A solid, well-structured tequila with a little barrel aging on it, Herradura Silver is a good choice for full-flavored sipping or high-end cocktails.

Way back in 1870, Casa Herradura was registered as a tequila producing hacienda. Over the past few decades the company has grown its stable of brands, producing one “mixto” name you should avoid (Pepe Lopez), Mexico’s best-selling tequila el Jimador (a 100% agave bargain), and the premium Don Eduardo. They’ve been an innovator and award winner consistently and are the third-largest tequila distillery.

Not a household name in the U.S. but the star of the Tequila Express train is Herradura, a fine tequila that is good enough to sip and is made better than it has to be. As in the reposado version is aged 11 months instead of the minimum two and the anejo is aged two years instead of the mandated one. Even the silver blanco version gets a little oak action though, spending 45 days in barrels to take some of the edge off.

I can’t say I’ve seen this elsewhere and I kind of wonder how it stays so clear if it’s been in “toasted oak barrels” for 45 days, but it’s the taste that matters and Herradura Silver scores highly on that count. In general, the lowland Jalisco tequilas are less fruity and flowery than the highland ones, so there’s often not as much complexity in the blanco versions.

This is a subtle difference that matters little in a cocktail with lots of citrus, but if you’re sipping it’s noticeable. Whether countering this was the intention or not, Herradura’s silver has a good bit more going on—presented with less bite—than many competitors. I’m partial to something with more age on it to drink neat, but this is one I’ll take a refill on. The classic toasted agave flavors shine through, but it’s a smooth experience.

Since 2007, Casa Herradura has been part of the Brown-Forman spirits company in Kentucky, which has allowed it to expand its distribution and invest in both the local community and more sustainable manufacturing processes. If you want to see their distillery in action, the most fun way is to board the Tequila Express in Guadalajara and get the full-blown mariachi experience as well.

Herradura Silver is widely available in good liquor stores, generally priced between $30 and $40 for a 750 ml bottle.

As we watch the Americas—including the Caribbean—dominate all the track & field sprints in the Olympics, let’s take a break to check out some luxury travel news for the region.

In Brazil’s biggest city, a much-needed subway expansion is finally in motion. They’ve got a long way to go to really ease congestion though. Their metro has 71 kms of track for 19 million people compared to 200 kms for Mexico City. Even Santiago’s is 40% bigger. A planned Line 4 extension will add five more stations though to the recently opened stops. Alas, not in time for the 2014 World Cup though. See the full article from the Economist here: Not yet fit for a metropolis.

Mexico tourism is on track to set a record this year for both the number of visitors and overall revenues, based on how the first six months went.

Luxury retail spending was down 26% in the second quarter of this year, after a smaller decline in the first quarter. Affluent households have previously been the bright spot during this recession, but while they still seem to be traveling, they’re not plunking down as much on handbags and watches.

Magazine publishers are crying the blues as well. As more readers and advertisers gravitate to digital, paper is suffering. “Vogue, Vanity Fair, Lucky and Allure all experienced double-digit declines for Condé Nast” says this article and most others were lucky to have “only” a single-digit decline for the first half of the year.

Argentina’s import restrictions are hitting the Buenos Aires luxury market hard. All the red tape and bureaucracy have led to permanent or months-long closures of stores from Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Cartier, and Ermenegildo Zegna. We can only imagine the effect this is having on hotels as well if they’re trying to import French toiletries or the latest electronics.

We don’t cover troubled Venezuela on Luxury Latin America, but congrats to fencer Rubin Limardo who won the country its first gold Olympics medal in 44 years.

You don’t see a whole lot of Bentley cars cruising the streets of Mexico, Peru, Argentina, or Chile. If you stay at a St. Regis or Starwood Luxury Collection hotel in one of those countries though, you could be seeing one—from the inside.

St. Regis and Luxury Collection hotels around the world have been transitioning their fleet of in-house vehicles for guests to luxurious Bentley models, such as The Continental Flying Spur. So for your arranged airport pickup or sightseeing drive, you’ll be surrounded by elegance and the smell of fine leather.

If you dig around and find the right package, or get your travel specialist to, you might get this included in the rate for booking a suite or enough days. If not, how much does it cost? Well you know what they say: if you have to ask…

The photo at the top is from the St. Regis Mexico City. Their other hotel there is in Punta Mita, near Puerto Vallarta.

