Oaxacan Old Fashioned at NoMad London.

Cristian Barnett

For so long, London’s bar scene has been synonymous with gin. Yet, with the global rise of agave spirits, particularly tequila, bars have been reinventing their specialized offerings.

At the heart of London’s Covent Garden, Side Hustle at NoMad London, takes pride in a proprietary single barrel double añejo tequila crafted in partnership with El Tequileño.

“We love Tequila and all agave products, but we particularly love what El Tequileño does,” shares Davide Segat, bar director at NoMad London. “They, like us, have quality and a focus on producing an outstanding product at the top of their priorities, they don’t compromise. They have been doing that for decades and are one of the most respected brands in Tequila.”

Segat worked with El Tequileño’s third-generation master distiller, Jorge Antonio Salles to create a single barrel (only 250 bottles) of Side Hustle Select Barrel Double Añejo that’s only available at The NoMad London. It began with a blend of tequilas aged in two different types of wood—one aged in new American Oak barrels for eight months, and the other aged for 18 months in ex-bourbon barrels. This blend was then aged for an additional 19 months in new, medium-char American Oak barrels.

“The result is a rich and flavorful tequila with notes of cooked agave and herbaceous flavors on the palate, complemented by a complex aroma of oak, vanilla, and dried red fruit, with a pleasant peppery finish,” Segat describes.

Side Hustle Select Barrel Double Añejo.

Dave Watts

Unique by definition, Segat adds that even if they were to create another single barrel spirit by repeating every step identically, the magic interaction between the liquid and the wood would be completely different. “In this way, the 250 bottles we have are a stand-alone product, and any future batch we will do will be completely different,” he teases.

Below, Segat explains more about the partnership and how guests can enjoy the product on property or take home a bottle with them to remember their stay.

Jillian Dara: How did the idea of creating a proprietary tequila come about?

Davide Segat: This collaboration came to fruition through the long-standing friendship between me and Steffin Oghene, Vice President at El Tequileño. We first met in 2007 while working at one of London’s most beloved tequila bars, Green & Red. We initially bonded over shared love of tequila and have been friends ever since, embarking on a journey to learn everything about the category. Fast forward 15 years, and we have seized the opportunity to create a tequila together.

JD: What made you specifically want to create a double añejo tequila?

DS: We really wanted this to be a collaboration; doing a blanco—usually our favorite expression of tequila—would be just an exercise of putting our label on a bottle of liquid, which, without having our own distillery, we would have little to do with. Aging a tequila allowed us to be present on the planning, tasting, the selection of the barrels and the vision. In my opinion, a lot of añejo tequilas tend to lose that agave flavor you should complement through the maturation process rather than cover. We agreed in the preliminary stages that keeping agave on the forefront was going to be the main priority, and I’m so happy and proud that with El Tequileño we delivered exactly that and better.

Side Hustle bar at NoMad London.

Cristian Barnett

JD: How many iterations of the tequila did it take to arrive on the final blend?

DS: Tony and the team sent several samples during the aging process. I believed the expression was ready to be bottled a lot earlier but, fortunately, Tony had more patience and more experience and advised waiting until it was perfect. We opened the barrel just at the right time, and we now have this great liquid.

JD: Does the hotel offer a proprietary way to experience the tequila onsite?

DS: Guests can enjoy the Jaliscan Old Fashioned as a bespoke cocktail on our Reserve menu, a stirred-down cocktail with amontillado, green pepper and honey angostura, designed to enhance the green tasting notes of our Tequila. The bottle is also available for purchase in the hotel at £180 ($244) per bottle, with a limit of two bottles per guest.

JD: Why do you think it’s so important to offer this type of amenity for your guests?

DS: We focus on elevating the guest experience here at NoMad and always strive to offer bespoke activations and tailored hospitality, allowing us to properly connect with our guests and create true and lasting memories. Something that has a story is always really well received, as our guests appreciate the craftsmanship behind the product. It also allows us to educate our guests who want to come and try something new or learn about tequila.