Tequila & Spirits Magazine * Jan-Feb 2018

TEQUILA & SPIRITS LUXURY LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

CES

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

2018

WINE

AROMAS

VALENTINE’S DAY CARNAVAL 2018

TEQUILA

& THE LEGEND OF

MAYAHUEL

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TEQUILA & SPIRITS LUXURY LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

Publisher Jose Pinedo Associate Editor Simon Pinedo Contributors Simon, Natalia, Savannah, Martin, Isabel, John

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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the first issue of Tequila & Spirits magazine! I’m

very excited and happy to share it with you. Tequila & Spirits magazine offers comprehensive, consistent coverage of the entire spectrum of premium drinks. A magazine dedicated to today’s modern luxury lifestyle!

This magazine is for you and for those who enjoy drinking, dining, traveling, sports, vehicles, technology, and entertaining.

We bring you what’s new in the world of beverages, recommending what to buy, where to go for special events, and how to make and enjoy drinks at home. So while you read about how to make the perfect Margarita, you will enjoy thoughtful stories about the people, places, cultures, and flavors that shape the realm of your drinks.

I personally invite you to subscribe to Tequila & Spirits magazine for FREE @ www.tequilaandspirits.com Be yourself, be happy, be inspired, celebrate with friends and family.

Remember to drink responsibly.

Salud Amigos, Jose Pinedo

Tequila and the legend of Mayahuel

By Simon Pinedo

O

ne of the many legends of Aztec mythology, tells that in the world of the gods, where the great Quetzalcoatl, Hutizilipochtli, Tlaloc, and many others reign, it is not so different from the land of men. Among the gods there were wars, hatreds, envy, pride and lust, but also just like on earth, there was love.

-Aztec mythology-

They say that the great god Quetzalcoatl fell in love with a goddess named Mayahuel; she lived with her grandmother, an evil goddess named Tzitzimimi, known among mortals as "the demon of the stars." This goddess hated Quetzalcoatl, so she did not authorize the relationship between Quetzalcoatl and her granddaughter Mayahuel. But since they both loved each other, they decided to escape to the world of humans, Earth, thinking that Tzitzimimi would not find them there.

They were wrong. Tzitzimimi had spies throughout the universe and Earth, she soon learned of their escape and went out in search of them. Quetzalcoatl, realizing that Tzitimimi was after them, used his powers and converted himself into the trunk of a tree and the beautiful Mayahuel into the branches.

Tzitzimimi found them and soon discovered that the tree branches were her granddaughter Mayahuel. Tzitzimimi, cut the branches into pieces, smashed them, and threw them to the ground. She preferred to see her dead rather than seeing her in the arms of Quetzalcoatl!

That legend says that the great Quetzalcoatl, very sadly, took the pieces of branches and buried them. From his eyes, tears of great love for his beloved Mayahuel fell on those pieces of buried branches, which made Mayahuel resurface to life, only this time, in the form of a plant that the natives named Maguey in honor of Mayahuel.

-QuetzalcoatlGod of Creation, a giver of Life

-HutizilipochtliGod of the Sun and War

-TlalocGod of the Rain

-TzitzimimiGod of Evil

“the demon of the stars”

-MayahuelGoddess of the Maguey

www.gmtequila.com Produced, Distilled and Bottled in Mexico. Imported by M.S. Walker, Inc. PLEASE ENJOY RESPONSIBLY

-Mayahuel- Continued

Legend Myth or Reality

Q

uetzalcoatl wanted to immortalize Mayahuel, so he endowed that plant with extraordinary gifts, which would make men love and care for his beloved forever on Earth, since he had to return to the world of the gods to fight against the evil Tzitzimimi.

Legend, myth, or reality? The truth is that the maguey plant has many properties and uses. Aside from the drink that is extracted from this plant, pulque (alcoholic drink), which was called "drink of the gods" before the arrival of the Spaniards to the American continent, was exclusive to some and only on certain occasions could they drink it.

The derivatives of the maguey, such as pulque (alcoholic dink) or aguamiel (honey water), were used to cure certain diseases.

Hot roasted leaves were applied on the stomach of the patient to calm pain.

The juice of the roasted leaves was given to the patient to alleviate their discomfort and the skin that covers the leaf quickly healed wounds. A cup of pulque, after the birth and during lactation, was given to mothers to produce breast milk.

