GWPRReprintsforTommyRotter2017

Monogram Whiskey Blended Rye Is a Star

Jacob Rieger emigrated to Kansas City from Austria/Hungary in 1877 and shortly thereafter founded what would
become, by the early 20th century, the largest mail-order whiskey house in America. In its heyday, J. Rieger &
Co. boasted more than a quarter-million customers. Ah, but then along came Prohibition, which outlawed
intoxicating liquors and spelled doom for the company.
Nearly a century after the onerous 18th Amendment was enacted, a celebrated bartender named Ryan Maybee
got together with Andy Rieger, Jacob’s great-great-great-grandson, and hatched a plan to revive Kansas City’s
historic lost distillery. Adult beverage guru Steve Olson and distiller Nathan Perry were brought on board, and in
late 2014, with the launch of Kansas City Whiskey, J. Rieger & Co. was officially born again.
The company’s latest release is Monogram Whiskey 2017 Oloroso Bota ($99), a blend of 11-year-old rye and 9-
year-old corn whiskies finished for 18 months in 500-liter Sherry casks called botas. Olson, who spent years
working in the Jerez region of Spain, helped secure 4 of these precious American oak botas from famed Sherry
producer Williams & Humbert. Olson was also the driving force behind the decision to make the whiskey using the
solera method, a system of fractional blending in which the liquid is transferred from barrel to barrel.
Rieger’s Monogram is a delight that smells of honey, dates, and fresh peaches. It’s a balanced, dry whiskey
possessed of a warm, soft, and creamy mouthfeel. Every sip offers a rich mixture of primary flavors: plums, figs,
and cashews derived from the Sherry with bold vanilla and toffee notes courtesy of the American oak. The finish
is embroidered with traces of cinnamon, chocolate, and cherry that heighten the sensory experience. It was a long
time coming, but J. Rieger & Co. has once again established Kansas City as a great American whiskey town.

How This Brewery Is Turning Its Struggles and Successes Into Works of Art

When Dave Engbers and Mike Stevens started their beer company, Founders Brewing Co., craft
brew wasn't as popular as it is today. That made the first 10 years of business difficult, bringing the co-
founders close to bankruptcy several times.

"Everyone did similar things and our business model wasn't working," says Engbers, 46, who is co-founder
and president of Founders. "Our business looked like it was going to fold, and we said, 'If we are going to
go out of business, let's do out on our terms and brew beer we want to drink.'"

That was the beginning of change for the business, which celebrates its 20th anniversary on Monday. But
the entrepreneurs aren't ignoring their hardships, they're instead turning it into art. To commemorate its
birthday, Founders asked seven artists from around the world to visualize the brewery's history -- from the
struggles to the success.

The Zero Regrets Artist Series interprets those entrepreneurial challenges through pieces titled "Chasing
a Dream," "Tough Decisions," and "Following Instincts." In one piece called "Whatever It Takes," (pictured)
two figures are shown bent over beer bottles, with the words--in all caps-- "hard work, true grit" over them.
The image depicts a time when Engbers and Stevens worked the bottling line for 18-hours straight to make
sure the first batch went out the door.

The co-founders launched the brewery in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1997 with four different beers.
Business was slow at the start and Engbers says "the market just wasn't there." After several difficult years,
Engbers and Stevens decided to become a product-driven company and make something that didn't
compete with anything else. That is when Dirty Bastard was born.

The malty and hoppy beer came out in 2001, but put Founders on the map a year later when it debuted at
the Extreme Beer Fest. Even after Dirty Bastard's recognition, the company took another five years to
become profitable. But patience and perseverance paid off: Founders now offers 26 beers, including the
limited and seasonal series.
"I think it's important for people to realize that Founders was not always hugely successful, we took a lot of
risks," Engbers says. "We built out an entire business around that model about zero regrets and hopefully
inspire people to go for it."

