Tequila may be difficult. Gross sales of agave spirits general are blowing the roof off the U.S. spirits market. However as tequila enjoys unprecedented recognition, shoppers should be vigilant. Flavorings, colorants, and different components are broadly added to tequila. And corner-cutting can also be typical amongst many producers. This ends in tequilas with questionable integrity, and that could be problematic from a cultural or ecological perspective. However on this unsure territory, standout examples stay. And one among them is that this week’s Drink of the Week: Paladar Tequila Blanco.
Paladar is produced by the Orendain household, the final unbiased producer amongst tequila’s 4 founding households. Blue Weber agave are harvested from the household’s fields within the valley of Jalisco. The agave are roasted in a brick oven for 48 hours. The cooked piña are shredded and pressed via a curler mill to extract the mosto, or juice. Utilizing wild and proprietary yeasts, the mosto is fermented for 5 days in an open-air pine-box fermenter. Lastly, the tequila is double-distilled on stills which might be a mix of copper and stainless-steel by grasp distiller Eduardo Orendain, Jr.
All through the method, sustainability is a main ingredient. The distillery goals to be 90 p.c solar-powered by 2024, and all packaging is made utilizing recycled supplies. Leftover agave pulp is composted again into the fields, the water is sourced from the household’s personal wells, and the farm makes use of no chemical pesticides or fertilizers.
The tequila, too, is additive-free, and fairly welcome within the glass. The blanco’s nostril is crisp and herbaceous, with touches of pine and pepper. A delicate brininess on the palate performs in opposition to vivid notes of citrus peel, with a fragile sweetness of cooked agave and a contemporary, nearly minty end. Clear and intriguing sipped straight, the blanco is clearly an awesome candidate for Margaritas, Palomas, and any of a bunch of tequila cocktails. $49.99, paladartequila.com
