CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cinco de Mayo might be an excuse for everyone to indulge in Mexican food and drinks, but tequila has cemented its place in Northeast Ohio bars far beyond the spring holiday.
The variety of bottles available to buy in Ohio has also grown in the 2020s. Since 2021, Ohio has added nearly 250 products to its portfolio. Typically, there are three main categories of tequila – blanco, reposado and añejo. Blanco, also called silver or plata, is clear tequila that is typically unaged or spends less than 60 days in a barrel. Reposado, which means “rested” in Spanish, is a deep gold tequila that must be aged for at least 60 days before going in the bottle. Añejo, translating to old in English, must be aged for at least a year.
Agave & Rye tries to carry at least 65 to 70 offerings of tequila and bourbon, respectively, behind the bar at its 17 restaurant locations. Depending on the availability of brands in the five states that the restaurant operates in, some Agave & Rye bars can stock up to 90 varieties. “That’s kind of the go-to drink,” Britt said. “Overall about 80 percent of our house cocktails that sell are ones with tequila.”Kyuu-Juu pop-up gives Cleveland a taste of contemporary Japanese tapas
To make its agave spirits particularly smooth, Western Reserve Distillers double distills the spirits. Additionally, all of the agave spirits are barrel-aged, even the blanco. It spends 2 weeks to 30 days in a whiskey barrel and then its carbon filtered so it stays clear.