These Four Breweries Are Making Your Beer Less Wasteful

AC Shilton

Just as brewers have gotten creative with all manner of fruit-infused IPAs and all things barrel-aged,
they’re now figuring out new ways to tamp down water usage. It’s really only fair for breweries to lead the
way on this issue—beer is a huge water user. According to the Brewers Association, the average brewery
uses seven barrels of water to produce one barrel of beer.
Earlier this year, Stone Brewing took what is likely the most avant-garde approach yet, releasing a beer
made from wastewater called Full Circle Pale Ale. But it’s only one of many ways that brewers
are shooting for a better water-to-beer ratio, from cleaning to brewing to discarding waste. “Good water is
essential to making our product, and using less of it is one way for us to take care of it,” says Liz Wonder,
the sustainability coordinator at Founders Brewing in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Here are some of the brewers who are leading the charge.
Stone Brewing
You actually can’t get any of Stone Brewing’s potty-brew because it was all devoured within hours. The
brewery created the beer to promote San Diego’s push to get a third of its drinking water from cleaned
wastewater by 2035. Kevin Faulconer, the mayor of San Diego, tried the first sip and declared it delicious.
Other city VIPs quickly followed suit and soon it was gone. Apologies to those hankering for a taste: there
are currently no plans to deliver toilet-water beer to retailers around the country.
Half Moon Bay Brewing
This Northern California brewery has made several batches of beer using leftover shower and sink
water from a nearby NASA facility. Unfortunately, brewmaster James Costa says, “You can’t sell beer
made with gray water in California. It’s one of the issues we’re trying to use this beer to push forward.”

Costa actually loved working with the recycled water, saying that because it had been so thoroughly
filtered, “it has a much more neutral taste than the water we’d normally get.” The extreme filtration led to a
softer mouthfeel, and in a blind tasting, tasters couldn’t tell a difference between the gray-water beer and
a similarly brewed option that used the local tap water.

Oskar Blues Brewery
“Our company is built on a culture of being outside, so protecting our resources is part of that,” says Brian
Schaeffer, a brewer at the Oskar Bluesfacility in Longmont, Colorado. When the company first started
tracking its water usage, it averaged about five gallons of water to one gallon of beer. “It wasn’t the worst
ratio in the world,” says Schaeffer. But the company wanted to try to go lower. Today, each barrel
of Dale’s Pale Ale and Old Chub takes only three barrels of water per one finished barrel of beer.

One way Oskar Blues achieved this lowered ratio was by revamping its canning processes. Previously,
cans were rinsed with water before beer was poured in. Now, the brewery uses a gush of deionized air to
prep cans. “When you’re canning 20 hours a day, even at a trickle, that’s a lot of water you’re using,” says
Schaeffer. The company also streamlined its cleaning process, so less water goes down the drain with
every rinse.

Oskar Blues is working to tackle another issue facing many brewers: what to do with wastewater. Brewing
creates extra yeast that brewers have to dispose of. “We used to sidestream that yeast down the drain,”
says Schaeffer. But that can create problems for local water treatment facilities, because if there’s a lot of
yeast, it outcompetes the microorganisms the plants use to clean wastewater. Now the brewery captures
that extra yeast, moves it to a holding tank, then gives it to local farmers, who feed it—along with spent
grain—to livestock.

Founders Brewing
If you really want to get serious about water conservation, hire a sustainability coordinator for your
brewery. That’s what Founders Brewing did, and now Liz Wonder scrutinizes every inch of the company’s
brewing process. The result is a 15.5 percent reduction in water use since 2013.

Wonder ekes out water savings by implementing a more efficient cleaning system and investing in vapor
condensing units. “During the boil [stage of the brewing process], a lot of steam comes off the kettle,”
says Wonder. A tube system captures that steam, condenses it back into water, and funnels it back into
tanks, where it’s used to heat incoming tap water and to clean. (The brewery doesn’t use this captured
water in beer, because it could impart unwanted flavors.) And while many breweries use water-based
chiller systems to keep machines from overheating, Founders switched to a glycol-based operation. It’s a
closed-loop system that recycles the glycol, using a compressor to keep the chemical cool as it circulates
through the machinery over and over again.

This year, the brewery is averaging just 3.2 barrels of water to every barrel of beer, down from four in
2013. For a brewery that’s aiming to produce 460,000 barrels of beer this year, that’s a literal deluge of
water saved.

Must-try summer wines: Rosé, bottled sangria, sparklers and more

Wine expert Leslie Sbrocco shares her picks for the best summer wines, including rosés, light and crisp
wines that are perfect for the beach, wines that are perfect for cookouts and some all American wines for
the Fourth of July. Bonus: Some of these wines cost well under $20 per bottle, so you can add them to
this list of the best affordable summer wines. Cheers to summer sipping!

