Good Morning! I Hope the beginning of your year has been amazing, or at least not terrible. If you’re wondering why things have been quiet on the content front for me, for a few reasons, I have been at home with my newborn and wife but also i like to take the first few weeks of January to plan, prep, edit, script, and generally just assess things to start the year. I have been very hard at work on quite a few different things that I think you all may enjoy, some of it is going to be exclusive to this newsletter which I am actually giddy to share with you guys.

One bit of news I do have for you all is we are hosting our second every private dinner party at my bar and restaurant, Ember & Alma Cocktail Bar with our friends at Mezcal de Leyendas! The event will be held on Wed Jan 29th at 6 PM and our last private dinner sold out in less than 36 hours so if you want to join us, get your tickets soon!

Every Ticket Includes:

• A Unique Welcome Cocktail only available this evening

• A full 3-Course Meal featuring dishes specially made for the event

• A deep dive into Mezcal and it's nuances

• A tasting of 3 expressions of Leyendas Mezcal, showcasing the rich variety of different species of agave from different regions of Mexico.

• Lots of great friends and lots of good fun

• And some surprises

But ANYWAY! Lets get to this weeks newsletter!

Tequila Matchmaker Launches ‘Agavos Awards’ to Honor Best Agave Products

Tequila Matchmaker, just announced that they have launched the Agavos Awards, a competition dedicated to recognizing excellence in agave-based spirits. We have written so much about Tequila Matchmaker over the last year but usually for some controversial or bad things, this time it seems to be good news, or at least neutral news depending on who you ask. But whats going on?

Lets break it down

This initiative, spearheaded by founders Grover and Scarlet Sanschagrin, is designed to provide a fair, impartial evaluation of products across the agave spirits category.

The Agavos Awards is being developed in collaboration with AMCP, a respected firm known for managing prominent spirits competitions like the ASCOT Awards and John Barleycorn Awards. With AMCP handling entries and logistics, the Agavos Awards benefits from their established expertise in organizing and managing large-scale spirits competitions. This partnership ensures a professional and efficient process from start to finish.

A Attempt at a Transparent and Rigorous Competition

The Agavos Awards is open to a wide range of agave spirits, including tequila, mezcal, raicilla, and others. Entries are blind-tested and evaluated on a 100-point scale, considering criteria such as appearance, aroma, taste, and finish. The highest-scoring products in each category will advance to a championship round to determine final winners.

To maintain transparency, all products are purchased at retail, ensuring that the judges evaluate the same spirits available to consumers. Additionally, brands will not be allowed to use award results for marketing purposes, in compliance with regulations set by Mexico’s Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT). This ensures the competition’s focus remains on evaluating quality rather than creating marketing opportunities.

A Diverse Panel of Judges

The tasting panel for the Agavos Awards is composed of experienced professionals from across the spirits industry, including distillers, journalists, mixologists, and educators. Notable members of the panel include:

• Grover and Scarlet Sanschagrin – Co-founders of Tequila Matchmaker

• Emma Janzen – Spirits journalist and photographer

• Jay Baer – Agave spirits content creator and keynote speaker

• Rob Gerard A.K.A The Tequila Collective - Agave spirits content creator

• Antonio Rodriguez – Master distiller

• Jason O’Bryan – Cocktail writer and educator

• Brad Japhe and Max Garrone – Spirits journalists

• Scott Baird – Mixologist and spirits marketer

• And several more.

You can see the whole list of judges here: https://agavosawards.com/tasting-panel/

Looking Ahead

Entries for the Agavos Awards are open through mid-February, with winners to be announced later this year. For industry professionals, the competition provides a structured evaluation of agave spirits and highlights products that stand out in terms of quality and craftsmanship.

Our Take: Obviously it remains to be seen the impact that this will have, if any on the industry but it seems to follow a pattern for Tequila Matchmaker, in trying to champion the agave industry and honor the ones doing it the right way. I think the diverse range of tasting panel judges will help the awards immensely with credibility and reach and by focusing only on retail bottles, available to the public gives this award a unique twist.

Could it go no where, and just become just another spirits award down the line? Maybe. But at least from the outset they seem to be trying to do things the right way, which is in line with how they have done most things. I am cautiously slightly optimistic that this could be a good thing.

Wildfires Devastate Los Angeles and Cocktail & Spirits Creators Respond.

Wildfires have devastated LA as I’m sure you have all see on your socials and I had actually written a whole other section for this and had it ready to go for today but it didn’t feel right to not talk about this and amplify this. It has affected so many people and so many in our industry.

Lucas and his wife Michelle, live in Pasadena, and while they are currently safe so much of the surrounding area around them was decimated. Lucas posted this video sharing a lot of context as well as manners on how to help those in need. He listed so many different methods, including one that may be of interest to you folks in this newsletter.

He has also partnered with Tequila That Cares a 501c3 Non-Profit for a raffle where the proceeds will go to the Pasadena Community Foundation – Eaton Fire relief fund. And the prize? Oh just some of the rarest tequila bottles ever made! And because they are a 501c3 corp, any donation is tax deductible.

