Tequila Tasting Event in SF: The Drama, Politics, and Bloodshed of Tequila’s History

Calling all tequila lovers — we are holding a tasting event next Tuesday, January 12th at 8pm at Cava22, a tequila lounge in the Mission District of San Francisco.

This should be a really interesting event because we are tasting a tequila that cannot legally be called “tequila”. The brand is Los Osuna, and they have to call it an “agave spirit.” Although it’s made in Mexico exactly like tequila (it really is tequila) the brand can’t legally call it that because it’s made in Sinaloa, which is outside of the officially recognized tequila-producing region.

Of course, it wasn’t always that way. Los Osuna had to stop using the word “tequila” to describe their product in the early 1970s, when drama, politics, and bloodshed over tequila taxes resulted in the state of Jalisco being the only region permitted to create “tequila.”

This tasting event is a great opportunity to learn more about the history of tequila, since Los Osuna has been made for generations using traditional methods.

We will be sampling the Los Osuna Blanco, Reposado (although they can’t legally call it that, either) and the Añejo.

The blanco has a nice citrus flavor, and the reposado is aged 10 months, giving it an oaky edge. The añejo is aged a full 18 months and has a deep cognac-like flavor from the whiskey barrels used to age it.

We had Jesus Padilla, a member of the Los Osuna family, over to our house the other day. Padilla is in charge of distribution and marketing for Los Osuna in the United States. We pointed a video camera at him as he told us a little more about the rich history of the brand, the fascinating history of tequila, and his plans for conquering the U.S. market with this interesting product.

Padilla will be available for in-person questions at the tasting event on January 12th.

Those interested in attending must register because space is limited.