From the stalks, fibers were extracted to manufacture fabrics for huipiles, naguas, and blankets. The natives made ixtle ropes, extracted from the maguey leaves, of different dimensions to make belts and rigging.

-MagueyPlant

-AguamielHoney water

What does maguey have to do with tequila?

I

ndeed, this legend has nothing to do with the origin of tequila. But becuause the maguey and agave plant (from which tequila is extracted and/ or produced) are both used to produce alcoholic drinks, Mayahuel has been associated with tequila.

When the Spaniards settled in Mexico, they discovered the properties of the agave and began to exploit the use of this plant.

They attributed the myth of Mayahuel to the origin of tequila, extracted from the agave and not from the maguey.

The technique of distillation to produce commercial spirits and tequila began in the Americas in the sixteenth centurymany years after maguey and Mayahuel already existed in the mind, customs, and culture of the Mexican people.

-PulqueAlcoholic drink Drink of the Gods

-NaguasWoman’s dress

-HuipilAdorned blouse or dress

-IxtleFiber from maguey plant

-AgavePlant used to produce tequila

MAYAHUEL

GODDESS OF THE MAGUEY

T

By Jose Pinedo

he mythology of the Aztec civilization, which dominated central Mexico in the 1400s and early 1500s, described a universe of grandeur and dread.

Worlds were created and destroyed and splendid gods warred among themselves.

Everyday items, colors, numbers, directions, and days of the calendar took on special meaning because each was associated with a deity. Aztec religious life ranged from keeping small pottery statues of the gods in homes to attending elaborate public ceremonies involving human sacrifice.

Mayahuel is the Aztec goddess of the maguey plant that is used to produce aguamiel (honey water) which is fermented to make pulque, the native alcholic drink of Tenochtitlan.

Although there are many gods associated with pulque, Mayahuel is the only female representation. The maguey plant was used for food, medicine, and fiber.

Mayahuel is also one of the goddesses associated with fertility. The Codex Magliabechiano (pictoral Aztec document) explains that Mayahuel had 400 children, known in Nahuatl (language of the Aztecs) as “centozon totochtin,” which translates to “400 rabbits.” These rabbits personified different levels of intoxication.

~MEXICO’S GIFT TO THE WORLD~

PochtecaSpirits.com

Pochteca Liqueurs are made with 100% agave tequila and agave nectar. They are made from all natural extracts obtained from alcohol infused herbs, grains and fruits of the region. The combination of these materials gives each liqueur, while refined and complex, a well-balanced and well defined flavor.

Pochteca is the only liqueur on the market that is made with agave nectar and natural fruit extracts and is considered a “smooth” beverage, which can be savored. They are easy to digest and can be consumed as an after dinner drink or with a snack and/or prepared in many different ways compared to other strong drinks that are consumed straight.

Mixology: prepare various beverages including traditional margaritas, martini’s, sangrias, champagne, tropical, classic cocktails, affogatos, milk based cocktails and smoothies. Pastries: Flan, ice cream, bundt cakes, cakes, cookies, popsicles, Jell-O shots and other homemade sweets.

Pochteca Definition Pochteca (singular pochtecatl) were professional, long- distance traveling merchants in the Aztec Empire. They were a small, but important class as they not only facilitated commerce, but also communicated vital information across the empire and beyond its borders. The trade or commerce was referred to as pochtecayotl. wThe Pochteca also traveled outside the empire to trade with neighboring lands throughout Mesoamerica. Because of their extensive travel and knowledge of the empire, Pochteca were often employed as spies.

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Valentine’s Day!

By Simon Pinedo

C

upid, with wings? Is it an angel? No, nothing to do with an angelic being; we could actually say the opposite. In ancient Greece, Cupid was the god of love, also known as Eros (hence the word erotic or eroticism), the representation of carnal love. Cupid is represented by a child who never reaches maturity, a love that does not transcend. That is why those who seek only carnal pleasure are condemned to never find true love.

When the Roman Empire conquered the Greeks, Cupid was associated with a Roman holiday that was celebrated on February 15th (yes, a day before February 14th) in which the festivities of Lupercalia (ancient Roman festival) were celebrated. Festival where free rein was given to carnal and passionate instincts (like Cupid’s).

In a later time, around the year 325 A.C., the Roman Empire already Christianized, overshadowed this celebration of the Lupercalia with the Feast of February 14th in honor of St. Valentine (finally). St. Valentine was believed to be a Catholic priest who died as a martyr after disobeying the emperor who forbade soldiers to get married.

