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There are many plant substances throughout the world that have healing qualities. Researchers at the University of Guadalajara have used the blue agave plant in recent studies as noted by the Natural Standard:

Compounds derived from the blue agave fruit, which is used to make the popular hard liquor tequila, may help deliver drugs to the colon to treat colon diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease) and cancer, a new study reports.Researchers from the University of Guadalajara in Mexcio explained that drug delivery to the colon is an ongoing challenge to physicians. Stomach acids destroy many drugs before they have had a chance to reach the intestine, where they usually are absorbed. According to the authors of this study, researchers have tried to circumvent this problem by inserting the drugs into carrier molecules that resist breakdown in the stomach. However, they have had difficulty finding a suitable carrier compound.

Scientists developed the fructans, a class of polysaccharides, into tiny microspheres capable of carrying existing drugs that are used to treat colon diseases. Researchers suggested that the compounds may allow more of the drugs to reach the colon intact and improve their effectiveness because the compounds resist destruction in the stomach.

Fructans, which are polymers of fructose, are resistant to acid degradation and may be a useful drug delivery vehicle. But only a few plant sources, such as agave, contain fructans in large amounts. According to researchers, fructans make up 80 percent of a ripe agave fruit’s weight.

The scientists extracted fructans from the blue agave, the base ingredient of tequila. They chemically modified the fructan compound to allow drugs to be encapsulated, making the drugs resistant to degradation in the digestive system.

The researchers suggested that if further studies show promise, human studies of the agave microspheres are anticipated. The Mexican National Science and Technology Council provided funding for the study.

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Tequila Bread Pudding with Tequila Butter Sauce
Custard
2 cups whole milk
2 eggs
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup triple sec or Grand Marnier
2 tablespoons premium tequila

4 cups chiabatta or rustic bread - crust removed
1/3 cup raisins (optional)

Pre heat oven to 350

Whisk together all custard ingredients and pour over bread and raisins. Toss bread and custard until bread has absorbed the custard. (If the mixture looks too dry add a little more milk) Add mixture to a buttered casserole and dot the top of the pudding with small chunks of butter (a tablespoon or two should do.)

Put the casserole pan in to a baking pan and fill the baking pan with enough HOT water to go halfway up the side of the bread pudding casserole - making a water bath. (DO NOT add water to the bread pudding)

Cover the pudding with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until pudding is set and top is golden.

Tequila Butter Sauce

3/4 stick butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar (confectioner’s sugar)
1/4 cup premium tequila

Melt 3/4 stick of butter in a sauce pan and add 3/4 cup of confectioners sugar. Whisk butter and sugar till smooth over medium heat. Take pan OFF the fire (unless you want to flambé) and add in a 1/4 cup premium tequila. Adjust sugar and tequila to taste.

Serve bread pudding with plenty of sauce over top

Enjoy

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Trago, meaning “sip” in Spanish is an ultra premium tequila that is produced in Central Mexico.  It is distilled at  Los Alambiques by Felipe Camarena, whose family has been producing tequila there for over 100 years.   The Trago Reposado took a coveted silver medal at the 2007 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
The Spirit Journal has this review:

Trago Reposado 100% de Agave Tequila
40% abv, $50.
The pale straw/gray tint shines in the glass and reminds me of manzanilla sherry; excellent clarity. The aroma is fruity (pears, in particular), slightly baked/toasty, leathery, and dry; seven more minutes of air contact bring out nuances of chalk, pickle brine, dill, and butter cream; a complex and compelling bouquet. Entry is classy, moderately sweet in an oaky/vanilla manner, and still keenly toasty; the flavor profile at midpalate is creamy, concentrated, rich in texture, yet still peppery/spicy, earthy and fruity. Ends on notes of sweet oak, vanilla bean, honey, orange peel, and jalapeño pepper. Absolutely lovely, yet retains a definite touch of the wild.

This tequila is highly recommended

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Are you a big fan of tequila and need an excuse to jet to Mexico next month? Tequila.net is sponsoring the first annual Agave Spirits Challenge in Cancun, Mexico, February 2nd - 9th at the Royal Resorts – Club International de Cancun – www.RoyalResorts.com

The AGAVE Spirits Challenge is a tasting competition open to the Spirits of Mexico, including Tequila, Mezcal, Sotol, Destilado de Agave, Raicilla, and Bacanora. The event will be held in Cancun, Mexico at the Royal Resorts - Club International and Hacienda Sisal Mexican Grill.

Darin Jones, owner of TEQUILA.net will be hosting the AGAVE Spirits Challenge, which will include blind-tasting reviews on all entries, real-time Internet ratings, and a bottle / packaging design competition. Judges representing both Mexico and the United States will be present at this invitation only event.

Event judges currently include: William M. Dowd, spirit professional and columnist for the New York Times, Ricardo Cisneros, Master Tequilier of Mexico, Mark Cannon, Agave spirit aficionado, and Joseph Horrigan, tasting educator and aficionado. Additional judges will be added based on the amount of entries.

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Did you know that India has become a consumer of tequila?  India is estimated to consume 10,000 cases of tequila annually, and those figures are climbing every year.

Read more form a story in The Economic Times:

Brown-Forman, the maker of Jack Daniel’s whisky, plans to give the minuscule but high-potential Indian tequila market a shot by introducing a range of premium tequilas here. Tequila brands Herradura and El Jimador, owned by Mexican major Casa Herradura, which Brown-Forman acquired as part of a $776-million global buyout in January this year, will be brought to India by the fourth quarter of the current year. To begin with, these brands will be rolled out in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.

Commenting on the prospects of the tequila market in India, Brown-Forman’s area director & vice-president (South-Asia) Amrit Kiran Singh said: “Tequila is a small but growing market in India. It is picking up, especially in places such as premium night clubs.”

