Experience Tequila

Our Blog Has Moved

2011-05-24T09:50:00.001-07:00

Please follow up to our new blog on our new Website. Saludos!

E.T. Honored by Tequila Regulatory Council

2010-12-31T10:50:00.000-08:00

We are honored and humbled to announce that Experience Tequila has been awarded the Tequila Regulatory Council’s prestigious “TT” certification for excellence in tequila tourism. Experience Tequila is the first (and only) non-Mexican company to achieve this level of recognition. This milestone is the result of nearly 3 years of work by Experience Tequila in promoting the unique culture, history and distilled spirit of the Tequila valley, as well as our constant efforts to further our own understanding and knowledge through research and education.

Mexico’s Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT), the independent authority that oversees all tequila production, created the Double-T certification to promote tequila knowledge, regional culture, environmental sustainability, just economic development and quality customer service in the Tequila region.

Despite the challenge posed by our US location, we worked with the CRT in installments while in Mexico, and remotely while in the US to demonstrate our knowledge of tequila production and the Official Tequila Norms, regional culture and history and our commitment to the “best practices” of the Ruta de Tequila (Tequila Trail).

Our new TT-certification makes us official partners with other vendors on the Tequila Trail, and expands the services and activities we can provide our guests, including horseback riding, mountain biking, rappelling and mountaineering; all in the picturesque agave countryside, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Our preferred status also means we can pass on even greater savings to our guests. We are currently booking private groups as well as package tours for early 2011, including our basic “Welcome to Tequila” tour, a traditional Mexican St. Patrick’s Day tequila tour and a tour that includes the Highlands tequila region. ¡Salud!

Portland Tequila Tasting Club receives backing from Mexican Tequila Academy

2010-07-20T14:05:00.000-07:00

Portland's newly-formed Tequila Tasting Club has received a charter from the prestigious Academia Mexicana de Tequila (AMT), and is now recognized as an official American branch of the Academy's tasting club program.

The Club will host an informal meet and greet on Tuesday August 4, 7:00pm, at Trébol restaurant in North Portland. Attendees will taste and discuss a couple of tequilas and have the opportunity to offer ideas for future Club events as well as pick the brains of longtime local tequila aficionados.

Club membership is currently free and open to anyone of legal drinking age. There is no fee to attend the event, and each attendee will pay their own bar tab. The food is excellent at Trébol, so you may want to come early for dinner.

Stay tuned here for exciting opportunities that our collaboration with the AMT will bring. Salud!

Tequila Fortaleza Dinner with Guillermo Sauza

2010-05-24T17:31:00.000-07:00

Thursday July 8, 7:00pm at Cha Taqueria in Northwest Portland (305 NW 21st Ave).

Please join Experience Tequila for great food, exquisite tequila and the rare opportunity to meet a living legend of tequila.

Tequila Fortaleza (known as "Los Abuelos" in Mexico) is one of the most revered tequilas amongst aficionados. It is the most traditionally-made tequila money can buy, and only 4,000 cases a year are produced.

Fortaleza has been a featured distillery of Experience Tequila trips from the beginning, and we are excited to host owner and distiller Guillermo Erickson Sauza on his first official visit to Oregon. Guillermo's great-great grandfather, Don Cenobio, founded Tequila Sauza and brought Mexico's traditional liquor to the world. Today, Guillermo uses the old methods to produce an exceptionally flavorful, smooth and authentic tequila.

We will enjoy all three ages of Fortaleza (blanco, reposado and añejo) paired with 3 courses of Cha's delightful Northwest-inspired Mexican food.

This private event will sell out, and advance payment is required. The $70 fee includes gratuity. Don't miss this opportunity - reserve today! Call 503-841-1739 for more details.

Private tours of Tequila Country

2010-03-08T13:33:00.000-08:00

Did you know we offer private tours? Groups of friends, family, couples or the staff of a single bar often join us for a specially-created exploration of Tequila Country.

Just the other day, Clayton had a great group of 4 friends celebrating a birthday. We were guests at La Cofradía and La Fortaleza. At the first, we were treated to an intimate private tasting of the Casa Noble line by tequila expert David Yan. We also tasted fresh roast agave and 57% alcohol tequila blanco right from the still- with the traditional cow's horn drinking vessel!

At La Fortaleza, an extremely traditional distillery where they produce only 4,000 cases a year, we had the rare opportunity to see the fábrica at work. In the picture, you can see workers painstakingly seperating the agave fiber from fresh "honey water " ground from the roast agave by the one-ton volcanic-stone grinding wheel. What can´t be photographed is the magic of a private tasting of this excellent tequila in the estate´s candlelit caves.

