This page is for the people behind the bar and on the floor. Keep it open on your phone during a shift, or print the one-page version.

The one-liner

"Awevo's a blanco from 100% blue agave, made at Refugio in El Arenal. The agave cooks 48 hours in old-school hornos, so it tastes like cooked agave."

Say it like that. You don't need more unless they ask.

On the label: Soy tu esquina y sigue luchando. I'm in your corner. Keep fighting. La Esquina →

When a guest asks for tequila

Ask two quick things:

Sipping or mixing? Awevo works for both.
What do they usually like? If they drink blancos, or like a tequila that tastes like agave and not vanilla, Awevo's a good call. If they want something oaky, steer them to an aged tequila.

Hornos, without the lecture

Agave has to be cooked before it can be fermented. Awevo's piñas cook for 48 hours at 180°F in hornos, which are traditional brick ovens. Other tequilas use autoclaves, which are pressure cookers and much faster, or diffusers, which pull sugar out of raw shredded agave.

If a guest asks which is better, the honest answer is that it's taste. Hornos tend to give more cooked-agave and caramel notes. Don't knock other brands. The long version is on our hornos vs. autoclave page.

Reading a tequila label

"100% agave" means all the sugar came from blue agave. Without it, it's a mixto (51% agave minimum).
NOM is the distillery number. Awevo is NOM 1549, Destiladora Refugio. Anyone can look a NOM up in the CRT registry.
CRT is the Consejo Regulador del Tequila, the body that certifies tequila.

Tasting a blanco

Pour a little into a copita or a small tulip glass at room temperature. Let it sit a minute. Smell it with your mouth slightly open so the alcohol doesn't hit you first. Look for cooked agave, citrus, pepper, a little earth. Then take a small sip and hold it before you swallow.

Good to know: Awevo is 40% ABV, 80 proof, about 98 calories per 1.5 oz pour.

Food it goes with

A blanco's bright and clean, so it's at home next to citrus and seafood. Try it with ceviche, aguachile, fish tacos, carnitas or a citrus salad. Acid and a little fat both work.

House specs

Awevo Margarita

2 oz Awevo Blanco, 1 oz fresh lime juice, ¾ oz orange liqueur, ¼ oz agave syrup (optional). Shake hard with ice, strain over fresh ice in a salt-rimmed rocks glass. Lime wheel.

Paloma

2 oz Awevo Blanco, ½ oz fresh lime juice, pinch of salt, grapefruit soda to top. Build over ice in a tall glass, stir once. Grapefruit wedge.

Cantarito

2 oz Awevo Blanco, ½ oz each fresh orange, lime and grapefruit juice, pinch of salt, grapefruit soda to top. Build over ice in a clay cantarito or tall glass, stir.

Neat

2 oz Awevo Blanco at room temperature in a copita or small rocks glass.

Serving responsibly

Check ID for anyone who looks under 30. 21+ only.
A standard drink is 1.5 oz of 80-proof spirit. Keep track of doubles.
If a guest is showing signs of intoxication, stop serving, offer water and food, and help them get home safely. Loop in your manager.
In California, servers and managers need Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) certification. Training and the exam are on the California ABC RBS page.

Printable version and questions

A one-page version of this guide is available for staff training. Ask us for a copy from the trade page, or call 619.742.4360. For quick brand facts, see the FAQ.

Bar guide: serving Awevo Tequila