I believe Labor Day was created as a holiday in the late 1800’s to squelch a Pullman (that would be “train” to you young whipper-snappers) strike in which several people had been killed. To me Labor Day always marked the end of summer and the beginning of the new school year. My most memorable Labor Day week-end was 1958 and I was starting my sophomore year at Garland High School. At the JC Jubilee, a city-wide celebration, Judy Browning and I won the highly competitive jitterbug contest! Labor Day marks the time that ladies stop wearing white dresses and cowboys go from straw to felt hats….don’t know why, it’s still 97 degrees outside.
School starts much earlier these days… and I don’t know if the JC Jubilee is still a celebration in Garland. Every day is now a labor day…..if we’re fortunate enough to be employed. Today’s upcoming holiday does theoretically mark the end of summer, but not the end to summer heat. How did we begin school in 95+ degree weather without air conditioned schools? It wasn’t any cooler in those September days. We musta been a tougher lot and maybe a smellier group too!
Here at Republic Tequila, Labor Day is the spring board from one drinking season to the next… from pool parties and vacations to tailgating and Holiday celebrations with loved ones. We are making preparations for Saturdays with the Longhorns, nights by the fire with snifters of añejo and stocking full of Republic Tequila mini bottles.
It truly is a time of “labor” for our Team. A time that we are working to share the joys of the Republic with you. Not only Republic tequila, but our new Spirit Blends as well.
I’m thankful for this Labor Day holiday for many reasons. I pray that you have a safe and relaxing long weekend and partake in a fine celebration drink of Republic Tequila…… and I bet Judy Browning can still jitterbug! Tom Nall ……..Since 1943
At Republic Tequila we are very proud of the fine liquid we put in every bottle. We are also very proud of the bottle that hold that liquid. Our Texas shaped bottle looks great when filled with tequila and also serves many purposes when empty. Here are just a few ways to recycle your Republic:
A vase for blue bonnets (or any other flower)
Pick up some fragrance oil and diffuser sticks and use the bottle as an aromatic diffuser (Thanks Blair & Chad for the idea)
Fill it with Christmas lights, glass beads and other decorations (note: may have to get crafty and drill a hole in the back for the cord!)
Insert a pump and use it as a soap dispenser
Use it as a candle holder (its looks great with dripped wax!)
Add olive oil and herbs for an infusion
Get creative and come up with your own way to recycle your Republic. Please share with us on Facebook or send it to us in an email (info@republictequila.com).
National Tequila Day is Saturday, July 24th. Celebrate with us at an event near you! If you can’t make it out to see us, observe the holiday with a little Republic wherever you are!
Friday, July 23rd
San Antonio, TX – Ken MacKenzie will be pouring samples from 4-7pm at the Lincoln Heights Twin Liquors store.
Scottsdale, AZ – Stock up on supplies for Saturday at AZ Wine & Spirits from 5-7pm, there will be samples!
Port Aransas, TX – look for Jack, Rhonda, JimBob and Tucker on the beach near beach access road 1A, they will be sampling tequila and Spirit Blends.
Saturday, July 24th
Denver, CO – Head to Mezcal for cocktails from 3-5pm, fill-up on a 5-course dinner at 6pm, and more cocktails from 8-10pm.
Gruene, TX – Sip margaritas and listen to Stephanie Urbina Jones at the Lone Star Music Store from 3-6pm.
Austin, TX – Shiner’s Saloon is celebrating their 2nd Anniversary and we’ll be there celebrating with tequila, 10pm-midnight.
Port Aransas, TX – look for Jack, Rhonda, JimBob and Tucker on the beach near beach access road 1A, they will be sampling tequila and Spirit Blends.
Dallas, TX – Cool River Cafe is hosting Tequila-Rita Fest at 7pm, lots of tequilas and great food! 
I look back on my childhood 4th of July celebrations and recall fireworks or fire crackers in the neighborhood, not the big show extravaganza’s. Backyard cook-outs with hot dogs, burgers, watermelon…I don’t remember the apple pie, but I do remember sitting atop an old hand crank ice cream freezer while my Dad turned the handle to create that magical frozen dessert. Oh, there was lots of soda pop and beer……no bottled water though, not in those days. If thirsty for water, you just got a drink from the hose. There would be baseball games between all the kids and without the coaching and bickering between the parents about who played on which team and what position….we, the kids decided that. And we would all play together until dark, or later. No fear of what might happen after dark if the children were playing down the block. Oh, the innocents of those days past.
