When discussing her function as founder and CEO of the small batch tequila model Casa Dragones, Bertha González Nieves sees her worldwide success as a method to garner curiosity and showcase Mexico’s tradition, crafts, and heritage. “Mexico is a rustic with boundless creativity and a convention of very good craftsmanship,” says González Nieves. “We see ourselves as ambassadors, sharing this exceptional world of artistry and innovation.”
Since founding the model in 2009, González Nieves has labored tirelessly to develop a balanced and complicated tequila that has earned her bottles a spot on a tasting menu at Eric Ripert’s Le Bernandin, on Oprah’s bar cart, and on the Venice Biennale—and cemented her as the primary girl to be licensed as Maestra Tequilera by the Academia Mexicana de Catadores de Tequila.
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As such, González Nieves typically travels again to the model’s house of San Miguel de Allende to attach with different native entrepreneurs and entertain purchasers on the newly opened La Casa Dragones—a meticulously designed house and tasting venue. (Whereas in a single day friends are invite-only, La Casa is obtainable to order for personal tastings and occasions year-round.)
We caught up with González Nieves to search out out what she obtained as much as on a latest enterprise journey again to San Miguel de Allende—together with why she all the time eats on the identical airport sushi bar and her favourite method to begin every day.
What was the aim of the journey?
I went in January to host a lunch at La Casa Dragones with purchasers and prime prospects, in addition to meet with members of the Casa Dragones SMA staff.
How did you get there?
I all the time fly the marvelous Aeromexico Dreamliner to Mexico Metropolis from my second house of New York Metropolis. I spend a while in our workplace there with our staff or go to some household. From there, I take the three-and-a-half-hour drive to San Miguel.
Do you’ve got an airport routine?
Nicely, I undoubtedly order the vegetarian dish on the aircraft. I am not absolutely vegetarian however really on a aircraft it makes a distinction. Flying again from Mexico Metropolis, there’s an unbelievable native sushi bar on the Mexico Metropolis Airport that’s to die for. I normally get there fortunately two hours prematurely to eat at Sushi Iwashi Aicm and never fear about what I’ll eat on the way in which again.
The place did you keep in San Miguel Allende?
My house away from house: Lodge Matilda.
What was on the agenda?
Virtually all people goes to San Miguel to chill out. Generally my agenda is even busier and cooler than in New York Metropolis or Mexico Metropolis. Do not be misled by the city measurement. The extent of occasions from a social agenda—and from a enterprise agenda—that there’s to do on this city may find yourself being a fuller than the largest cities on the planet.
I normally begin with a protracted lengthy stroll into city alongside the steep hills and cobblestone streets to regulate to the excessive altitude. It simply places me in the appropriate body of mind set. I get all my steps in after which I additionally get to simply see the city and connect with its power. Then I will run to conferences with a few of the staff who helped convey La Casa Dragones to life. This time we had breakfast at Cumpanio. After, we did a run of present for the luncheon and ready for the purchasers to reach at La Casa. Donnie Masterton, who owns The Restaurant, created a menu for this lunch with a mushroom risotto I am unable to shake. Later that night, I went to drinks at Bekeb by star mixologist Fabiola Padilla.
I’ve to ask: When is your first sip of tequila within the day?
I attempt to have my first glass of tequila as late within the day as doable however on events like this luncheon, I normally love to do it once we first welcome our friends. The very first thing we do is stroll into the home after which we go to the bar. That point earlier than lunch is served is the time the place there’s nothing extra particular than being behind a bar and connecting together with your friends; simply breaking a little bit of the ice with a glass of tequila, and getting all people located to the sweetness and the power of the home—the music that we have now going, the daylight hitting the fountain. It simply creates the right event to welcome folks and get them [experiencing] that particular feeling of San Miguel.
Who was essentially the most fascinating individual you met with?
One of many very stunning issues about San Miguel is that it is manufactured from entrepreneurs. So there’s all the time fascinating folks to fulfill and join with. On this event, I had the possibility to fulfill once more with Ana Elena Mallet, [a designer] who helped us to create La Casa as an ode to midcentury Mexican craftsmanship. She is among the most well-known design curators in Mexico. This was a celebratory assembly of the work that we did collectively up to now few years.
How did you employ your private time?
I like to textual content my pals earlier than I am going and say: Let’s meet at a bar. Simply to have an opportunity to attach and meet up with stunning those who I really like and adore in San Miguel. That is one in every of my favourite issues that I do once I journey there. This time I had a bunch a of pals come to La Casa, the place all of us took turns behind the bar, form of simply jamming and having enjoyable collectively within the courtyard.
I additionally all the time spend a whole lot of time strolling by way of furnishings and design shops, markets like Mesón Hidalgo, NAMUH, Casa Armida, and an incredible hat retailer known as Suki Palomina.
How (and when) did you journey house?
I rushed again to New York Metropolis for an annual fundraising occasion on the Whitney Museum of American Artwork. After a two yr hiatus, we have been the tequila associate for the occasion.