FSR August 2022

LIQUID INTELLIGENCE

“It’s just scratching the surface.” Katsuji Tanabe shares Camacho’s enthusiasm. In addition to being the executive chef of newly opened a’Verde in Cary, North Carolina, Tanabe is also the curator of the restaurant’s tequila library. He says people love tequila for its versatility and complexity. Whether it’s mixed in a cocktail or served neat, the spirit's popularity has been aided by the many different ways restaurants can serve it, he adds. “It’s relaxing,” Tanabe says. “If you’re drinking it by itself, it’s great. The No. 1 drink in America is the margarita, and it’s great like that, too. When you’re hav ing tequila, you’re having a good time.” Tanabe, who moved to the U.S. from Mexico when he was 18, believes tequila is finally getting the respect it deserves. “I started going to nightclubs around 1999–2000, and that’s when I first really saw people drinking tequila,” he says, adding that the tequila back then was not of the same quality found today. “I think Mexico invested a lot into the region where tequila is made to help market it to the world. The same way people from France proudly say they are French and they drink champagne, now Mexicans can say, ‘I am Mexican, and I drink tequila.’” At a’Verde, guests can sip on a hand ful of tequila-based cocktails, like the So Basic, an elevated take on the margarita, featuring Espolon Blanco, orange liqueur, lime, Meyer lemon, and agave, as well as the Ghosted, with pink peppercorn– infused Lunazul, pisco, white vermouth, Dom Benedictine herbal liqueur, lemon, rosewater, and egg white. Tanabe thinks mixologists should also try giving classic cocktails a make over fronted by the agave spirit. “People have begun ordering tequila old fashioneds,” he says. “It works so well. We’re taking classic cocktails that didn’t belong to tequila, and now they’re tequila.” Perhaps what's most fulfilling for Tanabe is how tequila is now being respected as a pairing with food. “At my restaurant I want people to say, ‘My god, this particular tequila went really well with this dish.’”

TEQUILA PAIRS WELL WITH THE ELEVATED MEXICAN FARE (AND AMBIANCE) AT A'VERDE.

Star-Powered Spirits Celebrities are getting in on the tequila action with their own labels. Teremana // DWAYNE JOHNSON Casa del Sol // EVA LONGORIA 818 // KENDALL JENNER Dos Hombres Mezcal // BRYAN CRANSTON + AARON PAUL Villa One Tequila // NICK JONAS + JOHN VARVATOS Casamigos Tequila // GEORGE CLOONEY + RANDE GERBER Santa Mezquil // ADAM LEVINE + SAMMY HAGAR

ious tequilas and mezcals, allowing cus tomers to taste expensive and rare vari eties without breaking the bank. One option at Añejo is the Wild & Rare flight, which comes with specially produced mezcals like Pierde Almas Tobaziche. Camacho says serving tequila and mezcal in this form is good business for several reasons. First, it allows operators to move high-end products with a good ROI. Smaller servings priced accordingly can generate favorable margins, and, he says, as customers become more intrigued with top-shelf tequilas, this type of ser vice will become more commonplace. “You’re going to start seeing tequila as a high-end option in most places,” he says. Flights of tequila also serve as an edu cational opportunity. When customers come in and try a new brand or style, bartenders have the chance to steer cus tomers in the direction of new products and spark demand. For Camacho, the rise of tequila is just beginning. “We’re just getting peo ple to start looking at tequila,” he says.

FORREST MASON / ANEJO PHILLY

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FSRMAGAZINE.COM

AUGUST 2022