Tequila Komos represents the wedding of Mexican custom and the Mediterranean life-style in a uniquely packaged line of tequilas. Created by trade veteran and grasp sommelier Richard Betts, Komos presents a private imaginative and prescient of tequila that expands the premium class via its three distinctive expressions.
We requested Betts to inform us extra about this distinctive and should know tequila model.
We perceive you could have a background as a grasp sommelier. Inform us about bringing these expertise to the world of tequila.
With Tequila Komos, we’re working to redefine the tequila class, mixing the very best artistry in tequila-making with innovation impressed by Mediterranean winemaking strategies.
Tequila is so particular—evocative of a spot, custom, historical past, expression of the maker, similar to wine. Komos was born out of the concept winemaking strategies can craft one thing stunning, refined, complicated, and completely compelling with agave.
I’m firmly rooted in making what I need to drink, what I feel is the perfect. This implies treating all of the substances with nice care and utilizing an exacting course of that borrows closely from my winemaking background to make the purest, most pristine, complicated, and completely quaffable tequila.
What impressed you to create Komos?
I’d made agave spirits in my earlier corporations, however Komos is one thing completely distinctive and happened by way of a go to with my nice buddy and now enterprise associate, Joe Marchese. Joe was visiting me in Amsterdam after attending a marriage in Greece and remarked on the dearth of fine tequila in Europe. The dialog rapidly turned to the purpose that the majority tequila is made and marketed in the very same approach and that is typically out of step with how it’s consumed. We predict the consumption displays the concept of fine dwelling and, oftentimes, a Mediterranean life-style of solar, sea, sand, good meals, buddies, music, and pleasure. Wine is in fact part of that life-style and so we got down to deliver a few of these strategies to the manufacturing and to make precisely what we wish – one thing particular. It’s a wedding of Mexican custom and Mediterranean inspiration that we’re already seeing loved across the globe, it’s thrilling.
Discuss to us a bit concerning the course of of creating Komos- how does it differ from different tequila?
We begin by making our base, a blanco, utilizing agave from the highlands and lowlands of Tequila, roast them within the conventional volcanic stone oven, ferment the juice with native yeast after which double distill in pot stills.
From right here, for the Añejo Cristalino expression, the blanco base is aged within the ex-white wine French oak barrels for a yr. Sometimes, most tequila is aged in American bourbon barrels, however using wine barrels give it a bit extra refined flavors and nuance. The now-añejo tequila is then dripped via a column of charcoal, which removes each the colour and congeners / impurities whereas making it ever smoother.
For our Reposado Rosa expression, which is of course pink tinted, we use our particular blanco base however then age it for 65 days in French oak Cabernet barrels, which give it nice chocolate and fruit notes, plus that lovely pink colour.
For the Komos Additional Añejo, we age it for 3 years in a mixture of former American bourbon barrels and French oak white wine barrels, which creates a very opulent expression. It’s wealthy, detailed, complicated, and potent however by no means heavy. It’s particular.
We’re additionally distinctive as we place among the tequila in clay amphorae the place the tequila is actually tumbled for a number of hours and sees oxygen (which we expect is essential to our outcome). The sum of all these elements has by no means been completed and, when you style it, I do know you’ll agree it’s certainly distinctive and particular.
The tequila section has change into targeted on premiumization. Inform us about this growth within the class.
My very first expertise was in all probability not in contrast to a lot of you, dangerous mixto tequila that didn’t result in something good. Nonetheless, rapidly I discovered that the true factor may be so particular, and I feel customers are studying that too and are keen to pay for high-quality tequila that displays their values.
What ought to bartenders find out about Komos (serving and suggesting)?
I all the time say drink it nevertheless you need to. You actually can’t go flawed. I like all three of the Komos expressions—Añejo Cristalino, Reposado Rosa, and Additional Añejo—with one massive rock, however they’re all nice neat or in a particular cocktail. If you happen to’re feeling luxurious, strive the Additional Añejo in your favourite margarita.
What’s been enjoyable is to get individuals who say they don’t like tequila to alter their view of the class. For any friends that say they don’t like tequila—give them a style of Komos and so they may simply change their thoughts.
If a bartender needed to explain Komos to a visitor in a fast 1-2 sentences—what ought to they are saying?
Tequila Komos is de facto good tequila—clean, complicated, and completely drinkable.
Additionally, in case you care about scores, we’re additionally the very best rated tequila, scoring 98/100, 98/100, and 100/100 (the primary excellent rating) from The Tasting Panel Journal.
Inform us concerning the stunning packaging.
Aren’t our bottles fairly? However they aren’t simply stunning—they’re sensible too, as they defend the liquid inside from daylight and are supposed to be upcycled and cherished.
Every bottle is handmade, vitrified porcelain from our artisan producer in Mexico, Anfora, which has been a part of culinary historical past since 1920, launched in Mexico simply after the revolution. They specialise in vitrified porcelain, creating sturdy, top-quality materials that enables for zero absorption of water or micro organism. You probably have seen Anfora items at your favourite bar, restaurant, or lodge.
For Komos, bottles are hand dipped right into a reactive glaze that modifications when fired within the oven, that means each bottle is every a one-of-a-kind creation.
