Comments (19)

1. 

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   Takeshi Kovacs says AWESOME POST!!! gotdamn!

   Permalink posted 02/10/2007
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   tybees says Wow, those are some great photos!

   Permalink posted 02/10/2007
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   haggardpilot says jam-packed with amazing facts. why does it seem like what happens in the later years just isn't as important?

   Permalink posted 02/10/2007
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   Universalis says . . Fantastic Ray, (where are the other 3 ? 8)) A very cool post, full of goodies, who knows that place is amongst the rockest places ever !!!!!! AAAAAAAARRRGGGGG ;-))))

   Permalink posted 02/10/2007
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   RGM says Thank's, Here's my Troubadour Pick I've posted many a time here on MOG...I think They just Lazey at the endhaggadpilot. Not a matter of priority, just laziness, the way of L.A. at times... |:^[)>

   Permalink posted 02/10/2007
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   Universalis says . . L.A.zy ;-))

   Permalink posted 02/10/2007
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   RGM says 'C'.

   Permalink posted 02/10/2007
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   Universalis says . . C with my I's ;-)))

   Permalink posted 02/10/2007
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   RGM says 'O' ! Tequila Myth #2: Tequila is made from cactus. Tequila is made from distilled sap from hearts (piñas) of the agave or maguey (pr. 'mah-gay') plant. This plant is actually related to the lily and amaryllis (it has its own genus, Agave). It is known as a succulent and, although it shares a common habitat with many cacti, it is not one itself and has a different life cycle. A mature agave has leaves 5-8 feet tall, and is 7-12 feet in diameter. It has a lifespan of 8-15 years, depending on species, growing conditions and climate. The name agave comes from the Greek word for 'noble.' There are 136 species of agave in Mexico, of which the blue agave - agave tequilana weber azul - is the only one allowed for use in tequila production. Several different species of agave are allowed for use in mezcal, including a rare wild species, tobala. Other agave plants are used for the production of various regional drinks like sotol, raicilla, bacanora and pulque. Agave has been cultivated on this continent for at least 9,000 years. No Mexican alcoholic drink is made from cactus. However, cactus is used in some fruit drinks, salads and other food items.

   Permalink posted 02/10/2007
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    Universalis says . . Found the 4 parts of Tequila Myth #, are there some more ? ;-)))

    Permalink posted 02/10/2007
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    RGM says Tequila Myth #5: The best tequilas cost the most. Price isn't always a good way to judge things. A lot of the cost may go to fancy packaging, designer bottles, large advertising campaigns and simply to status. A well-advertised and promoted Porfidio blanco at $100+ US is not necessarily a better buy than a Sauza Hornitos reposado at $10. It depends on your taste and what you expect in a tequila. There's a large market of excellent tequilas available in Mexico at $20-$30 US, and a very good choice in the range from $30-$50 US. Under $20, most of the tequilas are mass produced for the local market, and usually mixto (not 100% agave). Above that price, they're aiming mostly at the snobbery of the export and premium market, often with collector bottles and recently introduced individually numbered bottles. Taste is the ultimate deciding factor. Some people prefer the rougher edge of the young blanco tequilas with their more distinct agave flavour. Others like the sharper, almost peppery flavour of a reposado. And some may prefer the smooth, woody aroma in an añejo. Try them first at a local bar, then decide which to

    Permalink posted 02/11/2007
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    Universalis says . . Now i count Tq-myths ;-)) are there many more ?

    Permalink posted 02/11/2007
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    Universalis says . . are there many more ? imean i got 6 of'em so far

    Permalink posted 02/11/2007
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    RGM says What is tequila? An introduction to the spirit of the agave. "Tequila is Mexico," said Carmelita Roman, widow of the late tequila producer Jesus Lopez Roman in an interview after her husband's murder. "It's the only product that identifies us as a culture." No other drink is surrounded by as many stories, myths, legends and lore as tequila and its companion, mezcal. They transcend simple definition by reaching into the heart of Mexico, past and present. The turbulent history of Mexico is paralleled in the stories of tequila and mezcal. One cannot fully appreciate Mexico without some understanding of tequila's place in its history and culture. Tequila is an alcoholic drink made in the arid highlands of central Mexico, from fermented and distilled sap of the agave (also called a maguey), an indigenous plant (a succulent, not a cactus). Archeologists say the agave has been cultivated for at least 9,000 years. ‘Tequila wine’ was first made by the Conquistadors, who distilled a native drink called pulque into a stronger spirit. In the 400 years following the Conquest, tequila has become an icon of Mexican nationality, pride and culture, recognized worldwide. Today, most of it is made in Jalisco state around the town of Tequila. In Tequila: Panegyric and Emblem, the Mexican poet Alvaro Mutis wrote: Tequila has no history; there are no anecdotes confirming its birth. This is how it’s been since the beginning of time, for tequila is a gift from the gods and they don’t tend to offer fables when bestowing favors. That is the job of mortals, the children of panic and tradition. Translated by Mark Schafer. From issue 27, Artes de México magazine. Mezcal is a related drink and is the older form of the name for tequila as well. The name for the product made in Jalisco state was adopted in the late 19th century. Technically, all tequilas are mezcals, which were also known as mezcal wines and mezcal brandies before the name tequila became common. Today they are distinct products, differentiated by production process and taste, much the same way rye whisky and Scotch whisky differ. Most mezcal is made in Oaxaca state today, although some (mostly regional and not for export) is also made in Guerrero, Zacatecas, and other states.