Global Grilling with Latin Flair

From Spain to South America, these selections bring a little heat to dishes hot off the grill. There are no
rules when it comes to pairing white wine with fish and red with meat, but if a spicy shrimp platter or Cajun-
rubbed chicken breast is on the menu, reach for one of the following two mouthwatering coastal whites to
tame the fire. When barbecue ribs or perfectly-seared rib eye is served, think of the latter two spicy reds to
pair alongside.
2008 Arinzano ‘La Casona’ Pago de Arinzano, Spain, $40
Want to splurge on your next grilling red? Reach for this exceptional bottling from Arinzano. Noted as one
of the top estates — or Pagos — in Spain, La Casona is made with the signature red grape Tempranillo
rounded out with Merlot. A lush, age-worthy red, it’s a wine to drink with anything…or nothing at all.

10 Whiskies to Dazzle Dad This Father’s Day

Put down the necktie. Walk away from the cologne counter. Don’t even think about looking at another wallet.
The answer to your Father’s Day gift solution couldn’t be more obvious if it walked up to you and handed
you a calling card. BOOZE. Hooch. Liquor. The Nectar of the Gods. I tell you this as the father of a (mostly)
delightful almost-7-year-old girl. After mornings of pretending to be multiple characters simultaneously in
her make-believe My Little Pony games, afternoons spent whipping up snacks for her and her friends,
evenings of trying to get the iPad out of her hands so she can do the ten minutes of homework they assign
in first grade each night, Daddy’s ready for a drink.

This is my second Father’s Day without a dad of my own. I remember looking through his liquor cabinet as
a kid, fascinated with the labels and the names. What on earth is a Cutty Sark? Who is Johnnie Walker?
What’s with the guy wearing the funny hat on the Beefeater bottle? In my adulthood, we’d go for boys’
nights out, consisting of dinner and cocktails. I miss downing perfect Manhattans with him at various
watering holes around the borough for which the drink was named, but you can damn well bet I’ll be toasting
his memory with a libation or two.

What kind of booze should you get the dad in your life, you might ask? That’s easy — whiskey. Or whisky,
as the spelling changes depending on where it’s from. It’s a versatile spirit that can appeal to any dad’s
palate, whether he likes it light and sweet or big and spicy; in a cocktail or neat; from different countries
around the globe. And you can pick your price point, too — there are great whiskies to be had for $30, and
there are really great whiskies to be had for a couple grand. The ten I’ve picked out run the gamut, price-
wise, flavor-wise, and otherwise. They may not all be for your particular dad, but if he drinks whiskey, he’s
bound to like at least a couple of them. Happy hunting. And don’t forget to give Dear Dad the two essential
gifts to pair with his whiskey — a quiet place to drink it, and the time to enjoy it. That’s key.

RIEGER’S MONOGRAM WHISKEY (Kansas City; 52% ABV, $100).

Kansas City whiskey was pretty common before Prohibition, but it took
mixologist/restauranteur/bar owner/distiller/historian Ryan Maybee to revive it
in the 21st century. And he didn’t just revive it, he created a whole new style of
whiskey in the process. The Rieger & Co. brand is a revival of Kansas City’s
most popular whiskey from a century ago; the new Rieger & Co. makes
everything from gin to vodka to an amazing amaro. But whiskey is their specialty
— namely their Kansas City whiskey, which is a unique blend of bourbon, rye,
corn whiskey, and a touch of Oloroso sherry. Monogram, a rare once-a-year
limited edition with a unique recipe each time, is the jewel in Rieger’s crown.
This year’s batch is a blend of 9 year old corn whiskey (like bourbon, obviously,
but not following the same strict production guidelines) and 11 year old rye,
finished in century-old Oloroso sherry botas. It’s big, it’s rich, it’s spicy, it’s a
little dry, it’s a little sweet... it’s Kansas City whiskey. Like nothing else out there,
and absolutely delicious. If your Dad is the adventurous type, he’ll love it. And
the retro label will look spiffy on his bar or in his liquor cabinet, too. With only
1,000 bottles to go around, it’s one to jump on.



Three Drink Minimum: Bartending With Ryan Maybee

In "Three-Drink Minimum," we take a look at the drink-making style of some of our
favorite bartenders, in three cocktails. Up now, Ryan Maybee on the Sazerac, plus a
sherry-spiked highball and a Kansas City original.

“My drink making style is very much classicist,” says Ryan Maybee, the Kansas City bartender and
proprietor behind the renowned speakeasy Manifesto and its sister restaurant, Rieger.

