Читать книгу Tequila Made Me Do It: 60 tantalising tequila and mezcal cocktails - Ruby Taylor - Страница 6
ОглавлениеIt only took one sip, and the world was smitten. Mexico, the land that not only gave us mariachis, chocolate, chilaquiles and chapulines, also gave the world the gift of agave. Most people have heard of tequila, but mezcal and bacanora are also among the now Protected Designations of Origin that exist within the Mexican territory. With a history spanning over 400 years, agave spirits, once an obscure category within the realm of alcohol, have now become the talk of the town in a globalised world thirsty for adventure and craft.
For decades, people have associated tequila with a raucous weekend in Cabo, and mezcal with a creepy crawler at the bottom of the bottle. These associations created an unpopular image of agave spirits that did a huge disservice to the intricate process and sophistication behind the distillation of the agave plant. Today, thanks to an increased awareness of the individuality and craft behind the products we consume, the world has embarked on a journey through Mexico and its spirits. Tequila and mezcal have fought an arduous battle to gain the recognition they now have from some of the top bartenders and drinks experts around the world. These spirits take us back to the traditional roots and folklore of Mexican culture. Beyond simply becoming a trend, they have managed to maintain their traditional character and to establish themselves as a distinct and respected category within the world of spirits.
From the Classic Margarita (see here) to the Disco & Vine (see here), tequila and mezcal shine from centre stage in both classic staples and innovative creations garnered from swanky cocktail bars and old-school cantinas across the globe. Sipped neat, paired with a playful Sangrita (see here) or shaken in a classic cocktail, the character and notes of agave, ranging from fruity and vegetal to spicy and floral, will captivate even the most sceptical drinker. It can be intimidating to venture into a seemingly foreign world of drinks that has the added stigma of being shot back with lime and salt. However, once you take the plunge into the world of agave, you will find the complexity and superiority that reigns behind every sip. Tequila Made Me Do It invites you to let go, relax and enjoy a journey through Mexico, along the shimmering Pacific Acapulco Riviera, through the buzzing rush of Mexico City streets, all the way to a sea of blue agave fields in the highlands of Jalisco. With a Margarita in one hand and this book in the other, take a sip, sit back and enjoy the ride.
THE LEGEND OF MAYAHUEL
Mayahuel was the goddess of maguey, the agave plant family, within the Nahuatl creation story. Legend says that she was one of the tzitzimime, or spirits, that lived as stars in the sky, alongside her grandmother Tzitzimitl (Celestial Demon of Darkness that blocks the sun from shining). It was said that when Earth was created and the gods gave men all the crops and sustenance they needed, they realised that it was simply not enough. Something was missing that would create joy in their hearts and spark their passions.
It was then that Quetzalcoatl (God of the Wind and Feathered Serpent) searched the heavens for Mayahuel, to return her to Earth to find a solution for making men happy. After escaping from her guardian grandmother, the goddess Mayahuel and Quetzalcoatl fell in love on their way back to Earth. When her grandmother realised that Mayahuel was gone, she and the other tzitzimime chased Mayahuel. As soon as they reached Earth, the couple attempted to hide, transforming themselves into a tree with two single branches. The tzitzimime destroyed the branch of Mayahuel, shredding her to pieces and leaving the branch of Quetzalcoatl intact. The inconsolable god picked up the pieces of his beloved and buried them in a nearby field. From her remains, a beautiful plant with large, pointed leaves eventually emerged. This is the maguey, from which, when its trunk is scraped, a sweet liquid flows. When fermented, that liquid becomes becomes octli, or pulque.
That was how, tragically, the mission was accomplished. The two gods managed to awaken the joy in men, but at great personal cost. Represented as a young woman with multiple breasts from which the aguamiel, or honey water, flows, Mayahuel feeds the Centzon Totochtin, or 400 Rabbits, gods of drunkenness and pulque. The cult to Mayahuel has come to be associated with fertility, Earth and the plant world.
A NOBLE PLANT
Agave (n.) From Greek agauos ‘noble, illustrious’
It is no coincidence that the taxonomical name for this genus of plants stems from the Greek word for nobility. In Mexico, referred to locally as maguey, agave plants are scattered throughout the Mexican landscape, from the northwestern state of Sonora all the way down to the southeastern Yucatan Peninsula. Food, drink, medicine, fuel, fibres, fertiliser and the construction of homes are just some of the things this plant was used for by the early settlers of Mesoamerica, and the use of agave in cooking and fibres persists in Mexico to this day.
As a key part of the survival and establishment of these tribes, Mexico became the centre for domestication and diversification of agave plants. Varietals were selected for their fibres, their aguamiel (honey water) or for the high sugar content provided after the hearts were cooked. As a result, agaves have their highest concentration of varietals in Mexico. Of the more than 200 species of agaves known to exist in the Americas, more than 150 of them are found in Mexico, and 129 – or 69 per cent – are exclusive to Mexico. This makes them one of the most conspicuous symbols of the Mexican territory. Found mostly in arid and semi-arid regions of Mexico, agaves can be seen in more than 75 per cent of the country’s landscape and have the capacity to adapt to the most unfavourable conditions, including long periods of drought and high temperatures.
One of the most remarkable aspects of agaves is their age. The larger species can reach their maturity between 10 and 25 years, while smaller species can grow up to four and five years. This often-overlooked characteristic of agaves is what makes tequila and mezcal production so unique and rare. While other neutral spirits acquire flavour and character from being aged for years in wooden barrels, agave spirits acquire these characteristics from years of the plants remaining in the fields, absorbing properties from the soil and energy from the moon and sun, giving rise to the term reposado en campo, or aged in fields.
FROM MEXICO WITH LOVE
Protected designations of origin
A designation of origin is the differentiator used to recognise products that have originated from a specific region, whose quality and characteristics pertain to the environment in which they were developed. Mexico proudly boasts 14 protected designations of origin, which include spirits such as tequila, mezcal, bacanora, sotol and charanda.
Not only are these designations intended to preserve the tradition and production processes that make each product unique, they also protect the integrity and quality, by making it impossible to be replicated outside of their designated regions. Protected designations of origin exist all over the world. In Mexico, they are protected and governed by the Law of Industrial Property, but some of the PDOs are also recognised and protected worldwide by the Lisbon Agreement, of which Mexico has been a member since 1958. The first Mexican PDO recognised by the Lisbon Agreement, and one of the most emblematic, was tequila in the year 1974.
