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Tradition Mexico – Tequila without compromises

The friends behind Padre azul, the new tequila in the premium segment, stand united on one matter: their passion for Mexico. “We appreciate high quality tequila, and with Padre azul we are bringing an exclusive product to Europe. We searched for the perfect distillery for a long time. At Tres Mujeres in Jalisco in the highlands of Mexico we found what we were looking for.” 100% Mexico – 100% handcraft – 100% agave.

These requirements and quality criteria apply to the whole production process, which is why each bottle also wears the sought-after quality seal from the Mexican authorities, “Consejo Regulador del Tequila” (CRT). There were no compromises when it came to the design of the bottles: they are made by hand and adorned with a 270g skull which represents the skull culture of Mexico.

Padre azul is available in three grades of maturity, depending on the length of storage. The Añejo usually spends eighteen months in French oak barrels to achieve a mature, full-bodied taste. The Reposado needs at least eight months in barrels for its subtle vanilla tone. The Blanco is a clear tequila which is bottled straight after distillation – it is soft and mild in taste. None of the three need salt or lemon – you can enjoy them neat. True to the motto: no compromises.

At the World Spirits Award, the trio was very successful: there was double gold for Super Premium Tequila Padre azul anejo, gold for Super Premium Tequila Padre azul reposado, and silver for Super Premium Tequila Padre azul blanco.

Mar Azul: Top tequila from Jalisco

Mar Azul Tequila is owned and run by Susana Sutton, who has given tequila a new look. The Mar Azul brand grew from the idea of producing an affordable premium tequila that met high international demands but would be based on a family recipe with natural ingredients, without artificial additives or sugar. More than a decade ago the vision began to take shape, in which every step from cultivation to bottling is strictly controlled by the family. The first agave fields were planted in Jalisco, the historical birthplace of tequila, with ideal conditions for the blue agave. Eight years later the first harvest took place, and thus began their dream of an excellent tequila.

The brand’s standards apply to the individual production steps as much as they do to the broad taste spectrum and innovative marketing, especially in terms of the imaginative bottle design. Only the ‘heart’ of the agave is boiled in stainless steel ovens (autoclaves), the distillate passes through an ultra-filtration process and a customised ageing process in white oak barrels from Kentucky. The product range includes traditional and flavoured tequila, with Añejo, Reposado and Blanco on one side, and coffee, almond, chocolate, banana, coconut, mint and pomegranate flavours on the other. These are sweetened with agave nectar, which further emphasises the unique taste.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Mar Azul Tequila Añejo, silver for Mar Azul Banana Tequila, Mar Azul 100% Agave Azul Chocolate, Mar Azul Tequila Pomegranate and Mar Azul Tequila Coconut.

Fallstein Destillerie: Modern traditionalists

“The sustainable handling of our resources and products is more than an alternative attitude to life – it is the pure spirit of the times that our family has been practising for nearly 200 years.” The organic enterprise on a listed farm in Rohrsheim in the Harzvorland region farms around 40 hectares of land in a variety of ways in accordance with natural land principles. Apart from crops and a five-hectare walnut plantation, there are also valuable meadow orchards with old fruit trees and bushes, whose harvest is especially suitable for being processed to distillates. The crops and fruit benefit from favourable climatic conditions and rolling slopes, as well as from the soil quality on the heat-retaining rock and minerals of the elevations between Elm and Harz. The homemade basic ingredients are used for high-quality delicatessen products such as various fruit spreads and edible oils, extracted by means of careful cold pressing – along with a variety of spirits.

Apart from the self-cultivated wheat, the clear water of the Harz springs is a significant component for an excellent mash. The ecologically cultivated botanicals, hand-picked according to family tradition, give the gin its special character during the distillation in a small batch procedure. When finding a name for organic quality whisky, Korn (grain schnapps) and gin, family tradition comes into play: they bear the first names of the founding father Carl Polland through to the youngest offspring Luca, Theo and Tom.

At the World Spirits Award, gold was awarded to TOMMYS Dry Gin (30 Botanicals), and silver to TOMMYS Barille New Western Dry Gin (32 Botanicals) and TOMMYS Craft Gin.