The show went for 1 hour and 40 minutes, but it seemed like 20 minutes to us (and to the viewers, we hope!). In that period of time, we compared Olmeca Altos using 100% stone-crushed agave with Olmeca Altos that used 100% shredded (“molino”) agave and the commercially available version of Olmeca Altos (80% shredder, 20% stone crushed.)

We also tasted Yeyo blanco, El Tesoro “white label” blanco, El Reformador blanco, a special version of Casa Noble gold single barrel that is 108-proof (!), and Fortaleza añejo (lot 12.) What a wonderful lineup!

You can watch the episode, and see our opinions on these brands, here:

Or, you can watch this video (and many more episodes) on the Tequila Whisperer site.

We also got to spend a chunk of time talking about Tequila Matchmaker, our new (free) mobile app.

Thanks, Lippy!

“It’s a basic play on a smash, which is a term that applies to anything that has muddled fruit or muddled herbs in it, kind of in a shaken format,” Stemmler said.

“We are calling this cocktail the “Heartland Smash” with Fortaleza tequila being the star of the show. With Fortaleza being right in the town of Tequila, which we like to call the heartland of Mexico, I think it’s an appropriate name for what we’re about to do,” he said.

The resulting drink is a balanced mix of fruit with a touch of wood from the reposado. The aromatics of the mint contribute to make this a really refreshing cocktail.

Drink Name: The Heartland Smash

Mixologist: Adam Stemmler, Blind Tiger Cocktail Company

Tequila Used: Fortaleza Reposado

Filmed At: Cafe Coyote, San Diego, CA

Directions:

1.) Add 5-6 small pieces of pineapple to a cocktail tin (shaker)

2.) Add 4-5 leaves of fresh mint

3.) Lightly muddle the pineapple and mint in the tin

4.) Add 1 1/2 ounces of Fortaleza Reposado tequila

5.) Add just under 1/2 ounce of Aperol

6.) Add about 1/2 ounce of agave nectar

7.) Squeeze half of a lemon into the tin

8.) Add a few dashes of Bar Keep Baked Apple Bitters to the tin

9.) Shake the cocktail vigorously

10.) Double fine strain the cocktail into a glass of crushed ice

11.) Add a little mint sprigs to the top for garnish

“A sazerac is the New Orleans version of a traditional Old Fashioned, which would normally use cognac or rye,” Haarstad said.

It’s a great cocktail for people who prefer to drink their tequilas neat, and it’s not a very difficult one to create at home.

“For this drink I use Fortaleza Añejo because the barrel-aged flavors and subtle butterscotch of the agave really shine through,” he said.

The finished cocktail has a nice strong citrus smell, with a rounded mouth feel. The añejo tequila really plays well with the citrus, and is absolutely delicious. We can easily see drinking this after dinner and really enjoying it.

Drink Name: Tequila Sazerac (Old Fashioned)

Mixologist: Dustin Haarstad, Blind Tiger Cocktail Company

Tequila Used: Fortaleza Añejo

Filmed At: Cafe Coyote, San Diego, CA

Directions:

1.) Start with a pint glass

2.) Add 2 ounces of Fortaleza Añejo tequila

3.) Add 1 ounce of agave nectar

4.) Add A few dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters

5.) Add ice and stir (don’t shake!)

6.) Spritz the inside of a glass with Absinthe

7.) Strain the cocktail into the spritzed glass

8.) Top off the glass with a bit of orange peel

]]> http://tastetequila.com/2012/tequila-sazerac-old-fashioned-drink-recipe/feed/ 1 http://tastetequila.com/2012/keeping-up-with-the-carthusians-a-tequila-cocktail-recipe/ http://tastetequila.com/2012/keeping-up-with-the-carthusians-a-tequila-cocktail-recipe/#comments Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:20:58 +0000 Grover http://tastetequila.com/?p=2533 We’re back with another installment of our “Tequila Mix Masters” series, with our special guest, rockstar mixologist Adam Stemmler of Blind Tiger Cocktail Company. “Keeping Up with the Carthusians” uses two very special ingredients: Casa Noble Crystal tequila, and Green Chartreuse.

“With this recipe, I get to work with two of my absolute favorite ingredients in the whole world,” Stemmler said. “One being tequila, and the other being Green Chartreuse, which is a really beautiful French cordial-style spirit that is infused with over 140 different types of botanicals and made by Carthusian monks.”

“I use Casa Noble Crystal tequila in this cocktail because it adds an abundance of bright citrus, good herbaceous notes, and a little bit of peppercorn. Those flavors are really going to make the Green Chartreuse pop in this cocktail,” he said.

As you’ll see from Scarlet’s reaction, this cocktail is really refreshing. It’s very bright with citrus and herbal flavors, and the Casa Noble Crystal tequila really helps to pull out those flavors. It’s a very easy-to-drink cocktail — you could have several of them in a row!

Drink Name: “Keeping Up with the Carthusians”

Mixologist: Adam Stemmler, Blind Tiger Cocktail Company

Tequila Used: Casa Noble Crystal

Filmed At: Cafe Coyote, San Diego, CA

Directions:

1.) Add 1 1/2 ounces of Casa Noble Crystal tequila to a mixing tin

2.) Add just under 1/2 ounce of Green Chartreuse to the tin

3.) Add a few drops of white spice fennel bitters (home made)

4.) Add 1 ounce of cocktail-ready agave nectar

5.) Add the juice of 1/2 of a lime (fresh squeezed)

6.) Shake!

7.) Pour into a Collins glass with ice and lime wheels

8.) Add orange peel for garnish, and serve

Within the last few years, this well-known tequila brand has gone through some changes. The brand was purchased by Campari/Skyy, the bottle design was changed, and the tequila inside is slightly different.

So which is better? Watch the video to find out!

But I am pleased to say that after the blind taste test, Clayton and I agreed.

- Grover