Tapatio Tequila

'Spirits chasers' who are always after the latest and greatest releases as well as the more esoteric, would almost be disappointed to know that Tapatio has been floating around Mexican bars for about 75 years and already enjoys a strong following in its country of origin. Outside of Mexico is another story. Until recently, the brand was not even obtainable north of the Mexican border, at least not by legal channels (it only debuted in the US in 2012.) The family owned distillery behind the brand, "La Altena", preferenced the promotion of another of their Tequilas,"El Tesoro" for overseas markets, but thankfully Chief Distiller, Carlos Camarena, finally succumbed to the pressure to release the Tapatio tequilas to faithfuls around the world. Some of these were no doubt introduced to its charms on a Mexican bender from Juarez to Tapachula. Many others probably fell in love with the drink from a single shot and became instant converts.

The arrival of Tapatio Tequilas in Australia is a welcome one, as from a production point of view, this is as traditional as you will get: 100% estate grown agave, brick ovens, wooden vats and copper stills make La Altena one of the last bastions of old school tequila, resulting in a drink of character rather than a mass produced commodity tailored for the 'senoritas in sombreros' segment - even though some would say there is nothing wrong with that, we know where we stand when we're looking for a true Mexican delight!