Luxury Collection hotels are located in Lima, the Sacred Valley, and Paracas in Peru; Santiago and Villarica in Chile, and Buenos Aires in Argentina. They also have five gorgeous hacienda hotels in Mexico, all located around Merida and Campeche in the Yucatan.

Book direct with St. Regis or direct with Starwood Luxury Collection.

As others have noted before, there’s a big difference between “cheap” and “value.” In the latter I would put the American Express Platinum card, which I’ve been splurging on for several years now.

At $450 a year, there’s certainly nothing cheap about it. But when I add up all the benefits I get (and one I’m about to get—more on that later), it’s definitely a terrific value.

You can see the official rundown at the bottom of this post, and it’s a very long list of benefits, but there are two key ones that can by themselves make this card pay for itself. The first is the lounge perks. With this card you can get into the airline lounges of American, Delta, and U.S. Airways—with your guest even. On top of that you get a Priority Pass membership that gives you access to hundreds of other lounges around the world. That’s especially helpful when you’re traveling internationally, in airports where these U.S. carriers aren’t prevalent. This benefit alone is worth hundreds of dollars annually and I use it almost every month, getting Wi-Fi, snacks, cocktails, and helpful airline agents without a long line.

Because the Membership Rewards part of Amex has lost some key airlines over the years, most notably Continental/United and Southwest, they’ve made up for it by giving you a $200 credit to apply to one airline’s baggage fees, food, drinks, etc. You have to pick the one airline and you can’t switch until the following year, so infrequent fliers will find it hard to use the whole amount, but last year it enabled my family to check three extra bags at no charge when moving back from Mexico. That alone saved us $105. We celebrated with a free in-flight drink.

The last big perk, which I’m determined to take advantage of after my recent hour-long wait in the customs line at Ft. Lauderdale, is the Global Entry program. If you have an Amex Platinum card, they reimburse your $100 application fee. You have to do an interview and get fingerprinted at a gateway airport, which is what’s been my hold-up, but I’m getting on it soon. After approval, you can waltz right past those long lines, stick your passport in a machine, and be on your way. Faster security lines in some airports too.

Then comes lots of icing on the cake: Membership Rewards points you can apply to (a few) airlines, some hotel chains, travel purchase, or items like gift cards. You can get automatic membership to the high loyalty levels of Hertz, Avis, and National. Automatic upgrades at luxury hotels. Concierge service. Access to VIP tickets for concerts. Automatic travel and evacuation insurance. Warranty doubling.

Shall I go on?

Yes, $450 is a fair bit of money to invest in a credit card, but I’d say it’s a terrific value.

Get the details and get yours – Earn a round-trip domestic airline ticket. Apply for a Platinum Card

You want to support local artisans when you buy souvenirs, but getting all that stuff home can be a pain. Baggage restrictions and the risk of breakage in transit are serious detriments to bringing back that special piece of pottery, the hand-blown glass, or that intricate wood carving. If you order things online though, it doesn’t have the same impact as buying it where you visited.

Over the years I’ve found a middle way that doesn’t completely solve the problem, but it comes close: Novica.

Novica sells quality handicrafts direct from artisans keeping their craft alive, whether in the Andes Mountains of Peru or the pueblo workshops of Mexico. They’re a benevolent middleman, marking the items up enough to cover costs, but not the 3 or 4 times you often see from retailers. The craftspeople make a living wage for their work, but you get to use a website that shows off the products beautifully. They’re a part of the National Geographic Society umbrella of companies, so I feel like I can trust them.

I’ve ordered multiple times from Novica over the years, getting exotic jewelry for my wife or picking up decorative masks to fill out our collection on a wall. I didn’t want to lug back a set of eight of those thick Mexican glasses when I moved back from there, but through these guys I can order good ones online for a price that’s not too hard to stomach. Considering all the hassles involved in international shipping and customs, their rates are a bargain.

For Latin America, follow these links to see products Novica sells from artisans working in Brazil, Mexico, the Andes region, and Central America. (Of course I’m not stopping you from loading up on unique items from India or Thailand…)

I don’t talk about specific e-commerce companies on this luxury travel blog very much, but Novica is doing good work and helping a lot of people, while at the same time helping us get some of those things we couldn’t cart back home after our trips. Happy browsing.