequila.” As reported by SyndiGate Media, the council asserted that: “If Tesla wants to make Teslaquila viable as a tequila it would have to associate itself with an authorized tequila producer, comply with certain standards and request authorization from Mexico`s Industrial Property Institute. Otherwise, it would be making unauthorized use of the denomination of origin for tequila”. Ouch, that must have hurt the ego of a man who is famous for almost always getting his way.
They have files to register the trademark but it is useless without the rights to call it tequila.
Credit: Screen-Shot-2018-10-12-at-1.03.38-PM. Digital image. Electreck
Thus is the actual attempt by Musk to take Teslaquila off the ground. Not so quick, mister. It seems, however, that the Musk will be a good boy and follow the rules. In November 2018 The Toronto Sun published: “A Tesla spokesperson said the CRT’s worries are unfounded and that Teslaquila will comply with all the organization’s necessary standards and requirements. The spokesperson added that Teslaquila will be made in the Mexican state of Jalisco, and Tesla expects to get the CRT’s approval for the beverage”. So did the Tequila Chamber and journalists jump the gun in anticipation of a long and costly legal fight.
But as Musk found out, making real tequila is not that simple, legally or otherwise. Everything is at a standstill.
Credit: tesla-mexico-header. Digital image. VinePair
The authorities have been clear. As reported by CE Noticias Financieras on March 28, 2019, no brands, including Teslaquila, can use the word tequila because this is reserved to the alcoholic beverage derived from blue agave produced in the Tequila region, in the Mexican state of Jalisco. “We are going to have, without any doubt, all the possibility of being able to take them out of the market and take corresponding legal actions. This recognition will give much greater certainty to the industry. I practically believe that it makes tequila one of the most protected products in Europe and in Latin America, “explained Ramón González Figueroa, president of the Tequila Regulatory Chamber, to CE Noticias Financieras. This Chamber has been successful in cases against “fake tequila” in countries like Japan and Chile, where Mariachi Tequila was defeated in the courts. “Teslaquila” is too close to “Tequila” to be considered a different product.
Musk is ready for a fight, or so he says and we are still waiting to see that fight.
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Elon is a legendary underdog and he loves a big fight. One of his mottos is: “Persistence is very important. You should not give up unless you are forced to give up”. He has vowed to fight what he calls “Big Tequila”. We think that this attitude is a bit colonial and, honestly, a little disrespectful. He has it all and wants more, even if it is in detriment of tequila producers who actually live and work in… you guessed… a little place called Tequila! Is this what we would call cultural appropriation? Maybe.
In the meantime, other celebrities North of the Border have successfully announced their plans to launch tequila brands.
Credit: @TeslaHab / Twitter
Recently, Breaking Bad protagonists Aaron Paul and Bryan Craston teased a reunion, which had fans of their iconic TV show drooling at the possibility of a new adventure. But nah, they are touring Mexico looking for the perfect conditions to produce and release their own tequila. It must really sting for Musk to see other people doing it the right way and getting to make their tequila dreams a reality. Obviously, Musk fans brought up the still plausible possibility of Teslaquila. Hey, Elon, we got a slogan for you: “Teslaquila: a drink that will electrify you!”
Tequila is perhaps the most iconic drink from Mexico (although mezcal has been making a BIG comeback for a few years now, particularly as part of urban hipster cultures). We recently reported how tech mogul Elon Musk is trying to get his controversial Teslaquila off the ground, and how Breaking Bad actors Bryan Craston and Aaron Paul are considering having their own label. That is all good if they bring money and jobs to the area of Tequila, Jalisco, where the ancient spirit is produced under Denomination of Origin.
In the meantime, here are a few Mexican-owned tequila brands, some of which are the usual suspects (1800, Corralejo) while others are smaller but exciting brands.
This tequila is housed in a legendary hacienda, as the company, Sotol, states: “The Hacienda Tabalaopa, a family jewel since it’s establishment in 1881, has historically embraced Sotol as the spirit of the region”. This premium spirit, Sotol, is a bit different to tequila as it is elaborated with a wild agavacea variety termed Dasylirion which only grows in the Chihuahuan Desert of northern Mexico. This is an example of how the industry is diversifying, encompassing other regions of Mexico.
