Mexican Rave: The 10 Best Tequila Cocktails Chosen By Experts
Lockdown has sent tequila sales soaring. But forget the salt and lemon and try these simple yet luscious recipes chosen by bartenders and other aficionados
From garden barbecue beers to Friday night Zoom drinks, we Britons havent let the lockdown stop us from boozing. As pubs and bars remain closed, sales of alcohol have soared but one tipple has proved surprisingly popular: tequila. According to Waitrose, sales of tequila increased by more than 175% between 24 March and the end of April. In the US, too, the market researcher Nielsen found that tequila sales were up 55% during those two months.
So why have we all been reaching for the salt and lemon? Actually, we probably havent. The tequila cruda ritual has gradually fallen out of favour, with the spirit gaining popularity as a cocktail ingredient instead. In the US, the sales spike may be attributed to Cinco de Mayo celebrations commemorating the Mexican armys 1862 victory over France which took place at the beginning of this month. But the increase in demand could also be down to the fact that production of tequila, which can be made only in Mexico, has been allowed to continue during the coronavirus crisis. The spirit is deemed an agricultural product, while breweries, for example, have been forced to close.
The Best Tequila Cocktails For Winter
When we think of winter libations, our minds often turn to strong bourbon drinks and warm whiskey cocktails. But its time to expand our winter repertoire. Tequila is often boxed in as a summer spirit, to be used in ice- cold Palomas and frozen . But when combined with the right ingredients, tequila can pair with snowed-in afternoons as well as it does with oceanside lounging.
Dont know where to start? Weve got you covered. Read on for the eight best tequila cocktails to cozy up with while its still chilly out.
drop!
A fancy take on the spicy Margarita, the Champs Choice combines silver tequila with aloe liqueur, mezcal, lemon juice, jalapeño, and tomatillos. Make a satisfyingly spicy simple syrup with the jalapeños and tomatillos, combine with the rest of the ingredients in a shaker with ice, and strain into a Highball glass. Top with soda water, garnish with a lime wheel, and enjoy.
Why Trust The Spruce Eats
Colleen Graham is a beverage writer with over a decade of experience writing about cocktails and bartending. She has visited tequila distilleries in Mexico, tasted countless tequilas over the years, and wrote a book on the spirit.
Kate Dingwall, a sommelier and spirits writer, updated this roundup. She has been writing about wine and spirits for five years and has visited the Jalisco region over a dozen times. She has even harvested her own agave.
Recommended Reading: How Do You Drink Ciroc Vodka
Of The Best Tequila Cocktails To Enjoy At Home Or At The Bar
May 5, 2020
- Pin
Tequila doesnt have the same refined ring to it that you find with spirits like whiskey, rum, or gin. Instead, it is often thought as of a party drink, one that has a distinctive flavor. Even so, there are many delicious tequila cocktails that you can add to your repertoire. In this post, were highlighting a selection of the best tequila cocktails, ones that youre certain to enjoy.
First though, lets talk a little about tequila. The spirit is created from the blue agave plant. It is most commonly consumed as a shot and can be anywhere from 35% to 55% alcohol.
Unlike most other spirits, tequila is protected under designation of origin laws in many countries. As part of these laws, tequila can only be produced in a limited number of Mexican states.
Tequila can be found in a variety of colors, with white and gold being the most common. The white version has been through very little aging, while the gold version is often aged longer and may have added ingredients to increase the golden color.
If you want to explore some of the best tequilas around, then a tequila of the month club should be on your list. They’ll deliver hard to find, rare, and just plain delicious selections to your door every month. You’ll get the best of the best, and won’t have to spend hours researching and finding places to buy online!
- Dulce de Tequila
Best Overall: Fuenteseca Cosecha 2018
Region: Jalisco, Mexico | ABV: 45.7% | Tasting Notes: Cinnamon, Olive, Brine
This tequila is a cult favorite among experts, as Yana Volfson, the beverage manager at Cosme and ATLA restaurants in New York, calls it beautiful. Enrique Fuenteseca, the farmer and distiller behind the bottle, chooses the ripest agave in his own estate, subjects the piñas to the autoclave-and-roller mill treatment, and lets the pot-distilled spirit rest in stainless steel tanks afterward for three years. The resulting blanco, says Grover Sanschagrin, is super heavy on the cinnamon, olive, and brine notesits just amazing. Perfect for tequila aficionados, the limited-production Fuenteseca Cosecha 2013 is a worthy collectible.
