Good Morning! This week has been personally insane but also very fun! I brought my oldest to preschool for the first time ever yesterday 🥲 and to get myself ready for that I drank copious amounts of tequila at the Goodjuice X Ember & Alma event on Wednesday. Okay, I didn’t drink copious amounts of tequila because my baby was going to school, I did it because I would have had the worst ever FOMO if I didn’t. It was worth it, and I met some incredible people and brands that I will definitely be featuring in the coming weeks.

I will be telling you all about the event but before I do that I wanted to make sure we talked about something very important: Hispanic Heritage Month. Seeing that we love to talk about tequila, mezcal, and lots of other Central and South American Spirits, we want to recognize the significance of this month and how we can honor and celebrate it.

And why does it not start at the beginning of the month?

There is almost always a demographic that is recognized nationally (in the U.S.) each month to help spread awareness or recognition. My first ever newsletter with In Good Spirits was about celebrating BIPOC and People with Disabilities since it was released during a month that recognized both demographics with a focus on mental health. This “month”, which actually just started on September 15, is centered around the contributions to American history and culture by Hispanic people.

It is important to note that the terms “Hispanic” and “Latino/Latina/Latinx” can often be used interchangeably when they are actually very distinct differences to those who identify as such. The best explanation I’ve found is from The National Museum of the American Latino which says:

“Hispanic and Latino are the two most used terms to describe Americans with Latin American and Caribbean ancestry. You may often see these terms used interchangeably, but different people understand and use these terms differently. The National Museum of the American Latino uses the term “Latino” to describe the diverse residents of the United States with cultural or ancestral ties to Latin America or the Caribbean. For many, the term "Latino" also creates room for acknowledging Black, Indigenous, Asian, and other heritages on equal terms with European ancestry. The term “Hispanic” is used to signal a connection to Spain or the Spanish language.”

And the reason it starts on the 15th and not the 1st? That’s because 5 countries celebrate independence from Spain that very day: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua; and three others follow within the designated timeframe: Mexico (Sept. 16), Chile (Sept. 18), and Belize (Sept. 21).

People and places that you should know about

According to the National Restaurant Association: “The restaurant and foodservice industry is the nation’s second largest private sector employer, providing 15.7 million jobs – or 10% of the total U.S. workforce.” The data brief they put out in April of this year actually has tons of incredible information about industry demographics, one of which is that 27% of restaurant and foodservice employees are Hispanic. So here is a very small sample of Hispanic owned and/or operated restaurants, and people that you should check out:

Papi - Portland, ME: Lui has been telling me to go here for years and somehow every time I’ve been to Portland I just haven’t been able to make it happen. The founder, LyAnna Sanabria, is of Puerto Rican heritage and grew up in New England. In addition to helping build an incredible bar program she also is “working with Turning Tables NOLA to establish a non-profit that addresses industry access and representation needs in Maine and the greater New England region.”

Broken Spanish - Los Angeles, CA: Directly from their website: “Broken Spanish follows the evolution of its chef, Ray Garcia. An amalgamation of the classically trained chef, born and raised in Los Angeles, with the powerful influence of a Latin upbringing. Drawing inspiration and flavors from a diverse community, Broken Spanish offers an experience that is Unique, Characteristic, and Beautiful.” It’s also worth noting that Chef Ray Garcia has been awarded and is known for his dedication to sustainability in the industry. He ‘s passionate about responsible farming and food sourcing.

elNico - Williamsburg, NY: This spot was designed to “blend vibrant Latin American traditions with forward-looking, globally inspired cuisine.” The chef, Fernanda Serrano, grew up in Mexico City and has worked in some impressive and prestigious kitchens. She has taken all of her experiences and used them to develop her menu in a way that honors tradition but infuses new ideas from all over. In addition, the bar program is centered around agave spirits and its beverage director is James Beard Award-winning author Leo Robitsche. Yet again a great example of sustainability in practice, their beverage program is “aiming to be as zero-waste as possible. Cocktail ingredients are sourced by upcycling elements from the kitchen, derivatives of Serrano’s dishes.”

Spirits list and everything you missed

This past Wednesday Lui hosted an event by Goodjuice at his restaurant Ember & Alma. I was so excited to attend and it was somehow even better than I expected. The turnout was incredible. I spoke to locals and people who traveled from far and wide to attend. The tequila community is full of some of the nicest people I’ve met of late and the conversations were informative and fun.

The organizer of the event, Goodjuice, is meticulous in selecting the brands featured. I’m hoping to be able to do a more detailed newsletter segment about who they are and what they do in the near future but for now check out their upcoming events and definitely try to attend one if you can. The brands represented were: Arette, G4, Ultramundo Mezcal, Palomo Mezcal, El Acabo, Zumbador Tequila, Wild Common, Cazcanes, Alma Del Jaguar, Montagave, Cascahuin, Tequila Ocho, and Don Vicente. These brands are all putting quality and transparency at the top of their priorities and it truly shows when you taste them. Since I can’t tell you everything about all of these spirits in this one newsletter, make sure to keep your eyes out in the coming weeks for us to deliver some closer looks and exciting upcoming release dates.

Lui and his staff were incredible as always, making not only incredible food to accompany the tasting, but four unique cocktails featuring the brands in attendance. The attention to detail made the whole thing an experience more than just an event.

It was obvious to everyone in attendance that the staff at Ember & Alma is amazing. The regulars among them mentioned the high caliber service that they consistently get there and how it keeps them coming back. I just want to shout out the whole staff and let them know that their praises were being sung loudly in that room.

This made me feel so much better about all the tequila I had on Wednesday. Pretty sure I didn’t even hit a full PSL! Obviously health and wellness is a strength of mine. All jokes aside, calories are a silly way to measure life, you should just drink what makes you happy (in moderation).

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