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by Matt
Bateman
AGAVE
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On seeing Agave's illuminated sign,
we felt that strong tequila would be the perfect antidote
to the usual hassle we had just encountered walking down Roppongi's
main drag. Pushing open the heavy door, we were greeted by
a cavernous, dimly-lit basement filled with the serenading
sounds of traditional Mexican music. Before there was time
to fully fathom the incredible number of tequila bottles lined
up behind the bar, a man in mariachi garb was beckoning us
to our bar stools. Once seated and a little more adjusted
to the dim light, we could see that we were sharing the establishment
with a few small groups of well-dressed, alcoholically adventurous
Japanese.
To those of us who hadn't been to Central America,
Agave looked about as authentic as you could get. In a separate
alcove from where we sat, lavishly framed Frida Kahlo prints
graced the brick walls alongside tatty posters of the Mexican
revolutionary Emiliano Zapata. The weathered wooden cabinets
on the far side of the bar displayed a vast selection of fat
cigars ranging in price from ¥900-¥3,000. And
with the addition of a big hardcover book explaining everything
we'd ever want to know about tequila, Agave is just
as much of an educational experience as it is a drinking one.
How do you begin to choose from 400 varieties of tequila?
Well, with a shot of the famous Don Julio Real ringing in
at ¥9,400, your wallet might help to restrict you. The
English menu gave us an indication of what to go for, with
helpful explanations of the four main kinds of tequila-joven,
blanco, reposado and anejo.
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We decided to get some recommendations from
the manager, a man with enough personal knowledge to rewrite
the aforementioned book on tequila. In full faith we started
with a measure of Hacienda De Tepa (¥900) washed down
with a spicy sangria chaser. Our "down in one" approach
was quickly corrected when told that a good tequila should
be sipped. A little embarrassed, we proceeded on to a glass
of Tres Alegres Compadres (¥800). For the final shot we
were pointed in the direction of a fine anejo named Viuda
De Romero (¥1,000), which proved to be the most enjoyable
of the night.
Now corrected in our misguided preconception that tequila
bars should be places to throw back a quick couple of slammers,
we regretted not being able to spend more time in this nostalgic
shrine to Mexican culture. Nevertheless, as we climbed back
up the steps with the essence of the anejo still slowly burning
in our throats, we felt a whole lot more knowledgeable about
the good ol' Mexican firewater.
B1F Clover Building,
7-15-10 Roppongi, Minato-Ku. Tel: 03-3497-0229. Open Mon-Fri
6:30pm-2am, Sat until 6:30pm-4am, closed Sun. Nearest stn:
Roppongi.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Agave
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