National Tequila Day 2023

Agave Spirits: Tequila-ish Booze Made Right Here in Texas

BY JENNIFER BOVEE

Tequila connoisseurs will tell you that tequila is only tequila if made in the city of Tequila in the central-western Mexican state

of Jalisco. Except for distillers who import tequila and finish it in special barrels, anything else distilled from an agave plant in America is an “agave spirit.” At the Weekly, we like to #KeepItLocal as often as possible, so I’ve compiled a list of agave spirits for your consideration this National Tequila Day (Monday), two of which are from North Texas.

1.) Named for the open-air market on the North Side, La Pulga Spirits (5300 Pershing Av, Fort Worth, 817-330-4267) was founded by market owner Andrew De La Torre, Sarah Castillo (Taco Heads, Tinies), and real estate developer Stephen Slaughter, all Fort Worth natives. These spirits are hand-crafted with no additives, coloring, or concentrates, “just the heart of blue agave and the soul of the land,” and made using traditional methods. To find where these products are sold, visit LaPulga.com and click “Find La Pulga.” It’s worth noting that this is the only agave spirit made in Fort Worth.

2.) Originally known as Witherspoon Distillery, BENDT Distilling Co. (225 S Charles St, Lewisville, 214-814-0545) has been creating whiskey and bottled cocktails since 2012. BENDT experiments with other spirits, including agave, brandy, gin, rum, and more, through its Old Town Spirits line, available only at the distillery. BENDT makes its Texas Agave Spirit on a special, seasonal basis, using pure Mexican agave syrup, and describes it as “earthy and vegetal.” The distillery recommends sipping it neat with a splash of lime or used in your favorite margarita. Check out the facilities 6pm-10pm Sat at BENDT’s 11th-anniversary party. There is no cost to attend, but you will need reservations via BENDTDistillingCo.com.

3.) In a border town along the Rio Grande River in South Texas, Ancestral Crafts Spirits (702 Portscheller St, Roma, 956-8443048) is making three distinct agave spirits from secret recipes that have been in the family since 1742. The number in the names indicates the years the spirit was aged. Blasfemus 7 offers a woody sweetness derived from smoky agave with hints of cinnamon and blackberry. Blasfemus 11 has coconut and vanilla notes, and Blasfemus 17 has an exotic spice flavor, floral notes, and bittersweet agave finish. The products are not available for purchase at retailers yet, so keep an eye on Instagram.com/BlasfemusTexas for updates on tasting events.

4.) In the Hill Country town of Fredericksburg, Iron Goat Distillery (830-307-4357, @IronGoatDistillery) is making a variety of specialty rums and spirits, including the Iron Goat Agave Spirit. Tastings are by appointment, but you can also buy bottles at Total Wine & More in Austin and San Antonio.

5.) Named for the Coastal Bend legend of the Lechuza Witch, who haunts the night and lures men with her evil charms in South Texas, La Lechuza Agave Spirit is twice distilled from 100% blue agave. It is slightly sweet with notes of citrus lime and a hint of salt. La Lechuza purchases the agave nectar in the Rio Grande Valley, then distills and bottles it at Coastal Bend Distilling (201 N Madison Av, Beeville, 361-492-5846), just north of Corpus Christi. There are two batches to choose from, each made with a different type of yeast during fermentation. Batch No 1. is smooth, and 750ml bottles are $70. Batch No 2 is more like tequila, and bottles are $55. For now, bottles can be purchased only onsite in the Coastal Bend Tasting Room. For updates on future retail availability, visit CoastalBendDistillingCo.com.

6.) Founded in 2006 by Kelly and Matthew Railean, Railean Distillery (341 5th St, San Leon, 713-545-2742) was Texas’ first legal rum distillery. Located in an area south of Houston which calls itself “a small drinking community with a large fishing problem,” Railean offers locals and tourists hand-crafted spirits and cocktails to enjoy at home or in the distillery’s Caribbean-vibe atmosphere. (Think: pirates.) Along with the rum, vodka, and whiskey already in production, agave spirits were added in 2009, making Railean the first Texas distillery to do so. Options include the basic Railean Blue Agave Silver and two premium spirits that have been aged longer, including the Railean Blue Agave Reposado (aged 10 months) and the Railean Blue Agave Anejo (aged three years). For more info, visit Railean.com.

7.) The folks at Maverick Distillery (115 Broadway, San Antonio, 210-447-7010) are bottling Samuel Maverick Agave Blanco, which is distilled from 100% blue agave nectar. The distillery says this spirit has “a nose of dry white wine, apple blossom, and white pepper, with a palate reminiscent of green fruit and honeysuckle.” The 750ml bottles are priced at $40 and can be shipped from MaverickWhiskey.com/Spirits. It’s also available at area Spec’s locations and Crockett Street Bottle Shop (2805 Crockett St, Fort Worth, 817-585-1555).

