FOOD, DRINK & NIGHTLIFE
Shots of fi ne art
West Villagers showcase brand of tequila
with some creative homemade collages
BY BOB KRASNER
“I could talk about tequila
all day,” Kristopher
Desoto informs
us and, after spending a few
hours with him, we believe it.
Desoto left a good gig selling
helicopters to start Hiatus, his
own brand of tequila that he
claims is “the smoothest one
out there.”
“Ours is a full agave experience,”
he explains, referencing
the plant (which, by the way,
is not a cactus) that provides
the raw material for the spirit.
“Other tequilas can contain
only 51% agave and still be
called tequila,” he explains.
Not only that, but other manufacturers
may “use sweeteners
and glycerin to disguise the
burn, but we have developed
a special process to get rid of
the bitterness.”
Having a product that you’re
proud of is one thing, but creating
an image for it is another,
which is where a few good artists
come in. Desoto’s life partner,
the painter Suzanne Scott,
serves as the creative director
for the company.
“I got Kris more involved
in the arts when the brand
launched,” Scott explains.
The pair began producing art
events based around collaging,
inviting artists to spend
a few hours together creating
work using some images of the
Hiatus brand and whatever
else they wanted, while consuming
pizza, beverages and,
of course, tequila.
Scott notes that the reason
for the choice of collage as
an activity was that “there’s
a collage effect on the Hiatus
bottle, which includes pics of
the actual distillery in Mexico.
It doesn’t take an incredible
talent to do and it’s an escape
like a hiatus is an escape. Also,
I love collage!”
This past Sunday, Jan. 16,
was one of those days, as an
invited group that was smaller
than in previous events — due
to COVID concerns — convened
in a sadly defunct sports
bar on West 14th Street, not far
from Desoto and Scott’s West
Village residence. In contrast
to its previous incarnation, the
Offside Tavern was populated
with artists instead of Islander
fans, resulting in a quieter but
no less enthusiastic group.
“When I walked in I thought,
this is like a 70s art happening,”
marveled the noted collage
artist Marlene Weisman.
Top left: All together now, 1,2,3! Tequila !Seated L-R: Kristopher
Desoto, Loulou, Suzanne Scott. Standing L-R:Paula
Rosenberg, Joanne Acey, Lou Mazzella, Elisa Blynn,Marie
Suchan, Marlene Weisman, Charles Buckley
“Everyone quickly settled in
and got to work. Having to use
the Hiatus brand elements gave
structure to our improvising
and everyone had a different
approach. Seeing everyone so
focused was kind of magical.”
“Our ethos as a brand is
based around creatives,” says
Desoto. “We want to work with
the next stars, the up and coming
ones – like us. … We keep
the collages, but if there is any
commercial usage, proceeds
will go back to the artist. The
work will be seen on social media
– Instagram, Facebook,etc.
– and the artists will be credited
and promoted. We want
to support the arts; we’ve sent
artists to do an art residency in
France and paid for Shane Bullock
to paint a mural on the The
Springs bar in Greenpoint.”
While the artists worry
about maintaining their integrity
with their X-acto knives,
scissors and glue, Desoto holds
PHOTOS BY BOB KRASNER
up his end with the purity of
his processes.
The maturity of the agave
(a ten-year process), the way
it’s baked, the critical distillation
process and the lack of
additional ingredients have
produced an award-winning
liquid. Wine Enthusiast gave it
a 95 rating right out of the gate
when they debuted in 2018
and they’ve been endorsed
by Rolling Stone, Forbes
and Esquire.
“It’s less expensive than
many of the more well known
high-end brands,” states Desoto,
“but it’s better. You can pay
a ton for garbage.”
“Tequila can be beautiful,”
proclaims Desoto, “if you don’t
screw it up!”
Hiatus can be sampled at the
Analogue bar on West 8th St.
and at Niagara in the East Village.
Further info is available
at hiatustequila.com and their
Instagram is @hiatustequila.
20 January 20, 2022 Schneps Media
/hiatustequila.com
