As promised on Twitter, I present to you:
Tequila.
Tequila gets a really bad rap because most people had a terrible experience in College involving limes, hazy recollections and body shots. To this I have a standard reply,
“You wouldn’t say you don’t like wine because you had a bad Mad Dog 20/20 experience, so why do you say you don’t like tequila because you had a bad Cuervo experience?”
As you will understand in a moment, Cuervo is at the bottom of the tequila food chain…I would personally argue it isn’t really tequila at all. Let me explain: There are 3 types of tequila. Blanco, Repasado and Anejo.
Types of Tequila
[ul]
[li]Blanco (aka Plata) is not aged at all. After the fermentation process it is bottled and shipped. It tends to be clear with a clean taste. My wife and tequila mentor both prefer blanco.[/li][li]Reposado: Aged in oak barrels for 3 to 10 months. Different kinds of barrels can be used for aging. Some Tequilas are aged in used bourbon / whiskey, cognac, or wine barrels, and will taste different from the previous spirit. Amber in color and richer in taste. Across the board I favor reposado[/li][li]Anejo: Aged for a year or more. Very rich and textured. If reposado isn’t available I go for the anejo.[/li][/ul]
If you look at a bottle of Cuervo you won’t see any of these types listed. What you will see is “Gold”. Basically Gold tequila is a blanco that has had things added to it to give it color such as caramel and other additives. Leave the Cuervo for the College kids and treat yourself to the good stuff.
Interesting Facts
Tequila has been around since the 1600s. Jose Cuervo was the first to commercialize the product. Tequila is only tequila if the blue agave is grown in the tequila region. Just like you can’t get a bottle of California champagne, you can’t get a bottle of French tequila.
What to look for
The good stuff will be a Blanco, Reposado or Anejo. It also MUST say 100% Blue Agave on it, otherwise it is not top quality. Don’t be fooled by Mezcal, Mezcal is not tequila. Mezcal is not made with blue agave and it the drink that has the worm in it sullying tequila’s good name. If you see Mixto on the bottle it means it is not 100% blue agave and therefore subpar.
Solai’s Recommendations to get started
Step away from the limes. Put down the salt. Leave the margarita mix in the cupboard. Sip and enjoy the aroma.
Like anything you need the right tools for the job. First off you need the right glass. Standard tequila glass looks like this:
This is referred to as a shooter. Like I said, you don’t shoot the good stuff. At an average $40 per bottle you want to enjoy what you have. Typically narrow and tall this is what you will see nine times out of ten. Recently a new tequila glass has emerged:
Like wine tequila actually needs to breathe and is best enjoyed when you can smell it. The larger surface area accomplishes this and the stem keeps the warmth of your body from raising the temperature of the tequila.
Now, my recommendations for tequila. My favorite tequila of all time:
Herradura Repasado
This is smooth and rich. I have tasted tequila ranging from $20 a bottle to $200 a bottle and this to my palette is the best. Typical price point for this is $40.
Hornitos Reposado.
This is my house tequila and the cheapest bottle I will typically buy. At $30 a bottle it is still expensive, but it is worth the price.
Solai’s thots on other recognized tequilas
Patron: Everyone always asks about Patron. Here is the deal: Patron is good tequila, it is simply overpriced. The money you pay for it is going to their marketing budget which they have spent millions on trying to convince the world they are the best. They are not. Like I said, I wouldn’t turn down a shot of it, I just wouldn’t pay a premium for it.
Cabo Wabo: Great stuff. The reposado tastes like candy to me. Sweet, light, delicious.
Don Julio: Some people swear by this. I think it tastes like craaaaaaaaap.
Cuervo 1800: So let’s give Cuervo credit where credit is due. The 1800 isn’t bad at all. I typically don’t recommend it to people because they get confused with the Cuervo name and get the wrong bottle of Gold. Disaster.
El Jimador: This is the exception to the $30 dollar threshold. At around $20 bucks this stuff is a steal. Very light, somewhat smooth. Doesn’t have as much flavor as others but in a pinch this will do.
Milagro: Sometimes hard to find, another good bang for your buck. I prefer the blanco, but reposado is fine as well. Don’t bother with the anejo.
What should I put in my margaritas?
I get asked this question all the time. I enjoy a margarita from time to time but for the most part just stick with a straight shot of tequila. However, when I order a margarita I simply go with the house tequila. It doesn’t matter what goes into the margarita, because what you are tasting is the margarita mix, not the tequila. Don’t be fooled into spending more money to put premium tequila into a margarita…you won’t taste it. This is the only time Gold is acceptable.
Summary
- Sip your tequila
- Expect to pay $30 or more for a bottle
- Leave the lime and salt in the kitchen
- Only purchase 100% blue agave
- Figure out if you like blanco, reposado or anejo. Do not buy Gold unless you are planning blender sports.
Go forth and sip your tequila. Remember, like wine you may have to try several brands and types before you settle on one that you enjoy. If you order a shot of blanco Milagro and don’t like it, it doesn’t mean you dont like all tequila.
I drink rotgut whiskey nowadays,not because i want to,because i have to.Beer was getting old anyway.Funny comment by the way,i think i’ll have a drink to honor it.Yes.I know it’s 9:30am:o