8.) Right outside of Austin, Leanderthal Distilling (11894 Hero Way West, Leandor, 512-697-9127) is producing its TexAgave Blue Agave Spirit, which can be purchased at two Spec’s locations in Austin or at the distillery. Hand-crafted and the perfect complement to any margarita flavor as it’s not overpowering, the spirit, Spec’s says, also has “tropical notes of coconut and vanilla riding on a foundation of roasted agave, the pleasantly mild aroma and flavor [giving] way to a firm but smooth finish.” North Texans make a lot of trips back and forth to Austin, so a distillery tour may be in order next time. Check out their upcoming events at Facebook.com/LeanderthalDistilling.

By Jennifer Bovee

Try the only agave spirit made in Fort Worth at La Pulga.

Courtesy La Pulga Spirits

The exhibition is organized by the The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Kimbell Art Museum. It is supported in part by the William and Catherine Bryce Memorial Fund, the Texas Commission on the Arts, and the Fort Worth Tourism Public Improvement District. Promotional support provided by

SCREEN

Barb and the Real Girl

Think pink when you see this heady deluxe Barbie movie.

BY KRISTIAN LIN

Maybe you saw the trailers for Barbie and, like me, you wondered just what this thing is. I’ve seen the movie now, and oh, let me tell you. Greta Gerwig’s film treatment does more than just acknowledge all the good and bad things that Barbie dolls have represented over the decades. It’s a whole-ass philosophical statement about being a woman in present-day society. The soundtrack features György Ligeti, Indigo Girls, and Billie Eilish, and the movie overflows with dance numbers and sets that feature more pink than you’ve ever seen in one place. It is likely the strangest Hollywood blockbuster you’ll see this year, and like The Lego Movie, it’s much more than the crass corporate product you might expect.

The film is set in Barbie Land, where most of the female dolls are named Barbie and all the male dolls are named Ken except for one named Allan (Michael Cera) — he’s confused, and so am I. Life is perfect for our Barbie (Margot Robbie) until her feet suddenly become flat unlike the other Barbies’ and she brings a dance party to a screaming halt by blurting out a random thought about death. She visits Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon), a doll whose hair has been burnt off and whose face is covered in permanent marker from her owner’s rough play. She counsels Barbie to visit our reality, find the girl who owns the

doll version of her, and set her mind right. Otherwise, Barbie will start getting cellulite on her thighs.

Perhaps if I’d spent my childhood playing with Barbies, I might find the look of Barbie Land more familiar. As it is, the sight of a street full of life-size Barbie Dream Houses and surfaced with pink pavement is fairly mind-blowing. Gerwig and production designer Sarah Greenwood create a beachside town where the ocean waves are solid plastic like everything else. The commitment to Barbie-ness is absolute: No water comes out when she takes a shower, and she drives around in her convertible without looking at the road or touching the steering wheel. My favorite bit is in the real world, where Mattel’s designers toil away in doorless office cubicles that they can’t leave. The visuals are a big reason why the first part of the film feels like it’s shot from a cannon.

The same level of imagination applies to the story by Gerwig and her partner and fellow filmmaker, Noah Baumbach. Ken (Ryan Gosling) follows Barbie into our reality, sees men

running everything, and decides he’s tired of being a second-class citizen in his own world. He introduces the patriarchy into Barbie Land, and suddenly our blonde fashion-plate heroine has to save her own home, where the other Barbies have eagerly given up being doctors and astronauts to stand around in revealing outfits and hand their Kens beers. The Kens quickly move to rewrite the laws to marginalize the Barbies — sound familiar? Equally recognizable is Mattel’s CEO (Will Ferrell), a corporate self-proclaimed ally whose feminism runs shallow. “I’m the son of a mother, and the mother of a son,” he declares.

Gosling plays dumb here for once, and he does it really well, while Simu Liu plays effectively in the same vein as a fellow Ken who makes Ken jealous. Even so, no one steals this away from Robbie and her perfectly pitched comic turn. She walks in that overly precise way that you would imagine Barbie walking, and then later an existential crisis makes her sit on the fake grass and fall over sideways just like a doll would. Robbie frequently keeps that Barbie smile plastered on her face, but

you can feel the terror of someone experiencing self-awareness for the first time. This might just be the performance of her career. The storytelling turns clunky when the Barbies band together to take Barbie Land back. The all-male cadre of Mattel executives is a comic opportunity missed, too. Then again, the loose ends seem to fit a movie that’s all about the messiness of being a woman (and a man, too, for that matter). Barbie rescuing Ken from toxic masculinity is done as well as we could hope for, and when she meets Ruth Handler (Rhea Perlman), the real-life creator of Barbie dolls, Gerwig makes it feel like a spiritual encounter. The final line, too, is fantastic on a number of levels. If you think that a film this girly can’t also be thoughtful and complex, behold Barbie. After this, I know I’ll never look at a Barbie doll the same way again. l

There’s more to Barbie than just a send-up of corporate culture.

Photo by Jaap Buitendijk

Barbie Starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. Directed by Greta Gerwig. Written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach. Rated PG-13.

DRINKING LOCAL

Promotional Feature

Along with the agave-based brands featured in this week’s Ate Day8 column on page 5, there are also events happening all around North Texas for Nation-

al Tequila Day with, you know, actual Tequila from Tequila, Mexico. Here are a few.

