Casa Lumbre
VMC
5.5%
NAS
VMC (short for Viva Mexico Cabrones, Spanish for "Long Live Mexico Bastards") is the ready-to-drink tequila brand helmed by boxer Canelo Álvarez. A year after debuting the product in Margarita, Paloma and Hibiscus varieties, Álvarez is back on the market with a tamarind flavor. It's a hard seltzer canned at 5.5% ABV using blanco tequila, presumably distilled somewhere in the Casa Lumbre spirits portfolio. This is a recent addition to the U.S., originally having launched exclusively in Mexico.
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Hints of lemon and lime, honey, molasses and effervescence. Pops out the glass with a tangy aroma that doesn't overwhelm.
The tamarind flavor at the heart of the seltzer — which is excellent — reminds me more of a sugary hard candy than the cloying tamarind paste I ate from green tubes growing up (if you've never tasted Pelon Pelo Rico, probably best if you left it that way). Honeyed, nutty, somewhat floral and very lime-forward in a way that pairs well with the underlying blanco tequila. After a few hours in the fridge, it goes down just right.
The liquor disappears in a flash, leaving behind plenty of citrus acidity, molasses and sour berries.
This is, as far as I can tell, one of the only ready-to-drink tamarind cocktails currently available in the U.S. And we desperately need more! The seltzer and the tanginess combine for an all-star combo, equal parts refreshing and subtly sour. I happened to drink this on the hottest day of the summer and I was left thirsting for more.
86
Disclosure: The producer provided this sample to review free of charge, and without expectation of review or rating.
