CURADO TEQUILA
The agave plant has existed on earth for an estimated 12 million years. Pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican cultures found many uses for the plant: the cooked Piña for food, the dried fibers for rope, clothing and paper, and – perhaps most importantly – the fermented Agave juice (Pulque as it is known in Mexico) as the first alcoholic beverage of the American continent. It is a miraculous plant, full of life, that spends long years maturing under the Mexican sun. Nourished by the earth’s minerals, the plants absorb this energy, which becomes their life essence. Mexico is home to an abundance of different spirits – Tequila, Mezcal, Raicilla, and many more. These distillates are all products created from this plant, all unique in their flavors and aromas, depending on the type of Agave that is used to make Curado, we use a blanco Tequila from the Highlands of Jalisco as a canvas, then we infuse the liquid with pieces of cooked Agave. At first the infusions only used Blue Agave from the state of Jalisco, but the project soon evolved to include other varieties of Agave from other regions of Mexico. We want to build bridges, not walls.
Curado’s current expressions are: Blue Weber from Arandas, Espadín from Oaxaca and Cupreata from Michoacán. We have taken an anthropological approach in our search for knowledge, connecting with – and learning from – people with generations of wisdom and experience.
Each variety of Agave is cooked using the technique of each respective region and then taken to Jalisco. There we infuse it in the best 100% Blue Agave Tequila from the Highlands of Jalisco region. The proportion of agave to tequila varies in each expression depending on the type of Agave received.
Curado embodies the union of three families: Estes, Camarena and Vantguard. The inspiration to create the brand originally came from two factors. The first influence came from traditional Mexican Curados, which is the name given to Pulques infused with natural flavors (Pineapple, Coconut, Coffee beans, etc.). The second part of our inspiration stemmed from observing the maceration of various spirits undertaken by bartenders across the world, using various spices, herbs and fruits. The result was Curado, the first Tequila to be infused with cooked Agave. The idea that other Agave varieties could be represented in this evolved spirit, providing variety and complexity of flavor whilst always respecting the denomination of tequila, is what set us apart.
Each animal on the different expressions of Curado represents its land of origin; all of them belong to the oneiric world of Alebrijes. Alebrijes are a modern form of art and expression from the local Mexican artist Pedro Linares, who “saw” these animals carrying him from the world of the living to the world of the dead and back. Often defined with features that belong to other creatures (wings, tails, patterns and colors), Alebrijes are impossible animals that will take you to unexpected places… so is Curado.
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