American Style With Lime Or Lemon
Know What Youre Drinking
There are three basic classes of tequilablanco, reposado and añejoand different ways to maximize the drinking experience for each. I am always aware of what kind of tequila Im drinking, says Bolivar.
Blanco: When drinking blanco, or silver, a 1-ounce pour neat for a shot does the trick for me, he says about this category, which is usually aged minimally or not at all. However, Im not against a good blanco tequila with soda and lime, just in case you want to drink it slow.
Reposado: Reposado, or rested tequila, is aged in barrels from two months to one year. Reposados hold hidden notes of vanilla, caramel and butter, and many times a touch of citrus is also present, he says. Drink repo tequila neat, preferably in a snifter glass, he adds. Bolivars top picks for reposado tequilas include Casa Noble, Fortaleza, Siembra Azul and Clase Azul.
Añejo: Barrel-aged for longer than year, this tequila style tends to have robust flavors, often layering on plenty of caramel, toffee and spice. The añejo drinker is considered to a mature drinker, says Bolivar. He likens añejo tequila to scotch and suggests consuming it similarly: with one ice cube or a splash of water, or mixed into an Old Fashioned-style cocktail.
How To Order Tequila Like A Pro
Tequila is one of the worlds most truly unique liquors. Whether you prefer clear or gold, smooth tequilas or a more flavorful spirit, tequila is a great spirit to include in any drink or to enjoy on its own. If you love the taste of tequila but sometimes get overwhelmed with all of the different choices available when it comes time to order a beverage, here are some tips on how you can order tequila like a pro, no matter what bar you may be attending.
What to Know About Aging Categories
Not all tequilas are created equal. A great way to determine what type of tequila you are ordering and what type of taste you can expect with your tequila is to learn about the aging categories typically used for tequila. This category will tell you whether or not the tequila has been aged and how long it has been aged. Typically, the longer the tequila has been aged in the barrel, the more fruity notes and flavors will make their way into the spirit.
Here are the four main aging categories that any tequila drinker needs to know.
Anejo
Tequila that is aged one to three years in an oak barrel is classified as Anejo tequila. This type of spirit typically has a darker color and typically includes flavors like cocoa, toffee or vanilla. You can expect a deeper flavor with these tequilas.
Extra Anejo
Blanco, Silver, Plata, Crystal Platinum
Reposado
Drinking Tequila on Its Own
Ordering a Mixed Tequila Drink
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Try Enjoying Tequila A New Way
Today, on National Margarita Day, Rooms says that the time is ripe to up your tequila game.
People should jump at the chance to enjoy tequila in a different way to the usual university days, when youd shoot it. Most people I encounter just associate it with tequila face he mimics the twisted expression that contorted face you pull the first time you shoot it and taste the alcohol.
But, trying better quality tequila, or using it in cocktails will take this harsher side away from it. You may make a tequila face the first time you sip a cocktail but, as you go on, the taste will develop.
Rooms explains that the only people who come into Cartel and feel comfortable drinking straight tequila are those who have just returned from Mexico or those he manages to talk around. The majority, he reveals, say that they stepped away from the spirit after a bad experience at university and cant deal with the shock factor of trying straight tequila again. But a 100 per cent Blue Agave tequila, the bar man insists, is considerably smoother.
Personally, I really enjoy the flavour. Theres more variation in tequila than those who just shoot it know. In Jalisco, Mexico, where the blue agave is grown, you get different flavours from the highland yield which pops with citrus and the lowland which is sweeter.
“Theres more variation in tequila than those who just shoot it know…”
A Fun Tequila Shot For Parties
Im ready for summer, or even just warm weather. Bring it on because Im sick of cold, rainy days. At least the snow is over but after a while you just need some sunshine.
Tequila drinks like these Double Trouble Tropical Tequila Shots just scream party time right? We make tequila cocktails all the time, like these Lime Drop Shots and we even use tequila to cook with like in these Tequila Lime Chicken Legs.
Theres nothing wrong with a plain tequila shot with lime, but today were making a shot thats a little more creative, and tasty. So why are these shots called Double Trouble? Ill give you two reasons. One is that theres two types of liquor in these little shots, tequila and pineapple vodka.
The other reason for the name Double Trouble is that these shots go down so smooth and taste so good youre going to have to make sure youve got a ride homeor are in walking distance.
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Where To Stay In Guadalajara
I stayed at Guadalajara Centro Hospedarte Hostel and booked my tour through them at a cost of $400MXN .
