Health nuts rejoice! It looks like liquor companies are embracing the organic craze sweeping the food industry. Don Cosme Tequila is the newest member of the tequila family to make its way to Florida, as well as the newest member of the organic tequila club.
Don Cosme has been distilling this spirit for over 100 years in Jalisco, Mexico, also known as the birthplace of tequila. Three years ago, they decided to start producing organic tequila.
It's certified organic in the United States, Europe and Mexico, and comes in three flavors: blanco, reposado and anejo. Organic tequila is generally healthier because the blue agave is not grown with herbicides or pesticides, says Claus Litzbarski, Florida distributor of Don Cosme tequila.
The certification process is conducted by the Tequila Regulatory Council in Mexico.
The firm first started marketing the brand in Texas, then came to Florida a year ago. There are already over a two dozen organic tequilas on the market; the first one came out in 2006, but so far Don Cosme has had good sales in South Florida.
"Nobody here has heard of organic tequila, so I think we're number one," says Litzbarski, who also happens to be married to the daughter of the company's owner. "You have to take a risk and try to make something better and different."
Distilled in small batches of only 200 liters, the organic tequila has a stronger agave taste and can be stronger than conventional tequila.
A few other reasons organic tequila is good for you: free of synthetic substances, contains no antibiotics or hormones and no genetically modified organisms. Not only that, but organic agave farming is better for the environment because the compost heaps are made into liquid waste, purified into greywater and used for irrigation.
Litzbarski will be handing out free samples of Don Cosme's organic tequila at Milam's Supermarket on US Highway 1 in Coconut Grove tomorrow at 5 p.m., so get on over and drink to your health.
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