Demurely lurking behind the scenes of the national tequila craze, Arta Tequila of Colorado is finally ready to make an international splash. This small batch, hand-bottled tequila has been Colorado run since 2011 and is pushing the limits of what artisanal tequila can be. Now Arta believes it is time to let the world know about their little secret: That the best tequila, while made with ancient methods, can still be modern and rebellious.

Lisa Hives, VP of Marketing, welcomed DrinkDenver for a tasting and gave us a brief history of the company. The one thing she wanted to impart was that Arta is a true collaboration of two countries; a progressive Colorado-owned company, but a traditional Mexican-made spirit.

Arta Tequila comes from the Blue Weber agave plant that is grown on a single family-owned estate in Aernal, Jalisco, Mexico, that has been farming agave and distilling tequila for 250 years. The estate was purchased by Tony Mayer of Colorado as a way to honor his father’s spirit after his father passed away. Mayer and his company believe that the art making of tequila, like most things in life, should not be rushed. The company also believes that if they don’t grow it, they don’t use it. Arta Reposado is aged up to 11 months, while the minimum aging standard is only two and aged in American oak barrels for extra flavor. While anejo tequilas require only 12 months of aging, Arta Anejo pushes that to 24 months. And while most tequilas are only double distilled, Arta Silver is triple distilled. All Arta tequilas are hand-bottled in the brand’s signature triangle bottles.

Arta Tequilas have won many awards. Arta Silver has won Gold Medals from the Beverage Tasting Institute and the WSWA Tasting Competition and is rated a 92 on Tequila.net. Arta Reposado won Best of Show (Best Reposado and Best White Spirit Aged) at the 2014 WSWA Tasting Competition and is rated 91 at Tequila.net. Arta Anejo received Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and a Gold Medal at the Spirits of Mexico competition and is rated 93 on Tequila.net.

At a special tasting held at the new Machete Tequila + Tacos downtown guests were able to sample this fine spirit in some new and flavorful cocktails created by Bar Manager Danielle Scott and paired with delicious Machete small plates from Chef Jose Avila.

The first cocktail was the Raspberry/Peach Margarita featuring Arta Silver tequila. In this summertime drink, which also features Grand Mariner and fresh lime juice, the tequila is enveloped in fruity goodness while still having the taste profile of a margarita. What would be a tangy and tasty margarita to begin with is enhanced with the addition of sweet fruits to balance the tart.

The Cucumber/Grapefruit Mojada uses Arta Reposado. The reposado has a earthier flavor profile and oaky aroma from the barrel aging process so Scott paired it with the garden flavors of cucumber and mint. The drink is rounded out with grapefruit juice and a dash of Sprite because as Scott says, “who doesn’t like Sprite?”  This muddled mint cocktail is fizzy and refreshing and excellent for warm summer nights.

Our final cocktail of the evening is the Arta Anejo Manhattan featuring a generous dose of tequila, much like a regular Manhattan would have a generous does of bourbon. In fact bourbon imbibers will take kindly to this drink with its hints of caramel and cherry, yet still smoky and musky like a traditional Manhattan. This cocktail is on the regular Machete menu so folks can enjoy it now.

Arta is available all over Colorado and on both the East and West Coasts. Find Arta internationally in Hong Kong, the Philippines Taiwan, Fiji, New Zealand and Australia. Visit Arta’s website for a full listing of states as well as cocktail recipes you can try at home. To enjoy the cocktails described here, you’ll have to come to Colorado!