Earlier this year, The Tequila Ambassador V.O., a re-imagined and expanded version of Tomas Estes’ 2012 book The Tequila Ambassador, was launched globally by Wonk Press, a US-based hardcover book publisher. The 400 page book explores every aspect of tequila, and features contributions, interviews and insights from many of the category’s most influential figures and ambassadors, all of whom have been inspired or affected by Tomas Estes’ career in some way.

The book launch comes three years after author Tomas Estes passed away in 2021 at the age of 75. Throughout his career, Estes earned his reputation as ‘the original tequila ambassador,’ with notable resume milestones including opening up the first Café Pacifico in 1975 and Co-Founding Tequila Ocho in 2008 alongside Carlos Camarena, a fifth generation agave farmer and third generation tequilero.

One of the contributors of The Tequila Ambassador V.O. is Phil Bayly, a Sydney-based global mezcal ambassador who first met Tomas Estes while living in Amsterdam in 1980 when commissioned to paint a mural at Café Pacifico.

“Not knowing anything about the place or Tomas Estes, I had it in my mind to walk in, look at the job, say ‘thanks, but no thanks’ and leave. But that wasn’t meant to be. As I opened the front door my life would change. I had entered another world - the world of Latin America,” wrote Bayly in a recent blog post.

Other major contributors include Julio Bermejo, a world-leading tequila expert and creator of the Tommy’s Margarita, and Fany Camarena, a sixth generation tequilera and agavera that has been involved in brands such as Tapatio, El Tesoro de Don Felipe and Tequila Ocho.

According to a statement issued to media, The Tequila Ambassador V.O. “is a mix of practical information and personal storytelling, intimate memoir and inspiring philosophy, weaving between Tomas’ own exuberant life and the ever-expanding world of agave spirits.

“Featuring hundreds of candid photos, The Tequila Ambassador V.O. evokes a life well-lived—and shares the words of Tomas and those who were changed by his mentorship, knowledge, and love

Additionally, the book also features 50 modern tequila cocktail recipes from today's top bartenders.

For more information or to purchase, click here.

The full list of contributors is as follows:

  • Fany Camarena
  • Grover and Scarlet Sanschagrin
  • Julio Bermejo
  • Bob Denton and Marilyn Smith
  • David Suro
  • Esteban Morales Garibi
  • Iván Saldaña Oyarzábal
  • Javier Delgado Corona
  • Jesús Hernández
  • Julio González
  • Miguel Cedeño
  • Phil Bayly
  • Ricardo Pico
  • Rebekkah Dooley
  • Sophie Decobecq

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