On a budget: Hostel Hospedarte Guadalajara Centro I stayed here and it was fantastically social with good options for booking tours.
Mid-range: The Westin Guadalajara clean, well-kept, modern rooms with a great location, The Westin offers reliable service for great prices.
Luxury: NH Collection Guadalajara Providencialocated in the financial district of Guadalajara, expect modern rooms in a good location, surrounded by a good choice of restaurants.
Hotels in the town of Tequila: If youd rather stay in the town of Tequila itself, there is a handful of hotels to choose from.
Whats your relationship like with tequila? Love it? Hate it? Prepared to give it a try the Mexican way?
Yes You Can Sip Tequila Instead Of Taking Shots
There may not be any other spirit out there that inspires the same chanting of “Shots! Shots! Shots!” at a bar quite like tequila does. After all, it’s most common to see tequila served up in a shot glass, with a salted rim and a wedge of lime. The salt is supposed to make the tequila burn less, with the sour acid from the lime balancing out the experience and enhancing the tequila’s flavors.
And while shooting tequila is certainly still an acceptable option, there may be better ways to enjoy it.
Sipping on a glass of tequila, much like sipping bourbon or scotch, can be an experience on its own. Using a proper tasting glass or even a wine glass is a great way to let the notes of the tequila wake up as you take small sips. It can definitely be a sipping spirit if you learn to accept it as such.
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Drink The Oldest Tequila You Can Find
Like a fine whiskey, tequila is one of those drinks that improves with age. And, the longer tequila has been aged, the more mellow and, yes, the more drinkable, it will be.
The clear tequila that we most commonly slug back in bars is usually fresh out of the vat and as a result is pretty rough to drink even in Mexico. Hence the need to chase this baby brew with lime and salt.
However, drink a tequila that is even a little bit older and the taste and drinkability increases dramatically.
Tequila usually falls into these categories:
- Blanco completely unaged tequila that has spent less than 2 months in steel or neutral oak barrels
- Joven as above but is often gold coloured
- Reposado aged more than 2 months but less than 1 year in oak barrels
- Añejo aged 1-3 years in oak barrels
- Extra Añejo aged more than 3 years in oak barrels
Best Aejo: Don Julio Aejo
Courtesy of Reserve Bar
Region: Jalisco | ABV: 40% | Tasting Notes: Caramel, Baked yam, Ginger
Don Julio, Chasse notes, takes care of its raw materials. When the producers were planting their fields, they used much more land than other producers and spaced the agave out so as not to overtax the soil and sap it of its nutrients. Thats important when the plants take so long to come to maturity, and it leads to some lively flavors in the spirit.
Hurley notes the baked yam, toasted oak, caramel and vanilla notes that two and a half years of wood aging give this añejo. But its round, sweet qualities are balanced out, says Chasse, by a gingery, peppery spice.
Good to Know: Want to nibble while you sip? Try fatty things with a crisp blanco, like guacamole and chips, a grilled steak and carnitas tacos. For aged tequilas, Hurley advises dark chocolate. And any sipping tequila goes great with spicy or salty foods, chased by a Mexican lagerjust the way the distillers like to drink it themselves.
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How To Drink A Tequila Shot
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In Mexico, tequila’s homeland, people often drink it straight, sometimes with a side of sangrita.XResearch source Outside Mexico, however, it’s common for tequila to be served as a shot, along with salt and a slice of lime or lemon. These additions help to compensate for the harshness of lower-quality tequila, and are consumed in a specific order, as outlined below.
How To Drink Tequila Like A Non
Before we get into the details of how to drink tequila like a Mexican, lets take a good hard stare at how the rest of us tend to approach the subject of tequila drinkingor should I say tequila slamming.
More often that not, it goes a little something like this:
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How Do Mexicans Drink Tequila
Until I tasted good tequila, the idea of sitting and sipping tequila, as Mexican people commonly do, seemed like an absurd activity. Yet the truth is that good tequila is to be savoured, not slugged down at speed.
Heres how to drink tequila like a Mexican.
Pick a tequila that is 100% agave and at least reposado.
Fill a shot glass in the normal way .
To drink, simply take a small sip of tequila straight and enjoy.
If you feel the need as a new tequila drinker, you can try your tequila with some lime and some salt. After every sip or two, dip your wedge of lime into a small amount of salt and suck on it. However, dont use too much as you will drown out the flavour of the tequila.
Ideally, try to buy the tiny limes that are light green because they are sweeter and juicier than their larger, darker counterparts.