This beautiful bottle contains a premium tequila developed by a young Mexican entrepreneur. This relatively new brand is socially conscious and has programs to support agave growers in Jalisco. They source their agave azul from small growers, supporting the local farming industry. It has gotten some good reviews and is bound to become a staple of hipster bars worldwide.
This casa tequilera is as traditional as it comes: it has been operating since 1886 when it was founded by Don Delfino González. However, its owners have taken good care of the brand’s image, using a contemporary brand design that looks great on any bar shelf. Their crown jewel is the San Matias Cristal, which is clear and pure, distilling the floral notes to the nose and the palette that pure blue agave brings. It is the new face of an old distillery, so it brings together the new and the classic in interesting ways.
One of the most traditional brands around (we can totally picture Jorge Negrete or Pedro Infante drinking straight from the bottle while delivering a serenata). This tequila is also the brainchild of Don Delfino González, who during the period that preceded the Mexican Revolution found the perfect conditions for growing agave azul and producing tequila in the Los Altos region of Jalisco. The red soil fields here are rich in iron and other minerals, which provides the perfect nourishment for the agave plants.
This tequila is manufactured by Tequilas del Señor, a house that has more than seven decades of expertise. It is named after the indigenous woman, La Malinche, that according to the legend served as a translator for the conquistadores. For those who enjoy a clear taste, La Malinche is a good option. To the nose, it provides intense notes of baked agave with hints of mint and citrus. It is silky in the mouth with pleasant herbal notes and lovely acidity. It is great to drink by itself… perhaps after a few carnitas tacos.
Just look at this bottle! It would be envied by the most delicate whiskeys on the planet. The reposado (which basically means “rested”, as it has matured in oak barrels for years) variety has a smokey and deep flavor. This house is owned by Armando Orozco Espinoza, a young tequila master that comes from a long tradition of experts. The mantra of this house: ” passion, tradition, braveness, attitude, maturity, and youth.” Bound to become one of the classics.
These tequilas fall in the super-premium category, so they are bound to be a bit pricey (so please don’t make cheap margaritas with it… go a bit more sophisticated and put together a fancy cocktail). This relatively new brand was years in the making: they hired a tequila master to spot the perfect agave plants to create a distinctive flavor. The family that runs this business has been growing agave for more than four decades. The fields and factory are located in the “Golden Triangle” region in Los Altos (Highlands) of Jalisco.
A young brand that has gotten some traction in the European market. The reposado variety is a delight: deep, peppery flavors thanks to the eight months it spends in oak barrels. Tequila 29 Two Nine is owned by a family who, according to company communications, wants to disrupt the game.
One of the most widely sold tequilas, both in Mexico and overseas. It is manufactured in the Hacienda Corralejo in Guanajuato, which as become a tourist attraction in its own right. As stated by the company, “visitors can satisfy their curiosity and excitement about the processes used to make tequila. The atmosphere is a delight to both sight and smell, as exemplified by casks for aging tequila located in beautiful cellars and filled with a suggestive and captivating aroma that evokes the honey of cooked agave”. Sounds like a perfect holiday to us!
This is a luxury craft tequila owned by Mexican-Americans but manufactured the distiller Tequilera Las Juntas in Jalisco. It is made from 100 percent Blue Weber Agave grown in the region of Tequila. It has won multiple international awards.
A young, hip brand whose slogan is #takelifebystorm. It was created by Marco, a master distiller with over 40 years of experience. He says: “I’m really proud of what I’ve done throughout my career at some of the best brands, but there are always limitations when you work for someone else. Tromba represents everything I think great tequila can be.” Marco is joined by Rodrigo Cedano, a young apprentice who really strives to create a tequila that distinguishes itself from the dozens of options in the market. Guess where the name comes from? “Tromba gets its name from the intense rainstorms of the Jalisco highlands that nourish its famed agave plants. It also represents energy and rejuvenation that fuels the passion and purpose of its founders”.
Tequila Cazcabel
Credit: cazcabeltequila / Instagram
It takes its name from the famous poisonous rattlesnake. This brand specializes in blends that infuse tequila with flavors such as honey and coffee. It is created in the town of Arandas, in the Jalisco highlands. This brand makes sure that the agave plants are used in a sustainable way, and use every part of the plant in the production process. They have some pretty good ideas for cocktails: http://cazcabel.com/the-drinks/.
