Twenty years ago, tequila was a drink associated with youthful excess: downed in shots and sandwiched between lime squeezes and salt licks. What only a few aficionados appreciated was that in small places near the town of Tequila and villages along the Tequila Route, highly purified fine liquor had been distilled for use by aristocratic families for centuries. When tequila was rediscovered by Western connoisseurs in the 1990s, it was hailed as “a spirit redolent of ripe fruits, honey and cinnamon.” Since then, the finest tequilas – made from the juice of the blue agave plant – have been introduced into some of the most respected bars in the world. Recently Sean “Diddy” Combs acquired part-ownership of boutique tequila brand DeLeón, sold in bottles made of French glass, seen here, that are as valuable as the nectar they contain. Although fashioned to appeal to Western consumers, they bears traces of the drink’s roots. “Look at the top and you will see calavera [skulls] associated with the Day of the Dead and snakes that symbolise the guarding of all that’s sacred to Mexico, including this precious juice,” says Brent Hocking, DeLeón’s CEO. deleontequila.com
