I started out my morning speaking to Graciela Gonzales, brand ambassador of the 100% agave Exotico and El Mayor Tequila, about her tequilas and their superb sipping quality. Grace explained that their distillery is located in the middle of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, and the city has very high-quality water which is the foundation of their brand alongside their generations of tradtion of fantastic tequila making.
The Hennessy Expierence was among one of the most technical tastings as we were brought there to learn the jobs of the official tasters who sample 40-100 cognacs a day in order to properly catagorize and sell their brand. Even master Olivier Paultes was in attendance to teach us how to taste the varietals of Hennessy correctly and what to look for while tasting them.
I ended my day with the USBG Make It Exotico Competition presented by Exotico Tequila and the Masters of Moonshine Finale presented by Ole Smokey Distillery. Both events pitted bartenders from across the country against each other in order to win the most delicious drink. Really, the audience wins no matter what.