    Permalink posted 02/11/2007
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    RGM says What is tequila? An introduction to the spirit of the agave. "Tequila is Mexico," said Carmelita Roman, widow of the late tequila producer Jesus Lopez Roman in an interview after her husband's murder. "It's the only product that identifies us as a culture." No other drink is surrounded by as many stories, myths, legends and lore as tequila and its companion, mezcal. They transcend simple definition by reaching into the heart of Mexico, past and present. The turbulent history of Mexico is paralleled in the stories of tequila and mezcal. One cannot fully appreciate Mexico without some understanding of tequila's place in its history and culture. Tequila is an alcoholic drink made in the arid highlands of central Mexico, from fermented and distilled sap of the agave (also called a maguey), an indigenous plant (a succulent, not a cactus). Archeologists say the agave has been cultivated for at least 9,000 years. ‘Tequila wine’ was first made by the Conquistadors, who distilled a native drink called pulque into a stronger spirit. In the 400 years following the Conquest, tequila has become an icon of Mexican nationality, pride and culture, recognized worldwide. Today, most of it is made in Jalisco state around the town of Tequila. In Tequila: Panegyric and Emblem, the Mexican poet Alvaro Mutis wrote: Tequila has no history; there are no anecdotes confirming its birth. This is how it’s been since the beginning of time, for tequila is a gift from the gods and they don’t tend to offer fables when bestowing favors. That is the job of mortals, the children of panic and tradition. Translated by Mark Schafer. From issue 27, Artes de México magazine. Mezcal is a related drink and is the older form of the name for tequila as well. The name for the product made in Jalisco state was adopted in the late 19th century. Technically, all tequilas are mezcals, which were also known as mezcal wines and mezcal brandies before the name tequila became common. Today they are distinct products, differentiated by production process and taste, much the same way rye whisky and Scotch whisky differ. Most mezcal is made in Oaxaca state today, although some (mostly regional and not for export) is also made in Guerrero, Zacatecas, and other states.

    Permalink posted 02/11/2007
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    fairportfan says Also 1971: Fairport Convention play two week-long stands; unfortunately the mobile is not there the night they pull Linda Ronstadt ostage and perform almost her entire cataolg. I seem to remember that when Lennon and Nilsson were ejected, John was wearing a sanitary napkin and belt on his head. Before the Monkees, one of Mike Nesmith's gigs was running the Monday "Hoot Nights" at the Troubadour.