T

he Lupercalia disappeared but not the symbols. Cupid remained and became associated with Saint Valentine. It was easier for the Catholic Church to accept and adopt it than to try to destroy it. Cupid was given wings and was made to look like a naughty little angel, with his bow shooting arrows of love.

In memory of that saint who gave his life to realize the dream of many men and women to be able to marry, Valentine’s Day is celebrated on the 14th of February. It is celebrated in many countries as the the day of love and friendship.

However, it was not until the nineteenth century (1840) when an American merchant named Esther A. Howland began to sell the first Valentine’s Day cards that this holiday took off!

It was so successful that it was repeated year after year achieving sales of more than 100,000 dollars a year! The shops in the area adopted it as a tradition and little by little more details were added, such as chocolates and roses, etc., making Valentine’s Day into the commercial boom we know today.

So this Valentine’s Day, when you buy a card, write a love poem, give roses and chocolates, or send a text or a tweet, remember to give thanks to St. Valentine!

-St. Valentine-

February 14, 2018

FRIENDSHIP

Happy Valentine’s Day!

LOVE

L O V E

RELATIONAL UNDERCURRENTS: CONTEMPORARY ART OF THE CARIBBEAN ARCHIPELAGO ON V I E W N O W

Image: Tony Capellán, Mar invadido, 2015. Found objects from the Caribbean Sea. Variable dimensions. Courtesy of the artist.

Relational Undercurrents: Contemporary Art of the Caribbean Archipelago, curated by Tatiana Flores, is MOLAA’s Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA exhibition. It is a major survey exhibition of twenty-first century art of the Caribbean that employs the archipelago as an analytical framework. The exhibition is divided into four thematic sections: Conceptual Mappings, Perpetual Horizons, Landscape Ecologies and Representational Acts and features over 80 artists with roots in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Curaçao, Aruba, St. Maarten, St. Martin, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Trinidad, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Barbados, and St. Vincent whose works have informed and shaped those themes.The exhibition includes painting, installation art, sculpture, photography, video, and performance.

628 Alamitos Ave., Long Beach, CA 90802 t: 562.437.1689 www.molaa.org

MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY LATIN AMERICAN AND LATINO ART

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Carnaval 2018

Carnaval * Tenerife, The Canary Islands

Carnaval * Venice, Italy

C

arnaval is best known for its celebration of games, dancing, samba, masks used to hide “the sinner,� and the wearing of multicolored bright suits or almost no clothes at all.

Carnaval is celebrated in different countries, the most popular being: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Venice, Italy: Tenerife, the Canary Islands; Barranquilla, Colombia; Veracruz, Mexico; and New Orleans in the United States. They all have different customs and styles; each has added their own traditions, a clear reflection of the personalities of each culture.

Carnaval * New Orleans, United States

-What is Carnaval?-

B

ut what is Carnaval? What does it mean? Where does this festivity come from, so peculiar and striking?

The meaning of the word carnaval comes from “carne” (meat) and “vale”(farewell), “carnevale” which means “goodbye to meat.” Likewise, the famous Mardi Gras from New Orleans, comes from the Italian Materdi Grasso (Grasso means fat or fat-rich foods), and hence Fat Tuesday, referring to the great feast usually prepared on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.

Carnaval ended on the day we know today as Fat Tuesday. Ash Wednesday began a time of fasting, penance, and abstinence, a period in which meat was avoided. In the early days of this festivity, there were no ways by which to preserve food during this period of time, and also taking into account that this event took place very close to the beginning of spring, when winter was passing and temperatures begun to rise, meat would go bad without refrigeration.

Carnaval * Veracruz, Mexico

Carnaval * Barranquilla, Colombia

On the Tuesday before the beginning of Lent, it was a custom to consume all meat available, otherwise it would spoil, and so it began to be called Tuesday of meat, or Tuesday of Carnaval, day of saying farewell to meat.

Meat was taken as a pleasant consumption, for who does not enjoy eating a delicious cut of medium or well cooked meat? (Unless of course, you are a vegetarian.)

Some marriages or couples would avoid having sex during this time of fasting and abstinence - “avoid the flesh.” So if you were to fast, not eat meat for forty days and not have “carnal” relationships, then on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, the Tuesday of Carnaval, you would consume the meat and give free rein to all pleasures of all senses.

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Carnaval * Rio de Janeiro, Brazil