Meet the First Filipino Certified Master of Agave, The Plant That Makes Tequila

(SPOT.ph) You have one plant to thank for many of your blackout-drunk nights: the humble agave. This Mexican plant is the source of your favorite tequila. But that isn't all there is to it. If you want to learn more about the world of Agave spirits—or simply to taste a bottle that won't burn out your esophagus—then seek the guidance of Windi Tapawan, the first Filipino to be a Master of Agave Spirits.

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Meet Windi Tapawan, Master of Agave Spirits

You will find Tapawan at A'Toda Madre, an eclectic little nook in the quieter side of Poblacion. The place specializes in Guadalajaran fare, with handpicked mezcals and tequilas front and center. She's been running the spot since 2018, when she took over from the original owners she had met and done marketing for back in 2014. Her interest in the Mexican spirits began back then and has now become a lifelong passion. 

She first dipped her toes in the world of mezcal five years ago. "After I found out about mezcal, I was like 'Shit, how do I learn more?'" she tells SPOT.ph with a laugh during a tasting course at the restaurant to launch their online shop. Yes, an online shop in the Philippines with a catalogue of hard-to-find and premium bottles of agave spirits. But more on that later. 

The Filipina agave expert shares how she found herself in all sorts of forums online to learn more about mezcal and other sorts of agave spirits; there are five of them, we learn that night: tequila, mezcal, raicilla, bacanora, and sotol, and so many different nuances and iterations it makes sense that a whole course is needed. Which is exactly what Tapawan took at the Agave Spirits Institute in Mexico.

There were four levels Tapawan took, each several days long, and as classes were being held in Mexico and Texas, "I had to do it in their time." That meant she was up from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. "At five in the morning, they could see the sun coming up behind me," the lady recalls. In between levels, she would take the time to learn on her own—meaning having to find particular bottles here in the Philippines. "You have to learn, keep trying stuff. The disadvantage that I had was it wasn't like in the States where you just go to the liquor store and buy whatever."

The fifth level entailed going to different distelleries in Mexico, from Oaxaca to Arandas and more. They start tasting spirits as early as 9 a.m. though thankfully they had spit buckets to use. She is the "first Asian to complete all the levels," Tapawan says proudly, having gotten her certification in August.  

One of the best parts of the tour was seeing Filipino-style distilleries being used in Mexico. Having visited lambanog distilleries locally, Tapawan saw first-hand the similiarities and techniques the Mexicans likely learned from Filipinos on the galleon trade centuries ago—would it be such a stretch to say the lambanog is the main reason Mexico and the world now have agave spirits?

What makes agave spirits special is that, thanks to the nature of the plant, the location, and the distillery, it's impossible to have the same one twice. Most of the bottles in A'Toda Madre are from small batches, with less than a thousand in the world. "When you have a good bottle of mezcal, respect it," says Tapawan. That means no salt, no lemon, just you and good, strong sips. "Enjoy that bottle, you may never have it again, literally."

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Check out A'Toda Madre Mezcaleria, the first online shop for agave spirits

With Tapawan experiencing first-hand the difficulty of getting agave spirits locally, both for her courses and the restaurant, she decided it was time to just turn the business into an online shop, too. That way, it would be easier for more people to access the world of agave. 

You'll find all sorts of agave spirits at the shop. There's mezcal, tequila, sotol, raicilla, and other premium agave-based products; you'll find the big ones like Patron, and more bottles like Derrumbes Mezcal, Don Julio, Los Vecinos, 1800 Tequila Blanco, Rey Campero, Clase Azul Reposado, and Codigo.

"Our goal is to create a destination where enthusiasts can explore, learn, and savor the incredible diversity within the world of agave-based beverages," Tapawan tells us. Apart from getting access to hard-to-find bottles, you can also book tables at the restaurant, and there, you're likely to meet Tapawan. Maybe even approach her, shoot a question about the big, wide world of agave. After all, she's a certified master. 

Check out the A'toda Madre Mezcaleria store.