We have great relationships with many distilleries, and work with small groups to tailor a trip especially to their interests, needs and level of tequila knowledge. Whether novice or expert - we can create a great trip for you. Contact us for details.

Añejo Tasting Lineup

2010-03-02T09:13:00.000-08:00

Last week's añejo tasting was incredible - both in turnout and quality. We had set a limit of 20 people for this intimate evening, and quickly sold out. This was definitely one of our best events, and there were several distinguished bartenders, spirits consultants and wine industry people in addition to our usual knowledgeable and curious band of aficionados.

As to the juice itself- wow! I have to limit myself to a rundown of the names, because I am frantically preparing for seven weeks of tequila tours that begin tomorrow. Tough life, I know!

From left to right we have: Los Abuelos añejo, Tonalá 4-year añejo (not all 4 years are in the same barrel! Hence, an añejo. Took me a bit to figure that one out.), Don Julio 1942 añejo, Gran Centenario añejo, Herradura Selección Suprema extra-añejo and El Tesoro Paradiso extra-añejo.

Extra special thanks to Hoke Harden of Elixir Vitae, Patrick P., April S., Ingrid and everyone at Cha Taquería for making this the memorbale event that it was.

Stay tuned here, as well as on Facebook and on Twitter for real-time updates from Tequila Country. We will resume our tastings in May. ¡Salud!

By Popular Demand: All-Añejo Tasting February 24

2010-02-15T11:53:00.000-08:00

We've been hearing the same feedback at our last few tastings: more añejos! You asked for it, you got it!

Wednesday February 24, 8:00pm at Cha Taqueria in Northwest Portland (305 NW 21st Ave).

Añejos, considered by many to be the upper echelon of fine sipping tequilas, are aged in wood for over one year. This makes them complex, mellow spirits that stand up against world-class Scotches and brandies.

Añejo tequila is an ideal winter spirit, often featuring strong notes of vanilla, nuts and spices.

The tasting will be led by Experience Tequila owner Clayton Szczech, who spends several months each year doing research in Mexico's tequila country. Clayton will explain where each tequila is from, unique features of its production and be available to answer any questions you have about añejos, or tequila in general.

This flight of four tequilas will feature some ultra-premium and hard-to-find brands, and seating is limited. The cost is $40/person and advance payment is required. Light snacks will be provided by Cha Taquería.

Questions? Call 503-841-1739.

Oaxaca and Mexican Moonshine

2010-02-08T10:24:00.000-08:00

Tequila was once known in the United States as Mexican whiskey. Its close cousin, mezcal, could still appropriately be called Mexican moonshine. While there is nothing illegal or dangerous about its production, mezcal as a spirit and a culture is anarchic where tequila is bureaucratic, and some of the best never makes it out of the remote mountain villages where it is produced.

What, technically, is mezcal? Mezcal is a category referring to liquor distilled from agave plants. The process used to make mezcal is at its roots the same as for tequila - cook agave, grind agave, ferment juice, distill juice, enjoy. Tequila is one type of mezcal grown in a defined geographical area (primarly the state of Jalisco) with one particular type of agave (the Weber blue variety). Other mezcals can be made from just about any of the scores of varieties of agave cultivated and growing wild in Mexico. But the best-known mezcals, and possibly the best, period, are produced in Oaxaca.

First let's deal with how to pronounce that name: Oaxaca. It's not as bad as it looks - wah-HA-ca. Oaxaca is a state in the south of Mexico famous for its proud indigenous populations, world-class cuisine, folk art and mezcal. While on a two-week research trip in November, I was transported to a world far removed from the mestizo ranch culture of Tequila, Jalisco. Oaxaca's Zapotec and Mixtec indigenous people constitute a majority of the population. Amongst older people, Spanish is still spoken as a second language, used primarily for doing business with outsiders. It can take some time and delicate negotiation to gain people's trust. If you are successful, you just might be invited to sample someone's homemade mezcal.

Visiting a palenque, as the locals call the backyard distilling setups that are common in Oaxaca, is like going back in time. All the hallmarks of tequila production from the 19th century are still in use today. The tahona, a 2-ton, Flintstones-like wheel considered a museum piece in most of tequila country, is the norm. As are uncovered wooden fermentation vats and small copper stills sealed watertight with tortilla dough. And you generally won't find a lab or technicians conducting analysis with a Brixometer - the mezcalero is much more likely to taste the raw spirit right out of the still.

