Jaime Salas Reveals His Agave Insights with The Taste Collective by 1800 Tequila

Science never sipped so smoothly.

When tequila meets cutting-edge taste science, some sorcery happens. That’s exactly what’s happening with 1800 Tequila and The Taste Collective. This isn’t your typical spirits education program—It’s a bold fusion of neuroscience, culture, and craft that’s revolutionizing how bartenders understand their own palates.

And we have the ultimate tequila nerd behind it.

Jaime Salas, Head of Legacy & Advocacy for Proximo Spirits’ agave portfolio, is that nerd. As a leader in tequila education, Salas carries some serious credentials; from a childhood spent between San Francisco and Jalisco to a career decorated in credentials spanning over 25 years in the tequila industry, Salas is a certified tequila expert, mezcal expert, and a tequila educator.

In other words, Salas knows a little something about Mexico’s liquid gold.

His mission? Delivering authentic value to the bartending community while honoring 1800 Tequila’s obsession with taste.

“Like a fingerprint, your palate is uniquely yours—a distinct blend of biological, emotional, and experiential elements that crafts your perception of flavor,” says Salas.

“Taste is this wonderful thing that helps us all experience the world in rich colors, but at the bar, sometimes we only speak in terms of flavors, as if these are fixed and experienced the same by everyone. That’s why mastering your personal taste profile isn’t just beneficial; it can push the boundaries. Understanding the complexities of taste—from genetic influences to the impacts of culture and environment—requires both science and insight. That’s where our panel of incredible experts, including Dr. Arielle Johnson, Nacho, and Chef Ana, come in to help us bring that science to life for the bartending community.”

This insight sparked The Taste Collective’s core innovation—a specialized analysis developed with world-renowned taste scientist Dr. Arielle Johnson. Here is where the science gets serious, seriously cool. Bartenders undergo comprehensive taste profiling that goes way beyond the basic five flavors. They taste without smell, explore emotional connections to flavors, and receive a customized taste profile revealing their strengths, biases, and blind spots. It’s like getting a roadmap to your own taste DNA.

Or unlocking a new level of originality in mixology.

“1800 Tequila has always had a foothold in tradition as well as innovation through various unique finishes, special filtration, and barrel blending,” shares Salas.

“From the creation of the world’s first Añejo, to our latest innovations bringing new flavor propositions to the category, we provide bartenders with more options to choose from when creating new, flavorful serves. We experiment with flavor much like bartenders do.”

What started as an internal ‘thought experiment’ has evolved into something remarkable. The program now features master class videos and live events across major cities with the experts traveling from coast-to-coast to showcase the best in taste and culture.

The goal isn’t just promoting the legacy of 1800 Tequila. It’s about clearing up tequila misconceptions while giving bartenders deeper tools for cocktail innovation. “This program is all about providing value to the community,” explains Salas.

“Twenty years ago, tequila wasn’t thought of as a luxury spirit or one that has the versatility of clear spirits in mixology. Thankfully, that perception has changed, but there are plenty of misconceptions that remain about tequila, so we hope this program clears some of those up.”

Salas sums it up best: ‘Taste is everything!’ And with the Taste Collective, bartenders now have the science—and the spirit—to prove it.

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