BajaNomad - Leyva's Liquors: Always, Always Your Last Stop Before Heading for the Border

Leyva's Liquors: Always, Always Your Last Stop Before Heading for the Border

Gypsy Jan - 12-6-2012 at 03:38 PM

From The OC Weekly

By Dave Lieberman

(For the original story and photos, go to: http://blogs.ocweekly.com/stickaforkinit/2012/12/leyvas_liqu... )

“Three weeks ago, Bill gave what may be the world's first quasi-comprehensive guide to the vendors swirling around the mass fustercluck known as the northbound border crossing at San Ysidro; it's only quasi-comprehensive because the vendors change occasionally.

Today, Tijuana Sí! covers what should always, always be your last stop before heading into that U.S.-caused mess: Leyva's Liquors, the largest, best, cheapest, most honest liquor store on that tawdry tangle of painted donkeys and sort-of-aggressive shopkeepers known as Avenida Revolución.

Leyva's is located toward the south end of the famous tourist zone, on Avenida Revolución (known to tijuanenses everywhere as La Revu) between 6th and 7th Streets, on the east side of the street. It's easy to miss, tucked away as it in one subdivided section of a huge building housing a disco.

It also looks perpetually half-closed, because the lights are often kept off to conserve energy and pesos. Don't be fooled; it's only closed when the huge, obvious, steel roll-down door is down. Inside sits Gilberto Leyva Nuño, one of the most honest tequileros north of Jalisco, presiding over quite literally six hundred different bottles of tequila, several dozen mezcales, bacanora, sotol, aguardiente de agave, cremas de licor, rums, vodkas, etc., besting even the enormous Tavo's Liquors a few doors south.

Go in; ask questions. Gilberto speaks absolutely flawless English and, as they say down south, él sabe de lo suyo--he knows his stuff. There are always at least half a dozen bottles on the counter open for sampling, and he has personally tasted what he sells.

Leyva's has always been a beacon for those looking to bring something back unavailable at home. When absinthe--real Absinthe, not that fake green crap--was outlawed in the U.S., it was legal in Mexico, and you could get it at Leyva's. Native licor de damiana to put a little fuego in your pito? Of course! Cuban rum to go with the cigar from across the street (technically illegal for Americans to consume abroad, fulminate fulminate fulminate, etc.)? Sure.

It seems like letting someone you've just met take you on a 'tour' of the tequilas seems like something guidebooks would warn you against, but here you need to let it happen. If you let Gilberto guide you, he will coax you away from the mediocre, overpriced La Cofradia-made tequilas in the interestingly shaped souvenir bottles and from the mixtos that taste like 51 percent agave and 49 percent fermented cat pee. He's at home helping Japanese tourists who have never tasted tequila and people with a long love affair with the beverage. You might not ever have heard of what you're buying, but if you have a conversation with Gilberto, you'll like it.

It's not just tequila, either; if you're jaded by tequila or you want to bring something back that's just plain unavailable in the states, ask him about other agave products. Where even the best stores in the U.S. can only stock a dozen or so mezcales, he's got five times that number; he can help you with agave products just finding their markets, like sotol (from Chihuahua, made with wild plants) and bacanora (from the neighboring state of Sonora).

Then there are the prices: my house tequila, Volcán de Mi Tierra reposado, runs about $8 or $9 U.S. a fifth, a 100 percent agave tequila that costs as little as that Cuervo Gold porquería. Arette añejo, arguably my favorite tequila in the world, runs about 60 percent of its price in the fine liquors stores north of the border. Some of the bottles that are heavily hyped in the U.S., like Patrón and Don Julio, have less of a discount than others. There are so many other gems to discover, but still, if you want to bring it back, go for it.

Let the lesson be learned: never, ever cross back without your visit to Gilberto and your bottle! Just remember that if you're driving yourself, you are technically limited to one liter (of any alcohol, including beer and wine) every 31st day; in practice, the customs guardians don't keep records and you can bring one liter across every time you go.”

Leyva's Liquors is located at Av. Revolución #1026, Zona Centro, Tijuana, B.C., Mexico; 011-52 (664) 688-09-80.

With the relocation of the southbound pedestrian crossing to the east side of the river, it may be worth a cab ride if you're not driving in; don't pay more than US$5-6 for it, though. You won't be able to cross the street downtown without a cabbie offering his services. If the cab has no meter, negotiate before getting in for the same price.

willardguy - 12-6-2012 at 04:09 PM

I wonder if he has osprey's cien fuegos? :yes:

Hook - 12-6-2012 at 04:32 PM

Anybody had the Don Julio 70th anniversary Plata tequila? Smoothest tequila I have ever tasted.

If you know someone who refuses to try tequila straight (probably due to a bad Cuervo experience in their 20s :lol:

), then THIS is the tequila to try on them.

Don Julio has slowly become my favorite distillery for tequila. They are producing some really fine stuff. Love their reposado.

Oh sure, there's really high end stuff that stuffy critics prefer. But DJ has a great lineup right now.

[Edited on 12-6-2012 by Hook]

mulegemichael - 12-6-2012 at 05:48 PM

for the money; hornitos baby!

Marc - 12-6-2012 at 06:17 PM

I drink the stuff straight. After the second shot what difference does it make. :smug:

durrelllrobert - 12-6-2012 at 07:20 PM

remember that if you're driving yourself, you are technically limited to one liter (of any alcohol, including beer and wine) every 31st day;
__________________________________________________
Only if you have CA plates on the car. Otherwise it's whatever the state you're "FROM" allows, but you might have to pay duty on everything over one liter.

Hook - 12-6-2012 at 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by durrelllrobert
remember that if you're driving yourself, you are technically limited to one liter (of any alcohol, including beer and wine) every 31st day;
__________________________________________________
Only if you have CA plates on the car. Otherwise it's whatever the state you're "FROM" allows, but you might have to pay duty on everything over one liter.

I asked this VERY thing of the Customs agent as I entered AZ with my South Dakota plates. I had heard that it only applied to border states.

BS he said. One liter per person.

Hook - 12-6-2012 at 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mulegemichael
for the money; hornitos baby!

Hornitos has been my fav for probably 20 years. It's still my favorite in mixed drinks.

But for shots, the DJ repo has won me over.

watizname - 12-7-2012 at 09:26 AM

Quote:

Doesn't driving after a liter of any tequila put you over the legal limit?? :lol: