New Tips And Triks For You

The Rancho Valencia Resort and Spa

A resort in Southern California is capitalizing on the recent proliferation of mezcal and other agave-derived liquor distilleries to draw new devotees to a members-only club. The Rancho Valencia Resort and Spa near San Diego recently started its All Agave Project, a series of seminars and tastings for the cocktail crowd.

The project, created by Chris Simmons, the hotel's certified catador, or taster, offers guests and visitors several options to get to know more about Mexican liquors - in particular, exotic tequilas and their more potent country relatives, mezcal, bacanora and sotol, many of which were banned from sale until the 1990s.

The All Agave Tasting Tour, hosted in the resort's Pony Room lounge, teaches guests about the history of the craft, a process that involves cultivating and roasting agave and then fermenting the juices.

Monthly "Sip Sesh" seminars with master distillers and owners gives a more in-depth picture of the various processes used by different distilleries, accompanied by tastings. And an annual membership to the hotel's All Agave Club includes both tasting tours and discounted monthly seminars , as well as special members-only tastings, events and, thoughtfully, a complimentary flask.

The next series of Sip Sesh seminars will be lead by Jim Riley, the chief executive of Azuñia Tequila (Feb. 20); Gary Eisenberger, a founder of Karma Tequila (March 20); and Barry Augus, a founder and chief executive of Tres Agaves Tequila (April 17).