My friend Carissa Kaufman, who works for Bacardi and is also from LA, has set up a GoFundMe for Hospitality & industry folks impacted by these fires. You can find that GoFundMe here.

Saeed House, better known as CocktailsByHawk, shared on his stories this comprehensive list of ways you can help.

Rob Gerrard, better known as The Tequila Collective, shared this very heartfelt video with other ways in which you can help out, and snag some incredible bottles of tequila while you’re at it as well.

While this can all seem overwhelming, I am not trying to shame anyone or guilt them into helping. I just wanted to provide some links, share ways in which you could snag some dope bottles while also helping those that will be devastated for years to come as a result of these fires, which by the way, are still raging with a new one developing as of last night.

Imbibe Releases their Yearly Imbibe 75

Each year, the Imbibe 75 celebrates the people and places shaping the beverage world, offering a glimpse into the trends and ideas influencing how we drink. The 2025 edition highlights a dynamic mix of innovation and tradition, from reimagined neighborhood bars to brand-new concepts that push boundaries. Two notable features this year are Erick Castro’s transformation of Gilly’s House of Cocktails in San Diego and the bold launch of Good Guy’s, a wine bar from the co-owners of Manhattan’s iconic Attaboy.

A Neighborhood Bar Reimagined: Gilly’s House of Cocktails

Erick Castro, known for his lavish cocktail programs at Polite Provisions and Raised by Wolves, (and his incredible podcast, Bartender at Large) takes a different approach with Gilly’s, a decades-old bar in North Park, San Diego. Instead of overhauling the space into another upscale cocktail bar, Castro preserved its dive-bar charm while introducing thoughtful updates and affordable craft cocktails.

With no drink priced above $12 and a menu featuring playful originals like the French Riviera (mezcal, tequila, tamarind, lime, amaro, orgeat), Gilly’s balances quality with accessibility. The bar also embraces the concept of the “third place,” a vital community space for socializing and connection, and has adopted an employee ownership model, with seven staff members now equity partners. “When the place is packed, you can look around and no one is on their phone. You see strangers interacting with each other,” says Castro. “That’s something that’s missing right now in American society.”

Read the incredible feature on Gilly’s house of cocktails & Erick here: https://imbibemagazine.com/erick-castro-and-the-quest-to-preserve-the-neighborhood-bar/

A Bold New Venture: Good Guy’s

Meanwhile, in Manhattan, Michael McIlroy and Sam Ross, the duo behind the world-renowned Attaboy, decided to chart a different path when the neighboring storefront became available. Rather than expanding their acclaimed cocktail bar, they launched Good Guy’s, a bright and welcoming wine bar inspired by the vibrant bar cultures of Paris, Barcelona, and San Sebastian.

Good Guy’s offers a diverse selection of cocktails, low- and no-alcohol drinks, and an of-the-moment wine list curated by Forsythia’s Charlotte Mirzoeff. Highlights include creative spritzes like the Long Legs (Luxardo Bitter, cocoa, and Lambrusco) and pét-nats paired with shareable toasts and dips. A wide selection of vinyl records and a convivial atmosphere make Good Guy’s a natural extension of Manhattan’s celebrated bar culture. “We view the wine program as a natural extension of our spritz offerings: creative, approachable, and globally influenced,” Ross explains.

Read imbibes feature on them here: https://imbibemagazine.com/imbibe-75-place-to-watch-good-guys/

The Broader Context: A Year of Innovation and Connection

Both Gilly’s and Good Guy’s reflect broader trends highlighted in this year’s Imbibe 75. Across the industry, there’s a renewed focus on creating welcoming, accessible spaces that prioritize community and quality over exclusivity. Bars like Gilly’s embrace affordability without compromising craftsmanship, while venues like Good Guy’s challenge traditional expectations by blending wine culture with cocktail creativity.

These efforts are part of a larger movement toward inclusivity and sustainability within the drinks world. From Maui bartender Mari Howe, who is helping her community recover from wildfires, to distiller Howard Conyers, who preserves Black culinary history through moonshine, the Imbibe 75 celebrates individuals and establishments working to make the industry more dynamic and impactful.

But my favorite feature they did was this one.

Papi Portland is my favorite cocktail bar in my favorite cocktail bar city, Portland ME. I Have spoken about this bar a few times here but ill write a full breakdown next week on why this place is so amazing, but the incredible mind behind this amazing bar Lyanna Sanabria, was featured in the Imbibe 75 and she fully completely deserves it!

I have gotten to sit at her bar and be served by her and it was such a pleasure and she runs an incredible program in a very ambitious and incredible bar.

Looking Ahead

The 2025 Imbibe 75 showcases the innovation, resilience, and creativity shaping the way we drink. Whether it’s enjoying a $12 cocktail at Gilly’s, sipping a spritz at Good Guy’s, or exploring other featured bars and individuals, this year’s list serves as a guide to the evolving drinkscape and a reminder of the connections and experiences that make it all worthwhile. Cheers to the spaces and people leading the way into 2025.