As a consumer, taste is your best guide as well. Compared to tequila, where knowing how to read a label is almost as useful as when picking a bottle of wine, some of the best mezcal produced may be poured out of a plastic gas can or plain glass carboy. In mezcal country, you cannot rely on reviews in glossy magazines or internet bulletin boards to tell you what is good and what may split your skull. You and your palate are on your own.

Experience Tequila is currently developing a tour of Oaxaca's mezcal country. Contact us for more information. You can check out more photos on Facebook.

"South of the Border" party Friday, January 22

2010-01-18T11:32:00.000-08:00

Experience Tequila will be providing a premium tequila sipping booth at "Auténtica: A South of the Border Party" on Friday January 22 in Portland.

The event is a benefit for PEAR, a homeless youth advocacy and mentoring organization. In addition to great tequila from us, there will be Mexican food, live music and dancing, prizes and....A MECHANICAL BULL!

The event if free with a $5 suggested donation at the door. Bring cash for the bar and tequila tastings...the deals will be incredible, and it's for a good cause.

Friday January 22, 8pm-1am, 338 NW 6th Avenue, Portland, OR.

Tequila for Charity!

2009-12-10T11:17:00.000-08:00

We donated a tequila tasting for two ($200 value) to the Portland Mercury's online charity auction. It has been packaged with some other goodies as well, and you only have 1 day left to bid on it! Learn everything you need to know about tequila, taste some rare gems, get your buzz on, and support the good work of Outside In! What a deal!

Updates / Special offer on March trip

2009-12-03T14:13:00.000-08:00

Well, I've been away from the Internet for the entire month of November while in Mexico. I can't really say I'm sorry, since it was an unbelievable month. A week celebrating Día de los Muertos with Guillermo Erickson-Sauza and the Los Abuelos family, 10 days leading a great Experience Tequila trip and 2 solid weeks of mezcal research in Oaxaca! I'll post reports and photos soon, but for now....

I've got to raise my prices in 2010, unfortunately. But to avoid doing so too suddenly, I'm offering the March 9-19 trip at the old price ($1400/person) to those who pay a deposit before January 1, 2010. After the New Year, the price is going up to $1700. With the dollar down and both prices and taxes rising in Mexico, I am simply losing too much money at the old price. I'll open up the books (and show my apartment!) to anyway worried that I am getting rich off this.

The January deadline is firm, and an incredible deal, so contact me ASAP to pay your deposit and ensure your spot on the March trip.

October Tequila Tasting - SOLD OUT!

2009-10-19T19:04:00.000-07:00

We'll be back at Casa del Matador NW for 5 different tequilas on Thursday October 29, 6pm. This is possibly our last public tasting of the year, as we leave for Mexico the following day. Don't miss out! $25 gets you twice as much worth of premium 100% agave tequila, food and service. Online registration is required.

Review: Joanne Weir's new tequila book

2009-10-06T11:51:00.001-07:00

Tequila : a guide to types, flights, cocktails, and bites / by Joanne Weir.
Berkeley, Calif. : Ten Speed Press, c2009.

Celebrity chef Joanne Weir offers up a welcome addition to the sparse, hit-and-miss genre of tequila writing. Weir is a true tequila lover, and her infectious enthusiasm comes through loud and clear in the preface, where she describes creating the Agave Girls, a club of female tequila aficionados in the often male-identified world of agave spirits.

The book will primarily interest bartenders and cooks, both professional and amateur, since over 80% of the text consists of recipes from the author and collected from some of the country's top mixologists. Weir’s brief survey of tequila's history and production process is a fun read, and free of the types of embarrassing factual errors that all too often typify tequila writing. The brevity of her treatment, however, keeps this book from being a “go-to” tequila reference book for spirits generalists.

There is really only one other shortcoming here: I had hoped Weir would expand upon the idea of pairing different types of tequila with food, which she seems exceptionally qualified to do, but we get only a brief comment on the topic. Perhaps in a future book, as Weir is a unique voice with even more to offer than we get here.

This book is well-suited for tequila beginners and any cook or bartender, and the hardcore tequila fan will want to add it to their library, not only because the genre is so small, but because the cocktail and food recipes will inspire dreams of a tequila-centered diet.

Reviews of other tequila books available on our recommended tequila reading page.

Thanks for a great tasting!

2009-09-28T15:13:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to all 18 people who came out for our September tasting yesterday at Casa del Matador.

We sampled Corazón Blanco, Chinaco Blanco, Baluarte Reposado, Chamucos Reposado and Gran Centenario Añejo. It was a lively group, willing and eager to give their opinions on the strengths and weaknesses of each tequila. In addition to written and spoken notes, several people opted to draw what the tequila tasted like or reminded them of! An excellent example of Experience Tequila's attitude of "let 1,000 agaves bloom"!

