Leading San Francisco Restaurant, Tres Agaves,
Proud to Feature Partida Tequila

Tres Agaves, named one of San Francisco's top 10 restaurants in 2006 by the San Francisco Chronicle, offers authentic Mexican fare and tequila pairings to aficionados interested in learning about the customary food and drink of Mexico. Named after the three types of 100% blue agave tequilas, Tres Agaves' traditional cuisine is from the region of Jalisco in the Central Highlands of Mexico, considered the birthplace of tequila.

Tres Agaves maintains the authenticity of the Mexican food experience by only serving foods that originated in Jalisco. When asked about the difficulty of retaining that authenticity Eric Rubin, managing partner in Tres Agaves said, "We are very passionate about the food of Jalisco, which is all we serve. We get the occasional customer that requests chimichangas or fajitas but we don't do those dishes because they are not authentic."

Also well-known for their tequila bar and beverage program, Tres Agaves won the 2006 Grand Spirits Hospitality Award by Santé Magazine. The Beverage Program is very tequila-focused with 30 tequila brands prominently displayed behind the bar. Rubin explains, "Any other distilled spirits are out of view because we are all about 100% agave tequila!" In order to make room for another tequila one must be dropped from the list. Of the 30 tequilas offered Partida Blanco, Reposado and Añejo all made the cut.

"There have been quite a few new brands introduced recently but Partida beats all of them hands-down in terms of how well it resonates with our customers," said Rubin enthusiastically. "Partida is a brand that aficionados are proud to say that they 'discovered,' and we're proud to have introduced Partida Tequila to so many of our customers."

Eric Felten gives a bit of history behind the tequila making process and reviews the Partida Blanco focusing on the elegant bottle design in the Weekend Edition of The Wall Street Journal.

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Premium Tequilas Change Public Perceptions

The not too distant concept of the tequila hangover is shattered as more people become aware of ultra-premium tequilas including Partida Tequila. Kelly Carter, USA Today explains how premium tequilas have changed the image of tequila on the whole.

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Cool and refreshing, Partida Margarita please

In the May issue of Cheers magazine, Chill Factor features the quick and easy to make, Partida Margarita with 100% Agave Nectar as a new summer tradition.

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Noteworthy Tequila: Partida Tequila

Beverage Authority describes Partida Tequila as noteworthy new tequila while emphasizing the notable qualities of the Blanco, Reposado and Añejo.

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Partida Welcomes Thomas Smitherman, Southeast Regional Manager

Indiana native Thomas Smitherman recently joined the Partida Team as the Southeast Regional Manager. A graduate of the University of Maryland and the Culinary Institute of America, Thomas brings a wealth of culinary, restaurant, hospitality, and wine & spirits knowledge to the Partida team.

Prior to joining Partida Tequila, Smitherman worked as the regional manager for Francis Ford Coppola Presents in Florida. Smitherman oversaw all sales, marketing and brand development for their ultra-premium wine portfolio. Prior to that, Smitherman worked at National Distributing Company (NDC) in Florida. He has on-premise experience as a general manager at Sullivan's Steakhouse in Delaware and Capital Grill Steakhouse in Washington, DC. "Smitherman brings significant experience in the on-premise channel," said Mike Jaeger, President and COO, Partida Tequila. "He also has solid relationships in the market with distributors and key accounts."

When asked about the departure from the wine world, Smitherman said, "A fine spirit such as Partida is not very different from fine wine, but there is a greater opportunity for growth because the product category is not overly saturated." Smitherman states enthusiastically, "Partida can rival some of the finest spirits in the world."

Smitherman resides in South Florida with his wife and three children. In his spare time he enjoys cooking, sports and spending time with his family. "I participate in every aspect of sports from coaching my children to playing," commented Smitherman.