And there you have it: how to drink tequila like a Mexican.
What You Should Know Before Taking Another Sip Of Tequila
When it comes to tequila, it’s hard not to immediately think of giant frothy margaritas. Or, maybe a whole line-up of salt-rimmed shots on the bar comes to mind and the terrible hangover that consequently follows in the morning. But tequila is so much more than that.
Tequila is wildly popular in the United States, with sales of about 20 million cases in 2019. The tequila industry in the U.S. amounts to $2.9 billion in annual sales, and close to 126 million liters of tequila are consumed just on Cinco De Mayo. Considering how many shots are consumed on that day alone, it’s safe to say tequila is a pretty popular alcohol.
Tequila is a spirit with a unique flavor, with earthy notes coming through and a hint of sweetness. And while margaritas and salt-rimmed shots are certainly the most popular way to consume tequila, there’s definitely more to this spirit than meets the eye. We decided to dive in and take a look. From the type of plant tequila is made from to the requirements needed to be called a proper tequila, this is everything you need to know before you take another sip of tequila.
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Whats On The Label And What It Means
The tequila you buy will either be 100% Agave or Mixto . With 100% Agave, the flavors and notes will be very up front. If you are a fan of robust, exotic flavors, this will be the type of tequila you want. Mixto, on the other hand, has its flavor cut by up to 49% sugar and water. This will NOT make the tequila sweet, only less in-your-face. It will have a more subtle flavor, whose notes will linger for longer. Neither is better or higher-end than the other, its simply a matter of preference and occasion.
Beyond the two basic categories we just mentioned, there are also about a half dozen different types of tequila within each. It may sound confusing at first, but trust me, its not rocket science.
Here are the ones youll encounter the most.
Best Splurge: Don Ramn Limited Edition Extra Aejo
Courtesy of Liquorama.net
Region: Jalisco | ABV: 40% | Tasting Notes: Vanilla, Cocoa, Dark coffee
Only 5,000 bottles of this limited-edition Don Ramón extra añejo were produced. Made with 100% blue agave from the Tequila Highlands, this expression has been aged for three years in American oak barrels. The tequila provides notes of toasted coconut and vanilla, with some cocoa powder and dark roasted coffee, Hurley notes. But thats only part of the selling point for him.
The tequila is great, but the bottle is whats really gorgeous, he says. The glass is embedded with gold flakes and decorated in wooshing lines composed of Swarovski crystals, which frame the dark amber liquid inside. It makes a showstopping centerpiece for any bar.
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How To Properly Drink Tequila With Viva Mexico
This past July, I flew into Guadalajara, Mexico, rented a car, & met my friend Karena in her hometown of Arandas ~ about a two-hour drive. I didnt realize it at the time: but Arandas is essentially the motherland of tequila. While the town of Tequila is much more famous , Arandas is more of a locals place, with far fewer tourists. We were lucky enough to be invited to take a tour at Viva Mexico, which is a brand of tequila that can only be found in Mexico. Here, I learned exactly How to Properly Drink Tequila, which is what Ill be sharing with you in this post!
In this post, were going to learn to drink tequila like the Mexicans do, thanks to Viva Mexico!
You’re Drinking Tequila Wrong
Were approaching National Tequila Day, which means for most of us, the following day is National Hungover Time. But it doesnt have to be that way!
This year, why not celebrate one of Mexicos greatest exports by practicing the right way to enjoy tequila? In other words, sip it. Because if you shoot tequila with salty lick and squeeze of lime, youre doing it wrong.
David Alan, manager of trade education and mixology at Patrón Tequila, told HuffPost that the tendency toward tequila shots is a remnant of days when crappy tequila dominated the market. He added, The shooting ritual was a quick way to get it down the hatch so you didnt have to taste it. You dont need salt and lime anymore because theres so much good tequila on the market.
And Americans are buying it up. According to the Distilled Spirits Council for the United States, U.S. imports of tequila grew 98 percent between 2002 and 2014.
But how do you pick the best ones to sip?
Avoid mixtos tequilas theyre fermented with a mix of blue agave cactus and other sugars, such as cane or grain alcohol, and tend to be rough stuff. Instead, seek out tequilas made completely from agave theyre much smoother.
After that, Alan said, its tasters choice.
People who like something thats more zesty and spicy generally go for blanco or silver tequilas, which are virtually un-aged and retain the punchy agave flavors, Alan says.
But just because a reposado tequila is more expensive doesnt mean its necessarily better.
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