This news story appeared in the May issue of Australian Bartender
By Simon McGoram
You don’t need to be a wizard to see that Mexican themed bars and agave spirits are on the rise in Australia. With Touché Hombre opening recently in Melbourne, El Publico in Perth and Tio’s Cervecería in Sydney, never has Australia had a better selection of joints to sip on a tequila e sangrita.
Statisticians agree too. A Roy Morgan poll canvasing 120,000 people between 2006 and 2011 who said they’d had a drink in the previous four weeks found an 8 per cent drop in drinking compared to the previous five years. Despite this significant drop the Tequila category has been booming with a 50 per cent increase over the same period.
Reece Griffiths from Sydney’s Low 302, who has recently returned from a year away in Mexico and Central America, explains the Mexican phenomenon.
“For me, the people and the culture of Mexico are magnetic,” explains Griffiths. “I’m always drawn back there. For food, drink and lifestyle the Oaxacan coast is the Mecca for surfers and agave lovers.”
“I think that Mexico offers a new frontier of travel for most Australians,” continues Griffiths. “It is dirt cheap, easily accessible from the states and offers huge diversity. I think the boom in agave spirits shows an evolving perception of the category. It is no longer being seen as a cheap path to getting hammered, but for a quality product, for mixing and savouring.”