Recommended Reading: Can You Mix Ginger Ale And Whiskey
Essential And Popular Tequila Cocktails For 2021
Between the undeniable popularity of the and the emergence of celebrity-backed brands, tequila is trending. And while there are countless ways to enjoy the spirit both on its own and in cocktails were taking it back to basics with the classic tequila recipes we cant get enough of.
Looking to embrace agave this spring? Read on for the eight essential tequila cocktail recipes that showcase the simple elegance of the Mexican spirit.
drop!
Forever the hero of summertime, the Margarita is the worlds most beloved tequila cocktail. And for good reason. The beauty of this three-ingredient beverage is in its simplicity. Just combine blanco tequila with lime juice and the orange liqueur of your choice, shake with ice, and strain into a glass with ice. Garnish with a lime, and be instantly transported to a tropical paradise.
The Winter Paloma Recipe
The Paloma is the worlds second-favorite tequila drink after the Margarita. While the classic combines the spirit with grapefruit soda and lime juice, this seasonal twist subs in cranberry and pomegranate juices and is topped with soda water. The result is a tart wintry treat to pair with the season.
You May Like: Rue 33 Vodka Review
Clase Azul Reposado Tequila
Drizly
If Casamigos is what you serve at your party, Clase Azul is what you break out for the select few invited to stick around after the crowd leaves. This may be one of the priciest options on our list, but this top-shelf tequila is worth the premium price. Clase Azuls tequila comes in this instantly recognizable bottle, which you see on the top shelf of high-end bars and restaurants. At over $100, this is a true premium spirit, with a bottle and flavor profile worthy of its price.
Made from blue agave plants in Mexico, Clase Azul Reposado Tequila features notes of spice, cream soda, apple cider, jasmine, cinnamon and honey. The bottles, meantime, are like a work of art, inspired by traditional Mexican colors and motifs. Each bottle is hand-crafted and hand-painted, so no two are alike, making Clase Azul a great gift idea as well.
Best For Sipping: El Tesoro Aejo
Courtesy of leesliquorlv.com
Region: Jalisco, Mexico | ABV: 40% | Tasting Notes: Citrus, Spice, Brown butter
Like any fine spirit served neat, a good sipping tequila should be smooth, velvety, and nonabrasivebut, simultaneously, should still taste like tequila, rather than trying to mimic the characteristics of whiskey, or vodka, or anything else.
The añejo from El Tesoro is a classically-styled tequila that checks all those boxes: it’s soft and silky, a result of two to three years of aging in American oak ex-bourbon barrels, but it’s not as flush with caramel or vanilla as certain añejos that receive a more heavy-handed aging treatment. Consequently, the flavor of the agave really comes throughno surprise for a brand that prides itself on traditional production methods, from crushing the agave with a volcanic stone tahona to fermenting in open wooden vats with ambient yeasts. The El Tesoro añejo is an ideal choice the next time you’re craving the vibrancy of raw agave character without wanting to bother with ice or with lime.
Region: Jalisco, Mexico | ABV: 46% | Tasting Notes: Cinnamon, Olives, Grapefruit peel
Also Check: Where To Buy Empress 1908 Gin
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.
Skip The Salt And Lime
When drinking tequila, I want to be able to experience the actual taste, he says. Usually, tequilas dominant flavor profile extends to the honey-like notes of cooked agave, accented by zingy citrus or pepper. Save the lime and salt for making Margaritas, Palomas or other cocktails, and sip neat tequila unadorned.
You May Like: What To Mix With Jim Beam Honey Whiskey
Campo Viejo Cocktail Recipe
Developed at Oiji in Manhattans East Village neighborhood, this Korean-inspired cocktail is more than just smoke and mirrors . To make it, combine reposado tequila, lime juice, white vermouth, tamarind juice, and Cynar, and serve neat. If you want to go the extra mile, burn a threaded Korean pepper to smoke in your glass before pouring in the mixture.
