Tequila Matchmaker Re-Launches its Additive Free Program as a separate Non-Profit

We've been following & covering the ongoing situation with Tequila Matchmaker and the CRT for a few months now (see: Trouble in Tequila, & Tequila Matchmaker fights back) and while Grover and Scarlett Sanschagrin continue to navigate legal challenges stemming from the raid on their Mexican headquarters, their dedication to their program attempting to promote transparency and clarity in tequila seems to be unwavering.

In a recent post and video release, Grover made the announcement that the Additive Free Alliance was officially re-launching as a 501c3 non-profit organization. The Additive Free Alliance is the name for brands that have been confirmed additive free by Tequila Matchmaker.

But lets take a moment to clear something up because it can get a little confusing.

After the raid on their Mexican office and home, many wondered if TMM would continue to operate their additive free program, or if they would even be able to continue operating Tequila Matchmaker itself.

This move not only enhances the AFA's credibility but also expands its resources and capabilities. So lets break down what this announcement means.

As a non-profit, the AFA should be able to foster more trust and enable a broader focus on consumer education and advocacy. Which is something folks have criticized them for in the past. Despite always pushing back on this, some people still criticized the Additive Free Alliance saying it was only to make money from the brands.

In the announcement video, one of the interesting things Grover brought up was that once they Receive their 501c3 status (a.k.a their non-profit status) all membership fees will be retroactively tax deductible. This will actually give even more of a benefit to the brands who participate because it won’t just be a sunk cost, making it a bit easier for brands who want to participate.

The AFA's confirmation process has also changed. Brands now achieve and maintain additive-free status through lab testing of commercial products available in everyday stores, eliminating the on-site distillery visits and more observational analysis methods. Some Tequila brands were unable to participate in the prior program due to being unable to bring people into their distilleries because of privacy contracts.

And the final big announcement is that the Additive Free Alliance isn’t just going to be about Tequila any longer, it will include any Agave based spirits. With their first non-tequila spirit being Blue Weber Vodka (we don’t understand why someone would ever want an agave vodka… but that’s neither here not there). This is a great move because people have often asked about additives in Mezcal and other agave spirits, but there was never anything .

Our Take: This is a huge step forward for Tequila Matchmaker, The Additive Free Alliance, and for Grover & Scarlet. There has been a lot of turmoil with them recently but it looks like they aren’t going to let their legal troubles deter them from their vision.

These new initiatives from the outset sound really good as it addresses a lot of the criticisms people have had with TMM over the last few years. And it shows an intent to grow this into something bigger, now only time will tell how this will play out. But it sounds good.

I Finally Visited the Fortaleza Distillery

So I finally got to spend a few days at the Fortaleza Distillery for the Launch of the new Winter Blend 2024 after having missed last years Winter Blend press trip due to my wedding being the exact same week. And even though, Aeromexico lost my luggage I made it home (and 2 days later my bottle of the WB24 did as well!)

I will be working on editing the footage I took while down there, but after the amount of trips I’ve been on these last few weeks and months my editor and I are a little backed up, so ill give some slight insight here but keep a look out for that video when it comes out.

So myself, some select content creators and spirits and drinks writers were all there to taste the new Winter Blend 2024 release. The winter blend is a special limited released Fortaleza does every year, with each year being different.

But before we get to that, I want to show you guys something. I keep getting comments and messages saying “Why can’t I find any Fortaleza?” and even “I’m pretty sure Fortaleza doesn’t exist and is just a made up brand because we never see any of it in stores”

Well… here’s why:

These three single stills… are what makes ALL of the Fortaleza and Los Abuelos (their brand name in Mexico).

This one singular Tahona pit is responsible for crushing all of the agave they use to make their tequila.

So what I’m trying to say is. Fortaleza is a tiny brand in the grand scheme of things.

Moving along to the Winter Blend itself:

This years Winter Blend just might be my favorite. Its a blend of tequila aged in Cream Sherry Casks and their regular Reposado. Its a little citrussy and creamy. Velvety texture and just oh so so delicious.

Anyway, keep an eye out both for more Videos about the Winter Blend as well as from my trip. I cant wait to show you all how incredible this trip was.

Best Video We Saw This Week:

driftersjoint

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So this video was from a few weeks ago, but its such a special type of content that we have to highlight it. Most cocktail content creators have the spotlight and camera pointed at themselves to show off recipes and how to make drinks.

While Josh does that too (and does it quite well we want to add), he recently started this series where he points the camera the other way, at bartenders and bars to highlight the things we love about them and what makes them special. He has made a video highlighting the Irish Coffee in San Francisco and the art of throwing a cocktail in Mexico City.

He gives rich, often poetic descriptions and thoughts through a smooth voice over while putting the focus squarely on those in the field. Its beautiful visual storytelling at its best. And something I have not seen anyone else do. This gives context to these techniques and opens up our bartending world to the larger online audience.

We often get criticized as Content Creators for many things, one being that many of us no longer or have ever worked at bars. While I personally don’t see a problem with that, its a criticism we still receive. I think this type of content does a beautiful job of using a platform to highlight some of the best in the industry.

And we for one hope Josh continues to do this. And lets try something new, go comment on his latest Art of the Bartender video saying telling him to keep doing this. And maybe tell him Lui sent you!

In Other News:

• I just launched a Video This week on Better Brands than Captain Morgan & How to make your own Spiced Rum!

• Ireland’s first Whiskey Hotel is slated to open