Good morning and welcome to another week of In Good Spirits! If you’re joining us for the first time, welcome, and make sure to read to the end to learn all about our inaugural Cocktail Competition where you have a chance to submit your own cocktail recipe and win $500!

The CRT, Tequila’s Regulatory Body pushes back on Additive Free Programs, creates their own.

In a move that's stirring up controversy, The Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT) recently announced a plan to launch its own additive-free labeling program. On the surface, this appears to be a step in the right direction for consumers seeking truth in what they’re drinking. After all, the CRT wants you to believe that this governing body exists to protect the integrity of Mexico’s national drink.

While tequila additives – glycerin, oak extract, caramel coloring, and sugar-based syrup – has drawn the ire of discerning spirit drinkers, the CRT has yet to take the lead in promoting additive-free options.

While not citing any specific organizations, the CRT's actions appear to undermine, or at the very least, mimic the efforts of organizations like Tequila Matchmaker's Additive-Free Alliance. For those unaware, Tequila Matchmaker, launched in 2020, conducts rigorous distillery and product inspections, awarding a distinctive certification to brands that are proven to be additive-free. The TMM platform also allows for individuals to rank and review different tequila brands, aggregating the scores. Think Rotten Tomatoes but for tequila brands instead of movies.

Tequila Matchmaker for their part, did respond, lauding the update as a win, saying “If you’ve been an advocate for additive free tequilas you are partly responsible.”

TMM was intended to promote transparency in the industry, so if the CRT was to take matters into its own hands, it’s easy to see why they would consider this a positive development for the industry.

On the other side of the coin, Content Creators such as Jay Baer, weren’t as positive, pointing out some concerns with the CRT’s announcement. In a recent IG post he wrote:

Our Take: The work the good folks at Tequila Matchmaker have been doing over the last several years shouldn’t just be erased or overlooked. TMM has been leading the charge on this front with a meticulously thorough approach that has made a lasting impact on the tequila industry. While it is a good thing that the CRT is finally admitting that addressing additives is crucial for maintaining integrity, it remains to be seen if its process will be as trusted or as rigorous as Tequila Matchmaker.

Cheers to Her!
Celebrating Women in Cocktails and Spirits

Did you know: About 60% of all Bartenders are women.

And that’s considering it used to be illegal for women to be bartenders.

As we approach International Women's Day, it's crucial to recognize the pivotal role women have played in shaping the bar and cocktail scene as it is today. And women continue to shape this industry as trailblazers and innovators today, despite still dealing with bullsh*t inequality despite making up 60% of the industry. 

No matter where you look, its hard to miss how influential women have been in this space, from early pioneers like London’s Ada Coleman (creator of the Hanky Panky, an early variation of the sweet Martini) to contemporary icons shaping the present & future such as :

Julie Reiner, author and featured judge on Netflix’s DrinkMasters, and an absolute powerhouse behind some of NYC’s greatest cocktail spots The Clover Club, Miladys, and Leyenda.

Ivy Mix and Lynnette Marrero founded Speed Rack, a competition that empowers female bartenders and also raises funds for breast cancer charities. Ivy co-owns the previously mentioned Leyenda, and is also an author, having written the most influential cocktail book Lui has ever read, Spirits of Latin America.

Lindsey Johnson, Founder of Portland Cocktail Week & Camp Runamok— a popular summer camp for bartenders.

Kaitlyn Stewart, Diageo World Class Bartender of the Year 2017, has been a force on social media. With over 700,000 combined followers across her Instagram & TikTok she has been a major influence in the digital space & beyond.

Kate Gerwin, (@AlchemistKate ) finalist on DrinkMasters and owner of Happy Accidents in Albuquerque NM, won Bartender of the Year in 2023 and continues to be a force.

And a special shout out to someone who we think is absolutely killing it at the moment, Lyanna Sanabria, who is the co-founder of possibly the coolest bar in Portland ME—Papi,— a spot that is really pushing the envelope with their innovative cocktail program.

Conclusion: There are so many women that we could highlight who are inspiring and shaping this crazy cocktail space. It shouldn’t take things such as National Women's History Month and International Women's Day to celebrate and honor women, especially in this industry. Let's celebrate, support, and uplift women in the bar community, and quit being such weirdos about it.

Cocktail Recipe:

Trying something different this week and sharing with you all one of my original recipes. I haven’t shared this on any social media platform yet, so you guys are getting an exclusive look into one of my favorite original creations, The Tropical Gangster

Submit an Original Cocktail & You Could Win $500!

In case you somehow missed it, we are running a cocktail contest and YOU COULD WIN $500!

In honor of this new Newsletter, which we launched last week, and as a way to give back to the community, we are hosting our inaugural cocktail competition!

Rules:

1. Submit an original cocktail that uses a South or Latin American flavor(s)

2. You have until Monday, March 18th to submit your cocktail.

3. Must be an original cocktail.

4. I will select 5 finalists and remake the cocktails in a video, before announcing the winner in that same video.

Good Luck!

🍹In Other News

• Anheuser-Busch and the Teamsters union reached a tentative agreement to avoid a major strike that could have disrupted beer production nationwide.

• March 3rd was Bottled-in-bond day, and The Educated Barfly posted a great recap of the history of bottled in bond.

• The Table Boston Saga continues