4th of July celebrations may be different today than those of my youth, but the purpose for celebrating remains the same …..Our independence. I do believe life is a little scarier since the actions of 9-11. And we can never forget the price that has been paid for the independence of this great country, The United States of America.
So no matter how old you are, take time to slow down just a bit and give thanks for our country, our military and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, for our independence. And God Bless America.
Happy 4th of July to all of you, from all of us at Republic Tequila…..
Republic Tequila. Born in Mexico. Raised in America!!
Tom Nall / Since 1943
Summer is here and has brought with it great, fresh ingredients for cocktails. Muddled berries of all sorts: strawberries, blackberries and raspberries, can add a twist to favorites like margaritas or be the main ingredient for creative and refreshing concoctions. Below are a few of our favorite recipes that are perfect for summer! Salud!
Berry Bubbly
2 oz Republic Plata Tequila
½ oz Grand Marnier
4 fresh raspberries
2 fresh blackberries (large)
5-7 fresh mint leaves
1 oz lime juice
Top with Prosecco
Muddle blackberries, raspberries, and mint in a cocktail shaker. Fill shaker half-way with ice and combine all other ingredients except prosecco. Shake and strain into a fine mesh strainer over a martini glass. Use a small spoon to stir the liquid in the strainer to ensure all liquid goes into the glass. Top with Prosecco and garnish with a half lime wheel.
Recipe courtesy of Ryan Kelly of Tequila Examiner.
Raspberry Lavender Aqua Fresca
2 oz Republic Plata Tequila
.5 oz Monin Lavender Syrup
.5 oz Agave Nectar
1 oz Lime Juice
5 Raspberries
Muddle raspberries. Pour all remaining ingredients into a shaker filled with ice. Shake and pour into rocks glass.
Republic Sayulita Straw
1.5 oz Republic Reposado
4 strawberries
1/8 of a lemon
1 Tbsp minced ginger
Ginger beer
In a mixing cup, muddle strawberries, lemon and ginger. Add tequila and ice and shake for 20 seconds. Strain over fresh ice into a tall glass. Top with ginger beer and garnish with a fresh strawberry.
Recipe compliments of H. Joseph Ehrmann of Cocktail Ambassadors, San Francisco, California.
Blackberry Thyme Margarita
1.5 oz Republic Plata
½ oz Cointreau
1 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
½ oz Agave nectar
4 fresh blackberries
1 sprig of thyme
In a glass shaker muddle the blackberries and thyme with the lime juice, add the Plata tequila, Cointreau and agave nectar, shake and strain into rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with a sprig of thyme.
Agave Negro
1 1/2 oz Republic Plata tequila
1/2 oz Chambord liqueur
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
1/2 oz soda water
3 blackberries
Garnish: lime wedge
Muddle blackberries in the bottom of a rocks glass. Add ice, tequila, Chambord, lime juice, simple syrup into a cocktail shaker. Shake the mixture vigorously. Pour back into rocks glass over ice. Top with splash of soda water.
Love Tequila and Texas? Then we need you to help build Republic Tequila! We are looking for an enthusiastic and personable Brand Ambassador for the Austin area. This person will represent Republic Tequila at samplings, promotions, events and more approximately 3-5 hours a week. You must be passionate, energetic and willing to interact with consumers. Weekend and evening availability is a must.
Requirements:
TABC certified
College education
General knowledge of spirits
Compensation: Generous hourly rate
To apply send your resume, recent picture of yourself and one paragraph that explains why you are good this for position to info@republictequila.com
It is said that a single glass of Cognac possesses over 300 distinct characteristics. The many attributes stem from the key ingredient, grapes harvested annually, as well as the barrel aging that the Cognac experiences before making it to the bottle. This makes Cognac not only a complex spirit, but one to be savored and enjoyed.
Tequila shares many attributes with Cognac. Both tequila and Cognac have “Denomination of Origin.” This requires the distillers to manufacture the product in designated areas of their respective countries. Any spirits created outside of the designated areas are not considered authentic.