India’s tequila consumption is estimated at just around 10,000 cases annually, but is registering a volume growth of over 50% year-on-year.

It is interesting to see that great tequila is becoming popular with people from all over the world.  I hope a global love of tequila doesnt drive up prices here.

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The purple gradient shaded bottle with the wild haired Jimi Hendrix on front looked like a gimmick at first glance.  But there is more to this new vodka than a rocking bottle.

Jimi Hendrix Electric vodka is a premium-handcrafted vodka from Idaho that is made of corn and rye from Idaho and Utah.  It is also made from rocky mountain spring water, which would make it a tri-state collaboration.

This vodka is distilled 4 times for ultimate smoothness.  The goal was to make an ultra pure vodka, so they also filtered it through carbon and crystal for killer flavor and top purity.

The owners of this brand include Jimi Hendrix’s brother Leon, and his drummer, Buddy Miles. Next in the product line is Hendrix Electric Tequila, but no release date is set yet.

Try one of Hendrix Electric Vodka Signature Recipes:

Purple Haze
1-1/2 oz Hendrix Electric Vodka
1/2 oz Bols Bohemian Black Raspberry Liquor
Splash of Pineapple Juice
Shake and strain
Garnish with kiwi slice

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I have heard of it, but not tried it until the other day. Sangrita.

I never felt the need to “chase” my tequila, probably cause I prefer to sip rather than shoot - but what the heck - I’m up for anything.

On paper, or recipe for that matter, sangrita doesnt sound so hot. Tomatoes, orange juice, limes, onion, cayenne pepper…but it is in fact a great flavor blend that goes nicely with tequila.

This concoction was invented to counteract the heat of tequila, and became somewhat of a tradition so I’m told.

I tried a ready-made mix called Tapatia Sangrita

Its blend is a mix of contrasts-the blending of the spicy with the mild. Chilies and peppers are offset by tomatoes, orange juice, and grenadine. It enhances the tequila drinker’s experience by adding both coolness and spice to balance the strong liquor.

I also found a recipe for those who want to try at home:

This is from Recipezaar.com

6 medium tomatoes, peeled and seeded

3 oranges, juice of

2 limes, juice of

small white onion, chopped

1 teaspoon sugar and salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

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According to a report in Fool.com, Nielsen Scantrack & LiquorTrack data reported a12.5% increase in tequila sales 2006, which was the largest growth in any alcoholic beverage. Could tequila be worth investing in?

The most popular tequilas by sales are Jose Cuervo, which is distributed by Diageo (NYSE: DEO), Sauza from Fortune Brands (NYSE: FO), and Brown-Forman’s (NYSE: BF.A) recently acquired Casa Herradura. Other distributors have tequilas, though they may not be as well known. Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ) sells three different types under the labels of Montezuma, El Toro, and Capitan. Apparently, a reference to something Mexican is important in marketing your tequila.

So many brands, so little time
For my money, the one to watch here will be Motley Fool Income Investor recommendation Diageo. Jose Cuervo had a market share of 43% in 2005, according to Impact Databank, and it’s also been one of the first to market with brand extensions like flavored tequilas, which allows for greater sampling of the liquor. Cuervo has also brought out new and innovative marketing campaigns. For example, it has partnered with Spanish TV giant Telemundo to film a telenovela — a Spanish-language soap opera — on the grounds of its distillery. While Sauza will also be featured, it exposes both brands to large numbers of Hispanics who watch these shows not only in Mexico and Latin America, but also throughout much of the U.S. Cuervo also runs a number of tequila bars called Taberna del Tequila that are set up in airports around the country and run in conjunction with HMSHost. Jose Cuervo, through Diageo, is a market leader in many ways besides sales.

While Diageo sells at a slight premium to both Fortune Brands and Constellation, it is discounted against Brown-Forman. It has a tough-to-beat distribution network similar to the exclusivity enjoyed by Anheuser-Busch (NYSE: BUD), owns a portfolio of “global priority brands” including Smirnoff vodka, Captain Morgan’s rum, and Bailey’s Irish cream, and continues to enjoy growth both here and abroad.

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Im always looking for new ways of adding tequila to my culinary repertoire.I host dinner parties regularly, and after dinner drinks inevitably end up being tequila. I have thus tried to incorporate tequila in to several of my desserts (mezcal bread pudding is a house specialty). I came across another winner that uses some of my favorite things, tequila and pineapple.Not only is this a delicious dessert, its also relatively light. Even better, its flambeed!

Pina al Fuego

8 slices of Pineapple
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp butter
4 ounces premium reposado or anejo tequila
High quality vanilla ice cream

Coat the pineapple slices with brown sugar.Melt butter in a saute pan, add pineapple slices and remaining sugar and allow them to cook to a golden brown on both sides.Pour tequila over the pineapple and ignite (careful if you havent done this before).Let liquid boil down for a few minute and serve over vanilla ice cream.
Serves 2-4.

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I recently had the pleasure of tasting Oro Azul tequila. I was expecting it to be good, but I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was.Oro Azul offers a Reposado, Anejo, and Blanco.

I especially enjoyed the Anejo for its super pure tequila flavor.It is aged in charred oak barrels, and exhibits flavors of roasted fruit and toasted nuts. Oro Azul Anejo has received a gold medal and a 91 point score from the Beverage Tasting Institute.

The Reposado is a medium bodied spirit with undertones of caramel and spice, and got a 93 point score and gold medal from the Beverage Tasting Institute.The Blanco is nice and smooth with vanilla aromas and received an 89 point score.

This tequila is only distributed in 20 states as of now, but check out their website for updates and news oroazultequila.com

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