As big a fan as this ZestCulture journalist is of Martinis, I am an even larger fan of Tequila. I can drink barrels of the stuff. And yes, at some point for all of us, we were young, incredibly stupid and we did and we ended up hunched over discarding our lunch (not dinner, because you probably weren’t clever enough to have any) somewhere. I am no exception to the dreaded morning-after-tequila sad to say.

But as I got older and presumably wiser I stop drinking tequila. ‘That’, you would think, would be the answer…right? But in retrospect I realise now, I was just missing out on what Tequila could really offer. One day a friend of mine introduced me to the seductress that is 100% Agave Tequila. A passionate love affair started that captivated me completely.

I may sound like a bit of an alcoholic little bugger, but I assure you that isn’t the case. I did much research on the subject and it saddened me to find that there was so much incorrect and conflicting information out there. Here are a few myths that you may have or may not have heard

1. Tequila is the stuff with the worm in the bottle
2.Tequla is made from the cactus
3. Tequila and Mezcal are the same things

Enter stage left two tall no nonsense tequila fundees. One Henry Besant the Brit and Charles Vexenat the Frenchman. They opened the famous Green &Red Bar and Cantina in London. These two strapping lads with the addition of a third, Dre Masso, formed The Tahona Society. The Tahona Society has been establish to create one very pimping global network of the big boys (and girls thank you very much)in the bartending and spirit industry.

The Tahona Society creates a platform from which they can provide all-important knowledge to thirsty bartenders’ minds all over the world. They recognise and celebrate the ancient art of true Tequila making – the Tahona. The Tahona refers to an ancient, volcanic millstone technique of manufacturing Tequila. This ancient and gentle technique of tequila making is used in the making of Olmeca’s Super premium range of tequilas Tezon. So Pirnod Ricard and Olmeca Black Tequila was kind enough to fly these great minds to South Africa to share their knowledge with us.

So far in South Africa less than a 100 people in the hospitality trade can boast being part of the society. To become a member you have to attend an intense two day seminar on the subject. And let me tell you these boys have done their homework. Research that has taken years of traveling and tasting to obtain.  I have been in the industry for seven years. Several of which has been spent being a tequila enthusiast so I was lucky enough to get a spot on the list. The quality of information left me dumbfounded. All that attended was of similar thought. To cool our overloaded minds we climbed into familiar territory for all that was attending, the bar, for a spot of cocktail making. Followed by a prize giving. What would a celebration be without tequila? Scandelous by normal standards. So you can imagine the Tequila consumption that proceded. We made Mexico proud!

So here is a ‘Big Up’ to Olmeca Black for getting Henry and Charles to South Africa and for looking after us SO incredibly well. Even more thanks to Henry and Charles for doing the educational and awareness work  they are doing.

In conjunction with the Tahona Society,  Henry and Dre also founded the Worldwide Cocktail Club to promote the cocktail culture around the world. Important for anyone in the industry or anyone with an extreme passion for drink making to have a look at.