Agave Week

I was invited to attend Agave Week NOLA by Yelp. It was my first Yelp Elite event, so I didn't really know what to expect. Wow, what an experience! It was very educational and entertaining at the same time. I had no idea making good tequila takes so much work. Agave has to be grown for many many years and harvested at a certain time to make sure it is not bitter. If it is grown and harvested naturally, it should be pollinated by bats. I was always wondering what that sticker on the bottle was all about. That means it is a high quality tequila that was bat pollinated. I am trying to be health conscious, so I used to buy agave syrup a lot. I learned that it is processed just like corn syrup, so it is not as natural and organic as it's advertised. I will need to look for other options for a sweetener. As for the event organization, I really appreciate all the work they put into it. Excellent food, excellent seminars/presentations, live music by Vivaz, we all got a chance to make our own spices for the glass rim an take them home in cute little Mason jars. Now I need to decide which recipe i want to use it in:)

I've been to rum distilleries, brewery tours, and bourbon tours but Agave week was the best alcohol-making teaching I've been to. All the more, I associate tequila with a great time. It was extremely interactive and more than awesome. Agave week was extremely worth it. Prior to the seminar, there were small bites like muffalettas and a charcuterie board to start. There were also Tesoro tequila tastings of their featured flavors to start the night - Paradiso was my favorite. I could really taste the slight differences among their tequila flavors Those were definitely not the last of the tastings of the night though. At the seminar, it was complete with the background of Tesoro, how they make their tequila, and yes, more tastings.After the seminar, I was full of knowledge and there was an event afterward complete with cooking demonstrations and crafting a spice topping to apply that knowledge for yes.. more tastings (in the form of a margarita and paloma). Overall, I was amazed by this event from the tastings, interactive features, and learning about how Tesoro makes their products. Thank you Agave week (and Yelp!)!

This event was even better than I imagined. I learned more about agave and how it relates to tequila during a short seminar than I learned during my lifetime. El Tesoro is a remarkably tasty tequila that takes tequila crafting seriously. It's not only a quality tequila, but it is also a brand that sources agave responsibly. I had no idea that this coveted plant was over harvested to the point where it threatened the environment. The long-nose bat, the tiny mammal responsible for pollinating agave plants has reportedly recovered from near extinction, in part because of the efforts of responsible agave harvesters. The bat requires mature plants to pollinate, so El Tesoro allows 5% of their harvest to mature in order to protect this precious species. Even if it means they reduce their profit in the process. Now, that's something to toast to!Following the seminar, I was invited to attend the Night in Paradiso event which was a blast! I was able to sample many varieties of El Tesoro, and I even made my own cocktail rim of herbs to take home. The night was enhanced by the smooth sounds of the Vivas band, and a delicious cooking demo by Restaurateur of the Year Edgar Caro! All in all one of my favorite events attended as a Yelper.

I absolutely enjoyed the seminar and tasting, El Tesoro: Great Tequila is Worth the Wait. El Tesoro's brand ambassador was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. I enjoyed the history of the distillery as well as the explanation of how the agave is harvested to make this awesome tequila. My favorite was the Blanco. It was sweet and smooth. I can't wait to try it in a margarita!! I enjoyed the Paradiso next. I definitely tasted the butterscotch and honey. The seminar and tasting itself was 45 minutes. I love this. It was the perfect amount of time. I would have loved to make a mixed drink though.

Far exceeded my expectations! Great background on uniqueness of the beverage and in depth analysis on problems in the industry. I had no idea what goes into one bottle! Food and cheeses were top notch. Pleased to have been chosen to attend

Such a fantastic fun week in NOLA. Almost like a mini Tales of the Cocktail, but solely centered around agave. Each night was different focusing on different types of agave alcohol and drinks. Many of the events gave great information and fun learning experiences without being a snooze. The food served at each event was yummy but often ran out early. Perhaps my favorite event was the Margarita 101 thrown by Patron. I learned SO MUCH about tequila and the history of the margarita. Then we made our own! Bummed Top Taco had to be postponed till May this year but I know, from attending years past, it'll be a blast regardless.

I came here today for the Monday night Agave Week Very interesting information about Tesoro Tequilas Information Education Tequila tastings and Food. After the seminar information there was a social with two different margaritas to enjoy More food. And Latin music. Very nice evening

What a great, classy event! I was able to attend the Night in Paradiso and it was very fun! I get there at 8 o'clock. Check in was easy. First I went to a rear room, but nothing was going on. The bartenders that were there said that that room had just closed but we were welcome to help ourselves the remaining tequila. I was a completely at a loss, having had not so great memories of tequila in the past. and a very nice young man who is in town from New York help me select one to taste; the repasado. He explained that this course was actually included steps and classes needed to become licensedby the Mexican state that produces tequila. He asked what type of flavor I was looking for I wanted it peppery or smooth sweet or oaky. We took our drinks and went into the main room where there was amazing music two beverage stations, a spice rim station and the mole station. I did not have any of the mole. I did have the passion fruit cocktail which was delicious as well as a sip of the Paradiso tequila which was so smooth and excellent it actually had a finish like cognac I wish I had been able to attend the classes. Everybody I talk to really enjoyed it and received a wealth of information. these were people with varying degrees of interest in tequila.

I was invited to come Monday and went to the last seminar and the Night in Paradiso which exceeded my expectations. I was able to bring a plus one and we did not think this event would be so hands on and fun. We first went to the seminar about how great tequila takes time and realized the differences in the tequila, which is very shocking. I'm not a big tequila fan (bad memories, haha); however, there were distinct flavors of each bottle. We had amazing tacos and made our own spices for our drinks!

I attended the Agave Week Night in Paradiso and loved it! It was centered around tequila made by El TESORO. You could sample the various kinds of tequila made by this brand: the blank, repasado, anejo, and super anejo. This was a great way to experience the complexity of different tequilas, and how the oak barrel really contributes to the depth of flavor the longer it's aged. They also had a spice station to make your own spice blend to rim your cocktails! They had different chili peppers, salts, sugars, and herbs to choose from. I made mine with sugar, lavender, Black Sea salt, and a hint of chili. They even supplied small airtight jars to take your spices home which was really cool! The cocktail were great and I enjoyed the Passion Paloma made with the repasado tequila and passionfruit (rimmed with my own spices of course). They had a taco demo which was hard to watch because of the space. I wish they had live streamed it to the screen behind the band so everyone could see. Definitely one of the top 5 best tacos I've ever eaten. Lastly the band, they were amazing!! At one point they played one of my favorites, Oy Como Va by Santana and for a moment thought I was at a concert. I loved the event, and the space and would definitely come back in the future.