Eric Rubin's Journal: Tequila Interchange Project
February 3, 2011
Should foreign ownership of Tequila brands be allowed? Some argue no, but Eric Rubin disagrees with this view. In his most recent blog, Eric shares his thoughts on his trip to Mexico with the Tequila Interchange Project... Ok, so I recently took part in the 2nd trip of the Tequila Interchange Project. For those of you not familiar with the Project, I'll let their mission statement do the talking: “We're a network of professionals engaged in promoting the education of the culture of Tequila in their local communities and abroad. We strive to create a highway of knowledge between teachers, workers, and connoisseurs of the culture of tequila, from the agave fields in Mexico to the cocktail bars across the USA. We are a network of connections and partnerships. We are both professor and pupil. We are the bridge of communication towards the future of tradition for tequila culture.” I was fortunate to be selected and had a blast with my fellow team members. I admit that the radical leftist views of Latin American professors took me a little surprise, proposing no foreign ownership of Tequila brands! - but their knowledge, passion, and connection to the region were all very impressive. The education and conversational aspect of the trip is what I found the most interesting, but I did feel that some of the goals expressed - while rooted in good intentions - could be problematic if not impossible to implement, and may be unfair to the large producers; not to mention small producers that are just starting to forge their own path...
