Thoughts of tequila immediately conjure up images of life south of the border. Rightfully so, since it is the birthplace of the drink. But tequila’s roots run deep in America-- including a region known more for lutefisk than the fish taco.
Minnesota is the birthplace of the high-quality tequila, Ambhar. Ambhar is the brainchild of Billy O’Rourke, a native of the "Land of Ten Thousand Lakes" and Senior Vice President of Santo Spirits, Inc. of Austin, Texas.
The Minnesota native got involved in the tequila business shortly after moving to Mexico. O’Rourke served as an adviser to former Mexican President Vicente Fox for 12 years before heading up the American consulate in Cancun.
During his stint in politics, O'Rourke consulted with many big-name US companies and eventually became a partner in the famed Coco Bongo nightclubs chain found throughout Mexico. It was through the nightlife industry that O’Rourke first met Don Julio Jr. O’Rourke became a frequent visitor to Coco Bongo in Cancun, and became well acquainted with the entrepreneur and businessman. Knowing that the Julio name is synonymous with tequila, O’Rourke asked his new friend to introduce him to the tequila business. From that friendship, Ambhar Tequila was born, thus creating a new, higher standard for quality in the industry.
Ambhar Tequila is distilled an unparalleled five times and is made from a unique combination of highland and lowland 100 percent blue agave. This combination and chemistry provides an unmistakably smooth flavor. The tequila is artisanal, ultra-premium and hand-crafted in small batches. It is produced at a small distillery in Jalisco, Mexico, and is available in Platinum, Reposado and Añejo variations.
Ambhar Tequila has been awarded numerous medals internationally and nationally and is imported by Santo Spirits, Inc. in Austin, Texas. More information on the company can be found at Ambhar.com.
Distillery: Santo Spirits is partnered with Hacienda de Guadalupe, Cpiall de Guadalupe, Jalisco, Mexico
Bottle Producer: Pavisa
Importer: Santo Spirits, Austin, TX
Distributors:
Nevada – Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada
Texas – Glazer’s Distributors
Minnesota – Johnson Distributors
Washington D.C. – Premium Distributors
Wyoming – State of Wyoming
Kristi Sauer is the editor of twincitiesrestaurantblog.com. Ryan Sloane contributed to this article.
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