Stay tuned here, on Facebook or Twitter for our October tasting date. Also, if you've procrastinated on signing up for the November trip to Tequila Country, the deadline is this week!

Sample 5 Great Tequilas in Portland

2009-09-10T11:44:00.000-07:00

Our September tequila tasting will feature 5 different tequilas from the last one (no excuse to skip it!), and as always will feature interesting expert commentary on the origins, production and flavor profiles of each tequila.

The event will be held at Casa del Matador's NW Portland location (1438 NW 23rd), and we'll have the entire Party Room to ourselves!

These events are informative, informal, fun and a great value (around $50 worth of booze and food for $25). The last one was featured on Partida Tequila's Facebook page. Online registration and payment are required, and these events typically sell out, so don't dilly-dally!

Incredibly Low Airfares to Guadalajara

2009-09-02T12:52:00.000-07:00

We constantly track airfares to Mexico, particularly to Guadalajara, the closest city to Tequila. Prices have dropped so drastically this week that we have to pass on the news. Fares can currently be booked from most major US cities for less than $400, round-trip.

Whether you're considering Experience Tequila's November trip or not, these are amazing deals. For those of you trying to budget for the trip, the time to act is now, these prices could go back up at any time.

Example fares: New Orleans $319, L.A. $333, New York or Philadelphia $366, Portland (OR) $398, Phoenix $400, Houston $402, Seattle $418, Chicago $425, Atlanta $503.

We recommend Kayak for up-to-date fares and DIY booking. We are also happy to assist with booking and fare purchase. Contact us with any questions.

Portland Tequila Tasting Great Success

2009-08-25T16:50:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all 20 people who came out for our last tasting at Trébol! After a brief presentation on tequila basics, we sampled Partida blanco, 7 Leguas blanco, Corzo reposado, Aha Toro reposado and Corazón añejo.

Guests enjoyed flautas, sopes, quesadillas and dips afterward, and those who still had a thirst tried some serrano chile-infused margaritas.

There are more photos on our Facebook page, and our next tasting is scheduled for September 20. Stay tuned!

Tomorrow's tequila tasting is sold out

2009-08-22T09:44:00.001-07:00

We have received a great response to our tasting at Trébol, and have reached maximum capacity. Please contact us to be notified about future tastings. The next is tentatively scheduled for September 20. ¡Salud!

3 Heads of State and a Blue Agave

2009-08-11T17:37:00.001-07:00

President Obama was in Guadalajara, Jalisco this week for a summit with President Calderón of Mexico and Primer Minister Harper of Canada. They were all photographed in front of a painting depicting a close-up of a blue agave. Speculating has abounded on whether Obama sampled any tequila, Jalisco's biggest export besides labor, but the White House isn't talking.

Tequila Tasting at Trébol in Portland, OR

2009-08-05T14:54:00.000-07:00

We are excited to announce our next tequila tasting -

August 23, 3:00-5:00pm at Trébol Restaurant (4835 N. Albina in Portland, Oregon).

We will taste 5 very different tequilas and discuss how they are made, where they are from, and what they taste like. You will have the opportunity to sample blancos, reposados and añejos from both the Tequila valley and the Jalisco highlands.

There will be light food and a short presentation about Experience Tequila following the tasting.

Cost for the event is $25 per person, and seating is limited, so make your reservation today!

Tequila Magazine Articles

2009-07-17T14:04:00.000-07:00

Wine and Spirits Magazine has a couple of tequila-related articles in their August issue. One is about the explosion of tequila cocktails and tequila-centric bars, and the other is about the rise of tequiliers - a term some use for a tequila expert (derived from sommelier - wine expert). You can read part of the latter article online.

Tequila Events in California and Las Vegas

2009-07-16T09:13:00.000-07:00

What better way to get excited for an Experience Tequila trip than a domestic tequila festival?

The industry showcase Las Vegas Tequila Festival takes place September 11-12.

On a smaller scale, this is the inaugural year of the Monterey Tequila Fest in California October 3.

This is a big year in Tequila itself with Mexico's Tequila Regulatory Council celebrating it's 15th anniversary...we will post more on that soon.

Links Page Updated

2009-07-16T09:10:00.000-07:00

We have updated our links page. Take a look! Have a suggestion for other tequila-related links? Let us know.

Portland Tequila Tastings Coming Soon!

2009-07-03T15:35:00.001-07:00

Check back soon, or better yet, email us to be added to the events mailing list.