Would it surprise you to learn that tequila actually processes twice the characteristics of Cognac? It is true. There are over 600 characteristics in a single glass of tequila. It stands to reason as the focal ingredient in tequila, the Weber blue agave, takes between 8-10 years to mature before harvesting. A decade in the ground lends itself to many minerals and sugars being absorbed into the plant. This ingredient is truly like no other as it creates a white spirit that is in a class of its own.
One of the best attributes of tequila is its ability to be mixed in so many different and diverse ways. As Americans we have been conditioned to drink tequila in only two ways, shots and Margaritas. Although I have enjoyed drinking tequila in both the before mentioned ways, I think it important to dispel any preconceived notions that 100% agave tequila is too good to be wasted on a cocktail. It has always amazed me when I hear someone say that they would rather buy the cheapest bottle of tequila when they plan on using it for mixed drinks, including Margaritas. The reality is that there is nothing better than using fine 100% agave tequila for a myriad of cocktails in which you would normally use vodka, rum, gin or even bourbon. Tequila, by its very nature, is a wonderful base ingredient for mixing cocktails. The agave is naturally sweet by nature and allows for a pure and distinctively clean taste. I would suggest using this summer to experiment with tequila. We can learn a lot from the people in Guadalajara, Mexico. They enjoy sipping tequila straight, as well as mixing it with everything that they can get their hands on…. Whether you prefer fresh squeezed juices, soft drinks, mineral water or tonic, tequila is the key to a fantastic drink.
At Republic, we encourage you to be curious and to change the way you drink tequila. Please look out for our Spirit Blends this summer. They are refrigerated cocktail mixes that are not only fresh, but incredibly unique. While we are very supportive of shots and Margaritas, we hope that you take the time to explore all of the space in between.
Until next time…. Salud!
Ken MacKenzie
Chief Operations Officer/Co-founder
Republic Tequila
Republic Tequila shipped its first bottle of product into distribution in early August, 2009. That was prefaced by a tumultuous 18 months of fund raising, Team building, creating a world class tequila, developing packaging and convincing Republic National Distribution Company that we were worthy of being a member of their portfolio, plus much more. If you’ve ever been involved in a start-up company you have shared with us the pressures, the fears, the sleepless nights, the disappointments, the highs, the lows……all which can be overcome by small, little accomplishments.
We now have expanded from Texas into Colorado, Oklahoma, Arizona and New Mexico. And we have done this on a much faster pace than originally planned. Folks have asked why we departed from our slower, easier growth schedule. Well, to be honest with you a lot has to do with pressure…the pressure to build a successful brand….the right way; people working to do better.
Pressure is often considered as negative stress, but we consider pressure to be positive energy. It has strengthened us to tackle and overcome challenging circumstances in our lives and our business. Pressure compels us towards excellence. It empowers us to rise to the occasion such as the opportunity to grow our business in other states. The issue lies not with the amount of pressure we face, but how we react under that pressure. Our success won’t be based on what happens, but what we do with what happens.
We were given the opportunity to expand our market place and we attacked that opportunity with vengeance…….all along the way living by a code …… always do the right thing.
Tom Nall and the Republic Team
Did you know Cinco de Mayo celebrates the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over the French at Battle of Puebla in 1862? Even if you didn’t, you can still celebrate with us! See below for a list of places where Republic will be observing the holiday.
Colorado
Terrace Maya – Boulder
Juanita’s - Boulder
Lola – Denever
Texas
Mesa Rosa – Austin (FM 620 location)
Lakewood Tavern – Dallas
Hacienda on Henderson – Dallas
Chimy’s – Ft. Worth
Lola’s – Ft. Worth
White Elephant – Ft. Worth
Don Julio’s – Houston
Mezzanine Lounge - Houston
Norton’s – Houston
Flips Patio Grill – Grapevine
Tolbert’s – Grapevine
Tavern on the Gruene – New Braunfels
Third Base – Round Rock
Tonic Bar – San Antonio
Republic of Texas - San Antonio
Republic Tequila, which is currently available in only Texas and Colorado, is preparing to expand to three new states: Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona, in April and May of this year.
Stay tuned for more details!
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