Top Chef winner launches Marcado 28 Tequila

Tattoo-inspired Tequila brand Marcado 28, co-founded by Top Chef season 6 winner Michael Voltaggio, has debuted blanco and reposado expressions in Florida.

The new premium Tequila brand aims to 'disrupt the industry' by disproving that only expensive Tequilas can be great. Marcado 28 Tequila was created by Voltaggio – a Food Network star, Top Chef winner, and Michelin star recipient – in collaboration with Spirits & Wines That Rock, the creators of Star Trek Spirits. The small batch Tequila brand is brought to life by a celebrated family-run and women-led Mexican business with more than 10 generations of agave cultivation and distilling experience. Ron Roy, co-founder of Marcado 28, said: "In a market dominated by celebrity brands, Marcado 28 defies the trend with a few of its own ‘celebrities’ who deserve to be recognised not for their fame and popularity but for their authentic expertise, talent and backgrounds, which combine to make this Tequila stand out among the rest. "From chef Michael Voltaggio to master tequilero Bruno Barba and talented tattoo artists El Sando and Billy Baca, who created the original art for our labels, our ‘celebrities’ personify and define this brand: defiant, authentic and masterful – and these qualities shine in our premium product." Kindred spirits Barba hails from the Romo family of Mexico, which has been crafting Tequila from the same agave fields for more than 200 years. Barba’s great-grandmother has passed down decades of insights into the distillation process, which Barba uses after cultivating and hand-selecting the 100% Blue Weber agave in the Tequila Valleys of Jalisco, Mexico, to be slow-cooked for Marcado 28. The process uses stainless steel ovens to slowly steam the agave at a lower pressure and temperature than the industry standard. Voltaggio's palate helped guide the flavour profile of Marcado 28, inspired by his visit to Jalisco, as Barba explained: "When Michael visited our family's agave fields in Jalisco, he approached the process like a master chef selecting ingredients for the perfect dish. "Michael was especially drawn to the slow-baking process – perhaps it's the chef in him. When I told him this was my great-grandmother's method, we knew we would make this Tequila the old-school way, with no shortcuts, just like grandma did. Together, Michael and our team shaped the flavour profile. The final product is something our family, with 10 generations of Tequila-making heritage, is incredibly proud of." Voltaggio has created several cocktail recipes using Marcado 28 Blanco and Reposado, which are available on the spirit's website. Voltaggio commented: "We're very proud of what we created together, including how we cooked together, drank together, and spent time together. It's a blending of cultures, the forging of friendships and building bigger tables without borders to enjoy the spirit of Marcado 28 together. This is Tequila for the people. Salud." Marcado 28 Blanco retails for US$49.99, and Reposado at US$59.99. Both Tequilas are offered at 40% ABV in 750ml bottles and are now available on the brand's website and at select ABC Fine Wine & Spirits stores throughout Florida, with plans to expand throughout the US.