Tequila!

Here it is Labor Day, the “unofficial” end to summer; I say that because if you look at the calendar summer actually has almost 3 weeks left in which to work its magic! And speaking of summer magic, well…how about a little tequila? For today’s post I’m linking to a recent article in the travel section of our local newspaper, The Oregonian.The photo (taken by Tracie Cone), shows Agave tequilana growing in rows on a hillside in Tequila, Mexico (did you know there was a place named Tequila?).

Here is an excerpt from the article: “The first thing one learns on a tour of the heart of Mexico's tequila country is that no one here drinks tequila as a shooter -- it's better sipped from a brandy snifter or champagne glass so that the full sweet and buttery flavors and aromas of the agave can come through.

And the aficionado would never drink anything other than a tequila made from 100 percent agave. Anything less, like the popular Jose Cuervo Gold, is a "mixto" that by law only has to contain 51 percent of alcohol distilled from agave. The rest could be any other sugary plant like the beet, which makes it potentially hangover-inducing.” Beets in tequila? Say it isn’t so!

We have a friend from Mexico who brought back some of the real stuff a couple of years ago, it was amazing. So flavorful and delicious, I would never have dreamt of mixing it into a margarita or “doing a shot” it was to be savored. Try the good stuff if you get a chance, and in the mean time read all about Agave tequilana tourism:

http://www.oregonlive.com/travel/index.ssf/2011/08/thirst_for_tequila_is_satisfie.html