Accenting Tequila in Los Angeles

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Tequila is synonymous with Mexico.

After all, it can only be labeled as such if it is distilled from the fermented heart of the agave cactus, dug out of Tequila Valley near Guadalajara.

Now, roll this over your tongue: L.A.

It turns out that California accounts for 10 percent of worldwide tequila consumption, with much of that consumed right here, making Los Angeles the center of the U.S. tequila market.

What’s more, after years of being thought of as a shooter drink or margarita base, the spirit’s reputation has soared as a new generation of bartenders experiment with premium versions of the liquor at L.A.’s hot cocktail bars.

Javier Martinez, a former official with Mexico’s Tequila Regulatory Council whose family owns extensive agave plantations, is trying to seize on the phenomenon with PaQui, a pricey new tequila focusing on the California market.

Of course, all the production is done in Mexico, but importer Tequila Holdings Inc is based in Pasadena, and Martinez said the brand has quickly hit the top shelf at 250 local bars and restaurants since its September introduction.

“We think Los Angeles is the highest demand, highest concentration market for tequila in the world,” said Martinez, 46, who lives in Los Angeles. “We have targeted selective bars and restaurants.”

PaQui, which means “be happy” in the Aztec language, isn’t cheap; at $37 to $45 a bottle, it’s about two or three times the price of a standard Jose Cuervo Tequila Gold. But PaQui is the latest entry in a premium tequila market that has been exploding.

Introducing premium brands in the last year or two are Pernod Ricard, Bacardi and mass-market tequila maker Jose Cuervo, among others.

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