Opened in 2009, Manifesto occupies the basement level of The Rieger Hotel, itself opened in 1915, and
appropriately focuses on an earlier era of drink-making. “We stay rooted in that classic approach,”
explains Maybee, “but then we do try and elaborate and push the boundaries a little bit from there.”
While the bar offers serious cocktails, it doesn’t take itself too seriously. As the menu reads: “We may
have fancy cocktails, but we’re just a good old-fashioned neighborhood bar.” It’s a balance reflected in the
drinks themselves; a range of “shooters” including Jägermeister and whiskey appears alongside a roster
of classically inspired cocktails and seasonal specialities. “We…try to keep it fun,” says Maybee.
Here, three drinks that define Maybee’s high-low style.

Horsefeather
“The horsefeather has been a cocktail around Kansas City since—from what I can tell—the early 1900s.
But when I was in my early twenties and bartending…I just assumed it was a classic cocktail, like an
actual classic cocktail, that was just a variation on a Moscow Mule. Back then, it was rye whiskey with
ginger beer and Angostura bitters with a squeeze of lemon instead of lime. A few years later, I started to
realized that nobody outside of the Kansas City area knew what I was talking about when I would ask for
a Horsefeather…I kind of appropriated the recipe a little bit, using [Rieger’s Kansas City Whiskey], but it
works really, really well and…its just a delicious drink with its roots in K.C.”

Girl From Cadiz
“I created this drink in 2007 for the Vinos de Jerez Cocktail Competition. I made the national finals in New
York City, and it led to so many great, lifelong friendships—as well as opportunities. Many of the
competitors I went up against I’m still close with today. And this was how I met Steve Olson, who became
a mentor, a friend, and now a business partner. Even though I didn’t win, Steve promised that I would one
day get a chance to visit Jerez de la Frontera with him, and he kept his word. This drink went on my
opening cocktail menu at Manifesto in 2009, and is still on the menu today. It’s never going away.”

Sazerac
“The Sazerac was the cocktail that opened my eyes to how technique and preparation can really make
the difference between a horrible cocktail and a beautiful one. The first time I ever tried to make one, it
was truly awful, and I thought it was the worst thing I’d ever tasted. After a few years, a guest at my bar
asked for one, and when I looked a little stunned at the request, he offered to walk me through how it
should be prepared. It was amazing, and it forced me to realize that there was a lot more to the world of
cocktails than I thought.”

Smooth, Complex and First-Class: The Top 5 Tequila Añejos

Tequila comes in many shapes, sizes, strengths, and—of course—quality. It’s important to know what you
are looking for, be it tequila for margaritas or tequila for sipping. Tequila Añejos are in the latter category.
They are aged between a year and three years, and they tend to be a lot smoother and have a more
complex flavor palate. For the love of god, do not waste these in a margarita.

Tequila Ocho Añejo

Tequila Ocho does some interesting things with their agave. Most tequila makers use many different
ranchos to source their agave and blend them all together to create consistent flavor, but Tequila Ocho
embraces difference. They label all their tequilas by style but also by rancho, so there’s a lot of variety to
be had, and a lot of opportunity to develop your taste within the añejo style.
Buy Now / $65

J. Rieger Launches Monogram, A Solera Barrel-Aged Whiskey

Susannah Skiver Barton

There’s a new sherry-finished whiskey in town, and this one offers an unusual twist. J. Rieger &
Co. Monogram Whiskey is a blended whiskey—comprising 11 year old rye sourced from Alberta Distillers
and 9 year old light corn whiskey sourced from MGP—that has been finished for 18 months in sherry
barrels. All sounds pretty normal so far, right?

Here’s what makes it special: the barrels themselves are roughly 100 years
old and came from the solera of Williams & Humbert, one of the oldest sherry
producers in Spain. Unlike new oak casks that have been seasoned with
sherry for the express purpose of aging whisky later on (the way most whisky
producers obtain sherry casks), solera botas are prized for their neutrality—
no one wants an oaky sherry. Old botas are also valuable to sherry bodegas
for the colonies of yeast and bacteria that have set up shop in the wood,
facilitating the continuity of the wine’s character over decades of fractional
blending. An established sherry bodega might hold on to its botas for well
over 50 years and even up to a century, according to “A Modern Guide to
Sherry” by Talia Baiocchi. These sorts of casks rarely make it out of their
original homes, and I’ve never heard of one being used to age whiskey until
now.

