“Tosucceedas a woman — particularly 30 years ago, when I started — you have to be extremely dedicated to the craft and fight to prove yourself every day,” claims Ana Mar íaRomero
In the heart of Mexico’s tequila-producing areas, Romero is currently among one of the most revered authorities on the spirit. Her devotion to tequila surpasses producing an enjoyable alcohol consumption experience– most of all, she intends to protect and highlight Mexico’s abundant heritage while pressing the limits of what tequila can be in the contemporary globe.
Interestingly, Romero’s course to ending up being the maestra tequilera she is today started with her being a sommelier. “I wanted to bring the world of wine appreciation to Mexico,” Romero clarifies. The complex procedure of wine making, with its concentrate on terroir and the intricacies of scents and tastes, astounded her beforehand. However, it had not been long prior to she understood that her real calling lay not in a distant winery yet in the agave areas of her indigenous Mexico.
The background of agave spirits is deeply embedded in Mexican society and dates back to pre-Hispanic human beings, so it shows up that Indigenous individuals were the very first to boil down the sugars of the plant to develop the now-infamous Mexican drink pulque. Throughout time, various areas of Mexico established details customs for distilling agave spirits, with tequila today being one of the most preferred, yet others, such as (what we know as) mezcal, bacanora and raicilla, additionally have abundant backgrounds.
Romero’s change in emphasis from red wine to tequila, she informs me, was greater than simply a profession pivot; it was a go back to her origins. It provided her the possibility to integrate her love for terroir-driven spirits with a much deeper expedition of her heritage. This interest led her to submerse herself on the planet of tequila manufacturing, performing considerable study at distilleries throughout the nation to recognize the impact of various manufacturing approaches.
“Every step of the process is vital to developing the final character of the spirit,” she clarifies, including: “The agave typically matures for five to seven years before it’s harvested, during which time it is shaped by all the environmental conditions around it.” This long growth procedure, which much surpasses the 1 year development cycle of grapes in wine making, causes tequilas that are greatly affected by the area in which they’re generated.
Romero’s attraction with these local distinctions appears in her work with Mijenta Tequila, where she looks after the whole manufacturing procedure. “In the highlands region, where we make Mijenta, you tend to get more fruity notes,” she claims, contrasting this with the tequila valley, where the volcanic dirt conveys a lot more floral and mineral-driven tastes. For Romero, it’s this local variant that makes tequila such an interesting spirit to check out– and it mirrors the spirit of the nation. “Agave from different regions has such unique flavors — some very subtle, some much more prominent.”
Romero’s deep understanding of tequila’s intricacies has not just formed her strategy to manufacturing yet has actually additionally made her a leader in tequila education and learning. Drawing ideas from the red wine globe, Romero developed the very first tequila fragrance wheel– Google it; it’s currently being utilized throughout the globe– determining over 600 aromas that can be located in tequila. “As I continued to identify new tasting notes that were possible in tequila, I wanted to group and capture these in order to help others train their palates,” she clarifies.
This concentrate on education and learning is a keystone of Romero’s job. In her tequila workshops, she stresses the relevance of educating the taste buds by scenting and sampling genuine components connected with typical tequila notes. “Each participant will have a board that includes items like apple, citrus fruit and cinnamon,” she clarifies. By straight connecting these aromas with tequila sampling, Romero assists both beginners and aficionados much better recognize the complex layers of taste in a well-crafted tequila.
“Cantaloupe is one that, for instance, I get in Mijenta Blanco tequila, and it is a very delicate note that I love,” she claims. “In my view, if you’re drinking tequila, you should always taste agave first, so even when we age in barrels for our reposado,cCristalino or añejo gran reserva, the barrel notes should complement rather than overwhelm the flavors of the tequila itself.”
In her present function, Romero has actually located a means to wed her interest for tequila with a deep dedication to sustainability. “We take a holistic approach to sustainability and try to have a positive impact across all steps of the process,” she claims. This dedication is mirrored in every element of Mijenta’s manufacturing, from using recycled glass containers to determining agaveros that are devoted to the lasting conservation of the types with accountable farming methods.
This concentrate on sustainability is a contemporary version of exactly how Indigenous Mexicans have actually recognized the land for centuries– so it suggests assisting recover the earth, yet it’s additionally a mean to proceed that practice.
The brand name’s ecological campaigns expand past the container. The brand name has actually partnered with the Women’s Earth Alliance (WEA) to sustain females leaders in Mexico’s farming industry, adding to jobs that converge with environmental management, females’s legal rights and Indigenous legal rights. “It’s incredibly rewarding to be part of something that’s not just making great tequila but also giving back to the community and the environment.”
In a male-dominated market, Romero’s payments to the tequila market have actually been absolutely nothing except transformative. From her introducing operate in tequila scents to her management in lasting manufacturing methods, she has actually redefined what it suggests to be a maestra tequilera in the contemporary age.
“This has given me the opportunity to develop my own craft, which combines art and science, to bring my own perspective to the heritage of tequila,” Romero claims. “There are some producers who still make family recipes that have been passed down for generations, but I created my own.”
This is the kind of fresh viewpoint that females bring right into the tequila globe. But it’s not nearly enough to sit at the table, she advises me; it’s vital for females to be in prominent management duties. Romero’s utmost objective is easy yet extensive: to share her love for tequila with the globe, making sure that this legendary Mexican spirit remains to be commemorated and valued for generations to find– which females are front and facility at the same time.