Partida Tequila window display in John Walker & Co., San Francisco, CA secured by Jacques Bezuidenhout, Partida Tequila

Sofia Partida, Partida Tequila and David Soto, Spirits Director, Sam's Wine and Spirits were photographed at seminar for key managers to educate and remind of the key selling points of Partida Tequila in Chicago.

If you would like to be featured in an upcoming issue of the Spirit Bird Sentinel, please forward your sales success stories to newsletter@partidatequila.com. Pictures to go along with your story always help!

Partida supports the Special Olympics of Northern California

Partida was the exclusive tequila sponsor at the Special Olympics of Northern California Carnavale Classic on May 5, 2007 with a Margarita bar featuring the Partida Margarita. "It was an evening of cocktails, games, silent auction, dining and dancing all for a great cause. Partida received great recognition from the emcee and people commented on the excellent quality and taste of the tequila all evening. All the proceeds from the fundraiser went to the Special Olympics Games in Northern CA," said Valerie Villalta, Partida Tequila, Northern California Regional Manager.

Partida Distillery Hosts Tequila - and Internet -- Aficionados

On April 23, a group of 20 Tequila aficionados and avid bloggers from the online community www.ianchadwick.com visited the Partida Distillery in Amatitán. Every year, Ian Chadwick's tequila lovers come together from all over the United States and Canada to participate in a tour of tequila distilleries. Partida Tequila was proud to host the group this year and introduce these enthusiasts to the Partida brand. Francisco Wilson, from the Partida Tequila Mexican Team, exclaimed,"I am proud to say that we added 20 new ambassadors of our brand who will surely spread the word about the characteristics and the distinction that make Partida unique." The group participated in a complete tour of the distillery and sampled Partida Blanco, Reposado and Añejo tequilas, as well as the very special Partida Elegante extra añejo.

Ian Chadwick commented, "The group enjoyed the hospitality and the opportunity to visit the distillery and to sample the Partida tequilas. I heard enough comments to believe everyone on the tour was very impressed; I know that I certainly was!"

El Picadura de Escorpion - "The Scorpion Sting"

As summer heats up and cool, refreshing cocktails become the season's number one seller why not try the 'Scorpion Sting,' a delicious cocktail created by Brian Gilliland of Maya Restaurant, Sonoma, CA.

Blogging with Jacques & Junior

Master Mixologists and Partida Tequila Bartender Ambassadors Jacques Bezuidenhout and Junior Merino have created a new blog, www.TALKDRINKS.COM, to connect with cocktail lovers from all walks of life. They will share their bartending adventures across the country and around the world. Jacques is based in San Francisco and Junior is based in New York. Readers will be able to experience an East Coast/West Coast perspective from these two outstanding cocktail specialists. The blog will include delicious drink recipes, interesting stories from their travels, tips about bartending, and much more.

...Launched at Brooklyn Blogfest

TALKDRINKS.COM was launched on May 10th at the 2nd Annual Brooklyn Blogfest in Brooklyn, New York.   Brooklyn Blogfest was the brain child of Louise Crawford who realized Brooklyn has the highest concentration of bloggers and they needed a venue to meet each other and discuss their passions. Over 125 influential bloggers, many of whom have readerships in the hundreds of thousands, attended this event. Partida Tequila was the only sponsor and served Partida Margaritas throughout the evening. Blogfest was covered by several mainstream media outlets, including the New York Times and NBC Channel 4 News. Brooklyn Blogfest was a roaring success and TALKDRINKS.COM was enthusiastically embraced by the blogging community.

The Importance of Customer Satisfaction

"One of the most important keys for me in bartending is the opinion and satisfaction of my guests. At the end of the day it doesn't matter if we make the best cocktails but whether or not they meet the approval of the guests. A major part of satisfying the guest is to create a new memory or experience associated with the cocktail they are about to consume. For example, I use seasonal ingredients, Latin flavors, ingredients, herbs, spices and products from around the word to create unique combinations and concepts. These are concepts my guests would have never thought possible. They then take that with them, a memory of that drink experience."


—Junior