Although the youngest whiskey in the blend is 9 years old, Monogram could easily be mistaken as older
thanks to the influence of the botas, which impart characteristic flavors of highly mature whiskies (think “old
library book”). It’s 52% ABV and only 1,000 bottles are available at $100 each. J. Rieger plans to release a
unique whiskey each year under the Monogram label, varying the style, barrels, finishing techniques, proof,
age, and other factors. The company plans to continue using the solera for some Monogram releases, but
won’t be replicating this particular batch—so if you want to try it, track it down now.

Rieger’s Monogram Whiskey 2017 – Oloroso Bota

J. Rieger & Co. will launch the first Rieger’s Monogram Whiskey in nearly a hundred years.
A blend of 11-year rye and 9-year corn whiskey, Rieger’s 2017 Monogram Whiskey is finished for 18 months
in century-old Olorso Sherry casks supplied by Williams & Humbert, one of the oldest Sherry producers in
Jerez, Spain.
The addition of a small amount of Oloroso Sherry to the final blend is a signature of Rieger’s Kansas City
Whiskey, the company says. The 2017 release of Rieger’s Monogram is made through a system of
fractional blending inspired by the solera system in Jerez, and obtains its character from aging in the casks
(or botas) that were part of the Williams & Humbert 15-year Oloroso Sherry solera for the past century.
The Monogram label dates back to the origins of Kansas City whiskey production in the 1800s, the company
says.
“For this first release we wanted to push the limits of Sherry as a component of our whiskey, and had the
good fortune of obtaining four rare casks from Spain to turn part of our distillery into an active solera,” says
Andy Rieger, co-founder of J. Rieger & Co., in a press release.
The 2017 release of Rieger’s Monogram Whiskey blends the rich, deep, dark fruit and nuttiness of the
Oloroso Sherry with the spices and confectionary tones of the oak botas, the company says. At 104 proof,
dark fruit and caramel notes come together for a creamy, full taste, the company says
Only 1,000 bottles were made. Available at select retailers, the suggested retail price is $99.99 per 750-ml.
bottle.

The Best Booze to Give for Father’s Day

Picking out the right bottle of booze to give as a gift can be tough. There are lots of great-tasting spirits on
the market for $20 or $30, but these everyday bottles aren’t always special enough to make a meaningful
present. On the other hand, you could break the bank and spend thousands on an incredibly old or rare
curiosity, only to find that it’s just not that great.
To help ensure your success in spirits-giving, I’ve come up with a very general, fairly vague rule: The ideal
price for a gift bottle is roughly a hundred bucks. At this price, you’re getting something special enough that
your giftee probably hasn’t tried it before, but common enough that it won’t force you to drive to dozens of
stores to track it down. On top of that, the low-three-figure range is where most brands tend to price their
special-but-not-too-special spirits, limited editions and higher-quality bottles pitched at average consumers
as opposed to obsessive collectors…With Father’s Day coming up, here are a few special spirits you can
pick out for your dad that will make his day (and he might even offer you a sip). Just act fast: These are
new and limited-edition spirits that aren’t likely to last very long. Oh, and the pricetags for each? Roughly a
hundred bucks.

RIEGER’S MONOGRAM WHISKEY ($100)
Back in the late 1800s, when Kansas City was the gateway to the Wild West, Monogram Whiskey was the
wildly popular flagship spirit from local distillery Jacob Rieger & Company. Prohibition killed off the original
Rieger distillery, but in 2014 a KC bartender teamed up with Jacob Rieger’s great-great-great grandson to
open a new J. Rieger & Co., and this year they’re reviving the Monogram brand. This is a very special spirit,
a mix of 11-year-old rye and 9-year-old corn whiskey finished in century-old barrels from Spain formerly
used to age oloroso sherry. It’s got deeply nutty and fruity flavors from the sherry casks, along with rich
caramel notes typical of American whiskey.

Best Tequilas for Cinco de Mayo: 13 Bottles To Try Right Now

Full disclosure: I’m no tequila connoisseur. But I have nothing but respect for the spirit.
Around this time last year, Pepe Hermosillo (of Casa Noble fame) graciously shared a sample of Alta
Belleza—his well-regarded extra añejo, which was aged in French white oak barrels before being finished
in Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon barrels. After that tasting, I was given a small bottle to take home
and I was told to pair it with cheese.
I did—to astonishing results.
At the time, tequila was not something I would have associated with the enthusiastic consumption of
Humboldt Fog. But that singular extraordinary experience completely shifted my perspective.