With Blue Mesa (612 Carroll St, Fort Worth, 817-332-6372) being closed on

Mondays, the tequila celebration will be 11am-10pm Fri-Sat and 10am-5pm Sun this year. Top Shelf Margaritas are only $5.

For those headed to Chuy’s (2401 W 7th St, Ste 110, Fort Worth, 817-332-2489)

in person on Monday, take advantage of the $5 top-shelf Tequila shots and $1 Tequila floaters all day, plus $5 chips-anddips 3pm-6pm. If you are celebrating at home, you might want to check out the Tex-Mex meal kits at Order.Chuys.com.

The celebration at Texas Republic Bar & Kitchen Fort Worth (945 Foch St, Fort Worth, 817-887-9797) on Monday includes $1 margaritas 4pm-5pm, $3 street tacos until 9pm, $3 tequila shots until 11pm, and $7 Casamigos until 11pm. If you feel like treating yourself to bottle service, Casamigos Blanco is available for $200.

Legacy Food Hall (7800 Windrose Av, Plano, 972-846-4255) is offering $6 shots and margaritas 9am-10pm Mon. In related-but-unrelated news, 90s country tribute band, Straight Tequila Night, is playing there on Sat, Aug 5.

If you’re up for a little staycation adventure and love golf, Omni PGA Frisco Resort (3255 PGA Pkwy, Frisco, 469305-4500) invites you to attend its Tequila & Tacos event 6pm-8:30pm Mon. This will be a walk-around cocktail tasting featuring products from Casamigos. Event tickets are $50 on Eventbrite. com.

If you’d like to spend the night, I’m sure you can get a room for super cheap. Because that’s how golf works, right?

Mmm, tequila!

Courtesy iStock

EATS & drinks

Lil’ Swanky, Lil’ Skanky

New gay bar Jackie O’s serves up classic cocktails, an outdoor patio, and a *gulp* mystery sex toy vending machine.

BY EDWARD BROWN

There’s no shortage of queer-friendly joints on the Near Southside, but Fort Worth’s number of self-identifying gay bars (Club Changes, Club Reflections, Liberty Lounge, Urban Cowboy Saloon) is relatively small for a city boasting nearly 1 million inhabitants.

Cody Neathery, a Weekly contributing writer and the part-owner of a handful of watering holes across North Texas, told me he’s been considering opening a gay bar in Fort Worth for a few years. He just needed

the right space. The recent shuttering of High Top Pub & Grub, situated between Reflections and Liberty off Jennings on the Near Southside, was his chance. After weeks of logistical delays, Jackie O’s opened just recently. The spot is hard to pigeonhole. Part swanky cocktail lounge and part lowkey neighborhood pub, the space decked out in late-1950s and early-’60s decor welcomes folks dressed up or down.

The establishment’s patron saint of sorts, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, looks down on customers from her portrait high atop the ornate liquor cabinet. The famed First Lady, known for her style and grace, is not a major icon of the gay community, yet the symbolism works here. Fort Worth’s queer community is every bit as resilient as she was, the mother who maintained both poise while married to a philandering husband and her dignity as a widow. Neathery said it was for those reasons he homed in on her and because of the First Family’s local connection. The couple famously spent their last night together at the Hilton Fort Worth downtown.

Jackie O’s has a set cocktail menu with classics and in-house specials. On my first visit, I sprung for the Mid-Mod Martini. The gin-based libation had a light splash of vermouth, and each clean-tasting swig was followed by a citrusy tinge, thanks to the unconventional but splendid addition of orange bitters. The First Lady’s favorite adult beverage, according to Neathery and several corroborating stories, was the Negroni. Jackie O’s sticks to the classic recipe that makes use of gin, vermouth, and orange bitters. Although the martini and Negroni appear kindred spirits, Negronis are sweeter and less spiced, and the drink was an orange-kissed treat.

The espresso martini plays it straight with vodka, cold brew coffee, and simple syrup. The addition of a coffee liqueur further enriched the roasty notes of the caffeinated cocktail in which bitter and sweet blended for a deliciously intoxicating experience. The night ended with a trending cocktail, the Milwaukee Spritz. Served in a Miller

High Life longneck, the hybrid is a melange of beer, Aperol, and fresh lemon juice. The result was light and refreshing.

On the way out, I perused the vending machine packed with drinking card games, sex toys, and other random items for $10 to $15. The two ladies nearby laughed as they pulled out their mystery prize, a miniature vibrator. Being single and regrettably not in the market for any kinky toys, I opted for the mystery bag. Mine contained a minia-

ture skull pin, gag cigar, trading card based off Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame (unopened since 1997 apparently), small vile of disappearing ink, vintage Rocketeer trading card, and a random photo of someone’s poodle, plus magazine cutouts and two pieces of candy. Like my experience that night, the contents were both unexpected and delightful. l

continued on page 19

Jackie O’s, 609 S Jennings Av, FW. Sun-Sat 3pm2am daily.

STORY AND PHOTOS

Sex toys and random paraphernalia await at Jackie O’s vending machine. BEST RAMEN WINNER

- Fort Worth Weekly Best Of 2021