Spirits Move Me

Raise your glass and understand the allure of tequila and why it’s become the drink du jour for many

- Isabel Martel Francisco

As one of the most regulated spirits globally, tequila has gained increasing popularity in recent years. Tequila is the first product to receive a denomination of origin outside Europe!

Co-founder of COA in Hong Kong (Asia’s Best Bar 2021), Jay Khan has passionately been educating the market on 100 per cent agave tequila and traditional mezcal, helping put these spirits on the map in Southeast Asia.

“One special characteristic about both tequila and mezcal is the amount of time to make them. Just the raw ingredient for tequila [blue agave] takes six to eight years to mature before it is ready to harvest,” he remarks, underscoring the delicacy and nuances attributed to the production process of what is often called one of the least understood spirits”. He adds that “[they are] very terroir-driven, just like wine”.

Region and terroir are critical to the natural materials and the name for each of these spirits. However, remember that all tequilas are mezcal, but not all mezcals are tequilas.