Talk about synchronicity. Rui Esteves, the dynamic brand wizard was on my mind last week at El Burro. I was speaking to donkey owner Nic Haarhof about Rui and his Mescal at the launch of the excellent Jose Cuervo sipping tequila I write about in The Times today. And blow me down but doesn’t Rui feature on the Senhor Cabo site, a portal for all things Portuguese and South African.

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Jose Jose Cuervo sipping tequila

How much and where? R230; Makro

Why? If The Donald and his gravity defying kuif does take over the White House in November, tequila will likely follow the same path as Cuban cigars in its second largest market, the USA. For if America fences off its southern neighbour and deports 11 million illegals, the cuisine and customs of the South will, in all likelihood, be plunged into confusion.

Russia is #3 global market for tequila and incredibly, SA is #4. Even after Rui Esteves, the marketing guru behind Vida e Caffé, has traded in making mescal to take up craft beer in Berlin. Which is how you drink this sipping tequila – with a glass of craft beer as a chaser. At 40% alcohol, dilution is the price of the sobriety.

Now that Jose has ridden into town, can the advent of fine Mexican cuisine be far behind?

Rating: ****

***** Emiliano Zapata
**** Subcomandante Marcos
*** Alejandro González Iñárritu
** Frida Kahlo
* El Chapo Guzman