A German cigar produced in Mexico: Puros Sihuapan

A German cigar produced in Mexico: Puros Sihuapan

Still cool, in the early tropical morning, I pulled to the curve to savor a coffee at the Fractal to enjoy the early morning activities on the malecón along Laguna Catemaco. The Fractal had been an accidental discovery, but I doubted many tourists worldwide had a better view or more satisfying setting for a morning brew. Entering […]

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Sotol is aged up to two years in wooden barrels © William Kaliher, 2011

Sotol: another drink from the New World’s oldest wine producing region in Mexico

Indian on the high desert: “When poor Mexicans have no money for beer or liquor they say, ‘There is always sotol.’” Driving to the Hacienda de Perote Reaching the oldest existing winery and vineyards in the New World, dating from 1597, and Antigua Hacienda de Perote, among other fine hotels, is fairly simple for any […]

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Fine Mexican cigars are found in a variety of boxes — what's your favorite? © William B. Kaliher, 2012

Better than a Cuban cigar: Mexico’s Santa Clara Puros

Puros Santa Clara number among the world’s finest cigars. In fact, these fine Mexico cigars rival — and surpass — Cuban cigars in flavor and quality. Many articles cover Mexican tobacco, hand-rolled cigars and the internationally famous owners and growers of the product. But to fully appreciate Puros Santa Clara, its owner and founder Señor […]

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Catemaco biker and popsicle maker, Alex © William B. Kaliher, 2014

Mexican motorcyclists and popsicles in Catemaco

I stepped to the front of the restaurant, near the screen, and turned around. From the darkened room, the worst motorcycle gang in southern Mexico stared back. Then I noticed these rough looking, leather-clad and tattooed hombres were enjoying paletas — Mexico’s fresh fruit popsicles. What one can learn about a product as — well as oneself […]

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Mexican mezcal in the global spirits market: Unrivalled complexity, innumerable nuances

Mexican Mezcal in the Global Spirits Market: Unrivalled Complexity, Innumerable Nuances – By Alvin Gary Starkman, M.A., J.D. (Carteles Editores – P.G.O., Oaxaca, March 2014) Derived from the agave plant, mescal — or mezcal — has been enjoyed since before the Spanish conquest. Most is produced in the Mexican state of Oaxaca and, as with […]

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Workers at Mexico's Torrent factory where Te-Amo cigars are produced sort and prepare tobacco leaves. © William B. Kaliher, 2010

Alberto Turrent and Te-Amo: Six generations of Mexican cigars

Mexico’s famous Te-Amo cigar comes from Sihuapan, near Catemaco, Veracruz. The producer — Turrent, Nueva Matacapan Tabacos, S.A. de C.V. — takes its name from the owner, Alberto Turrent, the fifth generation of the cigar manufacturing family. I’m a cigar aficionado myself, and I had the pleasure of talking with Alberto Turrent at length. During […]

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The church faces the plaza in Catemaco, and a bandstand sits beneath palm strees. This town is considered one of the most charming in the Mexican state of Veracruz. © William B. Kaliher, 2010

Tabacalera Alberto: What’s smoking with Mexico’s leading cigar maker?

Driving to Yucatan, I made a wrong turn and wound up in the town of Catemaco. A shady beach drive along a huge lake provided a tranquil setting reminiscent of Hollywood’s 1930s America. I pulled to the curb to enjoy a walk and a cigar. The setting totally captivated me. The delight I discovered from my […]

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