Tequila makers cook the piñas in ovens, sometimes in tequila factories.
To him, the motive behind the proposed law was clear: big companies, especially tequila makers, were threatened by the rising popularity of all things agave.
Inspired by high-end tequila makers in the 1990s who turned the Mexican liquor used in margaritas into a posh tipple now savored on its own, Luttmann pitches his cachaça as smoother and more refined than less expensive rivals, including Pirassununga Cachaça 51, the category leader.
Nowadays, tequila makers encourage drinkers and bartenders to use their blancos as a substitute for rum in drinks like mojitos.
And Governor Brewer says she's OK with that but wants in return his support for Arizona's plan to eliminate the irritating Federal Alcohol Administration Act, which prohibits her state's tequila makers from labeling their products as Seven-Up or Sprite and shipping them across state lines.
The Americanised Cinco de Mayo is promoted by tequila-makers and popularly known as "Cinco de Drinko".
The Sixth Circuit ruled that Jose Cuervo can't use a red dripping wax seal on its bottles of premium tequila, since customers might confuse the tequila for Maker's Mark bourbon.
He said the red dripping wax on tequila bottles would be confusing since it is a "hallmark" of Maker's Mark, where it has graced bottles since 1958 and has been a registered trademark since 1985.
Tequila, with its special dispensation, became a center of production; its makers acquired money and status, exemplifying what one academic calls "the hacienda fantasy heritage".