    Permalink posted 02/13/2007
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    RGM says 1989 Troubadour...uh? or was it Gazzarri's or was it The Roxy Or was it....? Jalisco: tequila country In search of the blue agave Part 6 of 14 Jalisco: the home and heart of Tequila Tequila is produced mostly in the western Mexican state of Jalisco, appropriately around the town of Tequila, a small town about 35 miles (56 km) west of the capital, Guadalajara, on Hwy 15. The other major tequila region, called Los Altos, or the Highlands, is roughly the same distance away to the northeast. Many visitors know the state for its Pacific coast resort town of Puerto Vallarta. Jalisco also has mining, manufacturing, arts, crafts and jewellery industries. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tequila reminds us of a particular world, a world that was born of shared imagination - a wild, rural landscape of robust men on horseback, accustomed to difficult tasks... A powerful shadow, that of the mountain also called Tequila, falls over this great region. That terrain of hard beauty is as hypnotizing to contemporary travellers as it was in centuries past. From Jalisco, Tierra del Tequila, published by Artes Mexico, 1995. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Most of the tequila-producing communities in Mexico are in Jalisco. They lie on an east-west line that starts in Jesus Maria in the east, passes through Guadalajara, and reaches to Escobedo in the west. The two main areas of production lie around the town of Tequila, and in the highlands (near Atotonilco and Los Altos) to the east. Tequila took its name from the town in the late 19th century; before that the product was known as mezcal or mezcal wine and little differentiated products from different regions. In recognition of the importance of the drink to the community, a large statue of a jimador (agave harvester), straddling casks, coa in hand, greets visitors arriving from Guadalajara. Guadalajara is both the state capital and the commercial centre of the region. The hills of the area are covered in agave farms sporting more than 100 million plants in spiky rows, 1,000-2,000 plants to an acre, covering more than 50,000 hectares (about 100,000 acres). The agaves were originally harvested in only three small valleys: Amatitan, Arenal and Tequila. Today about 38,000 people work in the industry, about 33,000 of them farmers and field hands. More than 50 million gallons (almost 200 million liters) of tequila re produced annually - about 40% of it exported. Jalisco was originally part of New Galicia before it became part of greater Mexico in 1821. In New Galicia, the district around the town was also called Tequila. The town was founded under commissioner Juan Calero de Escarcena, in April, 1530, at the base of an extinct volcano that rises 3,000 meters above sea level. It was named the capital of its district in 1570 as it began to grow and develop its agricultural economy. Tequila was made a municipality in 1824. The area was named as the 12th district of Jalisco in 1872, and two years later, the town finally became a city in 1874. Today it has a population around 35,000. So important to the area is tequila, that the local university offers a course in tequila engineering. Of more than 45 tequila distillers currently in business, only two are not located in Jalisco. More than 30 of these are found near Tequila or the neighbouring highland region, Los Altos - these produce about 53% of all tequila made in Mexico. A tourist train - the "Tequila Express" - now travels from Guadalajara to the town of Tequila, laden with Japanese and Canadian visitors. They are met by the sounds of a mariachi band as they arrive to tour the distilleries and sample the wares. The National Tequila Fair is held annually in Tequila at the end of November to mid-December (Nov. 30-Dec. 12). There are parades, charreadas (Mexican rodeo events), cock fights, serenades with mariachis, fireworks displays. You may also want to drop by May 13 for the "Day to Feast Tequila." The indigenous people in the Tequila area were called the Nahuatl. They have their own Web site at www.nahuatl.net/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Links: There are tequila tours at www.tequilatour.com/tequila.html Read about the town itself at www.jalisco.com/tequila/index.html, about Los Altos at www.jalisco.com/los_altos/index.html, and about Jalisco in general at: www.jalisco.com/main.html Want an adventure holiday in Mexico? Try Temples and Tequila: www.dragoman.co.uk/trip/tat.htm Want to visit Tequila and Jalisco? Start here: www.travelupdate.com/Guides/961223/304.5-tequila.html Here's a good description of a tour of the Herradura distillery: www.fspronet.com/jca/greattreasure.html Or check out Jalisco's pages on the town of Tequila: www.jalisco.com/tequila/index.html and the State of Jalisco site at: www.jalisco.gob.mx/ And pages on Jalisco's capital, Guadalajara: vive.guadalajara.gob.mx/ Here it is in English: vive.guadalajara.gob.mx/indexi.html Bancomext has a map of the Jalisco tequila regions at: www.mexico-businessline.com/ferias/ferias_i/f_5/tierras.html (their entire site about tequila starts at www.feriavirtual.com.mx/ferias_i/f_5/index.html) And here's a site about Jalisco: www.puertovallarta.org/jalisco.html Take a cooking tour of Jalisco: www.fspronet.com/jca/program.html Here's a business idea for Tequila: www.mexicofile.com/guadalajara/businessideatequila.htm Click here for a good map of Mexico: www.lib.utexas.edu/Libs/PCL/Map_collection/americas/Mexico_rel97.jpg You can also see Jalisco and the area by train on the Tequila Express: mexlist.railspot.com/teq1.htm. Read about the train in Spanish at: www.publi.com/news/1998/1113/o28.htm. An article appeared about the train in the Peoria Journal Star. Purchase it at Northern Light. And an article in La Jornada is here: serpiente.dgsca.unam.mx/jornada/1998/jun98/980611/tequila.html Here's a guide to Guadalajara: www.guiaguadalajara.com.mx/ The Nahuatl net is at www.nahuatl.net/ Planeta magazine has an article about tequila, with links to nature/ecotourism tours of Mexico at www.greenbuilder.com/mader/ecotravel/coffeeag/toast.html Mexico Online has good general information about the country, travel and culture at: www.mexonline.com Ron Mader has an article about travel and Tequila at www.escapeartist.com/efan/tequila.htm Que Nuevas has this article about Jalisco and Tequila history www.barryandandy.com/quenuevas/Vol2No12/historia.htm And another site about visiting Tequila: www.balum.com/Jalisco.htm And one with a tour of the distilleries: wild-net.com.au/mexico/html/tequila.phtml Another tour from the Guadalajara Reporter: www.guadalajarareporter.com/clients/panoramex/index.htm MSN Expedia has a map of the area around Tequila at maps.expedia.com/ Head to the Heart of Mexico in this article on Tequila country at www.azcentral.com/travel/destinations/mexico/tequila.shtml Of course, you can buy tequila almost everywhere in Mexico. Here's a tequileria near Cancun selling 200 different brands: www.mundacatravel.com/playadelcarmen/shops/tequileria.htm Artes De Mexico publishes a beautiful, bilingual coffee-table book on the state of Jalisco, land of tequila ($35 US plus about $15 shipping). The book is really about the entire state, with beautiful pictures of some of the lesser-known areas, such as the rugged north. Plus it has wonderful images of the tequila-growing region and plantations, as well as entertaining descriptions and travelogues. You can order directly from them by email. See them online at: www.artesdemexico.com Here's a map with some photos of the town of Arandas: www.notiarandas.com/arandas.htm. The local newspaper has a site at: www.notiarandas.com/

    Permalink posted 02/13/2007
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    Jonh Ingham says One of the best blogs I've ever seen. The only one you seem to have missed is The Eagles played their first official concert there. Jan-Feb 1972. It was the start of my long hate affair with them.

    Permalink posted 02/14/2007
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    2Serenity says Great history here! Thank you for sharing!

    Permalink posted 06/18/2007

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