MEET THE DISTILLER

MEET THE DISTILLER Avión AVIÓN MAKES TEQUILA THAT’S LOVE AT FIRST SIP

BY MICHAEL PRAMIK PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESTY OF AVIÓN TEQUILA

When many Americans drink tequila, they typically reach for the saltshaker and start slicing lemons. The makers of Avión tequila suggest an alternative approach — pour the spirit in a glass and sip.

Produced in the highland state of Jalisco, Mexico, Avión is a 100 percent agave tequila that employs old-fashioned methods to bring out the essential qualities of the ingredients. Its five lines range from super-premium to ultra-premium, making them ideal for sipping as well using in a margarita, Paloma, or other cocktail.

Avión burst onto the scene in 2010, when the popular HBO series Entourage featured it in a story line. Founded by U.S. entrepreneur Ken Austin in 2007, Avión has always been positioned as an upscale tequila.

The publicity it garnered from Entourage led Austin to approach spirits powerhouse Pernod-Ricard about adding the brand to its portfolio. The answer, eventually, was yes. Pernod-Ricard purchased a majority stake in Avión in 2014 and acquired the rest four years later.

The TV boost has worn away, but Avión’s reputation for quality remains. Appreciating its subtleties often requires sipping it neat.

“Americans, like Mexicans, are in love with tequila,” said Carlos Ramirez, head of

global advocacy with Pernod-Ricard. “It’s a huge trend, but there’s a lot of education from our side to be done. We need to start changing this mindset of tequila being a cheap spirit.”

Their agave is grown at the highest elevation in Jalisco, so the resulting spirit has a soft, herbal and citrus character. That contrasts with tequilas that use agave grown in Mexico’s valleys, which come off smokier and more earthy.

“If you have good agave and the correct production process, you unveil a lot of flavors in that complex spirit,” said Ramirez.

Avión slowly roasts the agave for three days in traditional brick ovens, then distills it (twice, as is common with highquality tequila) in copper pot stills, using only the best part of the distillate to put up in bottles. The result is surprisingly rich, sweet tequila that offers a fresh agave blast. “This is a trend in the tequila category — more-delicate flavors,” Ramirez said.

New to the market in 2022, Avión Cristalino is a sense-defying, rich tequila that’s crystal clear because it’s been filtered over charcoal to remove color and some of the oaky notes from the barrel. Avión combines its extra- and ultraaged spirits, then twice filters them over charcoal. The resulting spirit offers soft aromas of fruit and cocoa and rich flavors of vanilla and caramel.

Other options are also great for sipping. Avión Reserva 44 is an extra anejo, or ultra-aged tequila. Its relatively dark color comes from more than three years in former Tennessee bourbon barrels. It’s a soft, luxurious sip that bourbon lovers will appreciate. The agave is more difficult to detect, but there are aromas of chocolate, dried fruits, almonds, and caramel.

In contrast, Avión Silver is bottled directly after distillation, with only water added to control the alcohol content. Typical of a highland tequila, it’s soft and herbal, offering the fresh scent of green agave. With no additives, it “shows you the land where it came from,” Ramirez said.

Avión Reposado is aged for about six months. The pale-yellow spirit still maintains the agave note on the nose, but there’s a hint of oak, and the taste evokes sweet citrus flavors as well as warm spices. It’s ideal in a tequila Old Fashioned with a bit of agave nectar and a splash of spicy bitters.

IRISH WHISKEY AMPLIFIED

Triple casked for more flavour.

BLAZE A TRAIL. SIP RESPONSIBLY.

Slane Irish Whiskey, a blend of three casks: virgin, seasoned and sherry.

Slane Irish Whiskey, a blend, 40% alc. by vol. Imported by Brown-Forman Beverages, Louisville KY. SLANE and SLANE CASTLE are trademarks of Slane Castle. ©2021 Slane Castle Irish Whiskey Limited. All rights reserved.

The agave before it’s roasted.

The tequila is distilled twice in cooper pot stills.

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canton, ohio gervasivineyard.com SPICED TEQUILA OLD FASHIONED

21/4 oz. Avión Reposado Tequila 1 teaspoon agave nectar Several dashes Bittercube Chipotle Cacao bitters (or other chocolate/ spicy bitters) Grapefruit twist

Combine agave nectar, bitters, and 1 oz. tequila in a mixing glass. Stir to combine. Add ice and remainder of tequila. Stir for 20 seconds. Strain into an Old-Fashioned glass with fresh ice, ideally one large cube. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.