Jorge Vazquez, the general manager of Toloache 50 in New York City, on his top 13 tequila picks.
So to further inform my Cinco de Mayo tequila extravaganza this year, I decided to reach out to Jorge
Vazquez—the general manager of Toloache 50 in New York City. Toloache, the popular Midtown
restaurant, bills itself as a Mexican bistro that offers elevated (but not overly precious) takes on
quesadillas, tacos, and the like. But beyond that, it also carries more than 200 tequilas and mezcals on its
list. And Vazquez is no stranger to the complexities of joven, blancos (otherwise known as silvers),
reposados, añejos, and extra añejos. “Tequilas are often categorized into different types. Tequila blanco
is not aged and bottled after it’s distilled and is often used for cocktails,” Vazquez says. “But don’t get me
wrong, there are a lot of tequila blancos that have amazing qualities that make them great to drink by
itself.”

Toloache, the Mexican bistro in New York, boasts a vast tequila and mezcal list of more than 200.

“Reposados, depending on the company, are often rested from three to eleven months in different oak
barrels that have been used for wine, whiskey, Cognac, and more,” Vazquez continues. “This imparts
unique and different characteristics and flavor to each tequila. Añejos are typically aged from one to three
years in different oak barrels, allowing them to become smoother and develop more character and flavor.
These are usually used for sipping, so one can enjoy the flavors.”

Jorge Vazquez, the general manager of Toloache 50.
AÑEJOS
“For the añejos, this expression is more for a nice, relaxing night,” Vazquez says. “You can find so many
different flavors, aromas, and notes depending on the region they were crafted—like the oaky notes from
Gran Centenario Añejo or the elegant notes of the Tequila Ocho.”

Gran Centenario Añejo ($35)
“This 100 percent blue agave tequila is packed with floral, vanilla, and cinnamon notes from the 36-month
aging process in oak barrels—making it a really nice, smooth tequila. Great for an after-dinner drink.”

Don Julio Añejo ($61)
“Barrel-aged in small batches for 18 months, this tequila is rich and distinctive. I love the mandarin,
honey, berry, and spicy notes to it.”
Tequila Ocho Añejo ($55)
“Like the Clase Azul Reposado, this tequila is elegant and refined. The agaves used to make this tequila
are grown in gray clay soil and in full sunlight. It’s then aged for at least a year in used American whiskey
barrels. It has a lot of lavender, dried fruit, and citrus notes, making it a very interesting choice.”

Snooth’s Spirit of the Week is…

Tequilla Ocho 2016 Puerta del Aire Plata ($50): Tequilla Ocho Plata is
produced exclusively from Agave grown at Puerta del Aire. They’re the only
Tequila distiller producing Single Estate Tequila’s from specific vintages. The
village of Arandas where their Estate is located sits more than 6,500 feet above
sea level. They allow their Agave to age 7 years before harvesting. At that age
the piñas weigh between 42 and 100 kg. Their distiller Carlos Camarena is a
3rd generation Tequilero. He works alongside Tomas Estes who is the
Ambassador of Tequila to the European Union.

Along with a couple of other producers Ocho is participating in a bat friendly
pilot estate program. They allow a minimum of 5% of their agave to flower. It
takes until the 8th year for Blue Agave to produce these large single blooms.
Bats not only need these blooms but they also pollinate roughly 180 types of
Agave as well as other plants in Mexico. Once the Agave plant has bloomed it can no longer be used to
produce Tequila. So this is a commitment to the environment on their part that supersedes potential
dollars lost.

Quite frankly most Blanco or Plata Tequila is relatively uninteresting sipped neat. The vast majority of
them are intended for blending into cocktails. Ocho Plata will disabuse you of that notion. This is a
delicious, distinct and complex Plata. It’s a singular expression with depth to spare. Tangerine zest,
savory green herbs, limestone and a hint of banana are all part of the impressive aromatics. The palate is
loaded with brown sugar, peppercorn, dates, cinnamon, a dusting of cocoa, and hints of sage. The finish
here is long, lush and memorable with the above characteristics reverberating.

You could certainly use Tequilla Ocho 2016 Puerta del Aire Plata to make cocktails. It’s a super high
quality ingredient that will improve your Tequila based beverage exponentially. However it’s such a
specific and distinct expression that I believe it demands to be savored on its own. At most I’d put a hint
of a chill on it. Either way, enjoy this exceptional expression of a Tequila Plata.

The Secret To Good Tequila? Bats.

Regardless of your feelings about bats, you owe them a thank you. Without bats, there would be no
tequila. Just as you fuel your night on the agave spirit, bats fuel their night on agave nectar. The wild bat
population in Mexico is directly linked to the agave crop that produces tequila, which can only be made in
the states of Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas.

But thank those bats in northern Mexico now, because the relationship has seen some rough patches and
is anything but certain. Here’s everything you need to know about the relationship between bats and
tequila.

How bats help tequila producers

There are 138 species of bats in Mexico, and more than 180 species of agave. Tequila can only be made
with the blue agave species, while mezcal can be made with any species. In the wild, bats fly out to the
agave plants, drawn to the bugs and nectar. They drink from the agave flowers, simultaneously spreading
agave seeds.

The bats are the primary pollinators of agave. By feeding from plant to plant, bats promote genetic
diversity in new agave plants. It’s not the only way new agave sprouts, though. Agave can also sprout
through monocropping, or “bulbillo.”

Monocropping is when a single plant is harvested before it blooms. Sprouts grow from the root, and those
sprouts, which are genetically identical to the parent agave plant, are replanted. This results in more
tequila in the short term because the plants that are chosen to repopulate have more sugar and a larger
yield. Monocropping decreases the genetic diversity of agave, however, making it more susceptible to
disease.

Monocropping also decreases the bat population, since the bats no longer have flowers to feed on. That
drives the bats away, making monocropping one of the sole ways agave farmers have to grow more
plants.

The perilous future of bats and agave

Tequila demand doesn’t run on the bats’ schedule, though, which is why many producers turned to
monocropping to boost supply.

The negative impact that monocropping has on both tequila and bats is most clear in the case of the
lesser long-nosed bat in the 1980s and 1990s. Rows and rows of agave plants were planted using
monocropping. The lesser long-nosed bat population fell to less than 1,000 in 1988. Then, in the 1990s, a
fungus ate through the agave fields, causing a shortage that was exasperated by overproduction and
poor land management.

But there’s hope. Tequila Ocho and two other tequila makers are focusing on bat-friendly practices. The
companies allow at least five percent of the agave plants they own reach full maturity and flower.
Practices like Tequila Ocho’s have helped bring the lesser long-nosed bat population up to over 200,000.
Soon, the bat will be taken off the endangered species list.
As for the tequila-producing agave? Thankfully it’s a little more diverse, which means there’s less of a
chance your cup will run dry.

Seven Tequilas and Mezcals You Have to Try

By now you know that Cinco de Mayo isn't Mexican Independence Day, that not all tequila is created
equal, and that sipping it—or a smoky mezcal—is a much better way to celebrate Mexican heritage than
throwing back shots with salt and lime.
But with about 1,700 tequila brands to choose from, and a much smaller but growing number in the
mezcal category, how to find the right ones?
Tequila is a type of mezcal made from the blue agave plant and primarily made in the western state of
Jalisco. Mezcal, which can be made from any agave, mostly comes from further south, in Oaxaca. The
best tequilas and mezcals are still made sustainably and by hand, from harvest through bottling.
We asked experts for their favorite brands and bottles. Here are their picks, priced from around $50 to
$200 per 750-milliliter bottle and widely available in the U.S., unless otherwise noted.
Tequila Ocho

Tequila Ocho
Photographer: Bill Hogan/Chicago Tribune/MCT via Getty Images
Like many mezcals, Carlos Camarena's brand is driven by terroir—tequila, like wine, should taste of the
place it's from. Even though all tequila is made from blue agave, Camarena uses agave grown on
different estates in Jalisco, with each bottling reflecting that estate's particular climate and altitude.
Chantal Martineau, author of How the Gringos Stole Tequila, lists the brand as a favorite. The company
just released its 2016 vintage from the Puerta del Aire estate, its first from a bat-friendlypilot it's
participating in with two other distillers; bats are natural pollinators for agaves. The large-scale
operations use assexual reproduction, while the bat-friendly operations seek to rebuild the animal's
habitats.