When To Use Tequila Blanco Vs Reposado Vs Anejo
Whats the right time to use blanco instead of tequila resposado vs anejo? Which works in cocktails, and which is better sipping neat?
- Tequila blanco has a straightforward flavor thats great in cocktails like or highball cocktails like Ranch Water.
- Tequila reposado is fantastic in cocktails it adds a sophisticated nuance to the flavor of the drink. It makes an incredible Classic Margarita, or use it in classy spins like the Hennessy Margarita, Grand Marnier Margarita or Cadillac Margarita. Reposado adds great flavor notes to a highball drink like Tequila and Ginger Ale.
- Tequila anejo has a dark, rich flavor and is best enjoyed neat or on the rocks. Dont waste it in cocktails!
You May Like: Carbs In Pinnacle Whipped Vodka
Are All Tequilas Made Of 100 Percent Blue Weber Agave
Nearly all premium tequilas are made entirely from blue Weber agave , but there’s another category of tequila called “mixto” in which blue Weber agave need only compose 51 percent of the spirit. Producers utilize various types of sugar to make up the remaining percentage, including high fructose corn syrup and molassesalthough sometimes a lightly processed Mexican cane sugar known as piloncillo is what’s used. If your bottle doesn’t indicate on the label that it’s made from 100 percent agaveand if the price is on the lower end of the spectrumthere’s a good chance that you’re dealing with a mixto. While less expensive, these tequilas don’t reflect a historically anthentic approach to the composition of the spirit.
The Tequila Negroni Recipe
Over the past few years, the Negroni has made a comeback, becoming a staple for drinks pros and home bartenders alike. Though the original recipe uses gin, tequila-lovers can easy sub in their favorite spirit for a balanced riff on the classic drink. For this recipe, we use Campari and sweet vermouth, but also add in a blood orange and ginger shrub for added freshness.
Read Also: Costco Vodka Gluten Free
Cdigo 1530 Rosa Tequila
Drizly
Smooth and delicate, Código 1530s Rosa Tequila makes for perfect after-work sipping, or used in a hand-crafted cocktail. Produced using the tequila-making traditions of the Los Bajos region and its tequilieras, the tequila is meticulously aged inFrench White Oakred wine barrels from Napa Valley. That gives the Rosa a subtle pink hue, and a sweet yet dry finish.
Country singer George Strait is an investor in the brand, and even wrote a song inspired by the tequila off his 2019 album, Honkey Tonk Time Machine.
Top 10 Best Tequila Drinks
Date: 06 February,2020
Everyone is the same in the presence of tequila. You can be tall or short, a partygoer or a homebody, an avid drinker or a social drinkereveryone has epic tequila drinking reactions! And thats the fun of it!
When tequila drinks are on the menu, it means youll have the best night of your life. Its a shot that takes no jokes and will definitely give you something insane to recall after a night out.
A liquor not quite like the others! Its sure to provide you and your friends with a fun encounter to look back on for a long long time. How fun was it witnessing your friends have their first shots of tequila, right?
This drink can even win wars. In Mexicos War of Independence, tequila consumption increased and developed a connection with Mexicos national identity. If you could ask people from that time if theyd choose to drink tequila or something else, theyd go for the former, no questions asked.
Tequila on its own is a beautiful monster, but that doesnt mean it cant go well with mixes. It has a unique way of giving cocktails a kick, making them refreshing and well-respected.
Interested in attending a tequila event? Join us on our Tequila Tastings and save 20% with code DWF . Click below and select your city!
Below, Social Scene lists 10 of the best tequila drinks for you to try out. Tequila has been conquering the cocktail menu, and you ought to experience how it holds up in classy drinks!
You May Like: Glen Thunder Corn Whiskey
El Tesoro Aejo Tequila
Reserve Bar
If you want to discover an authentic Mexican tequila with a bold yet traditional flavor, then order a bottle of El Tesoro. El Tesoro may be owned by Beam Suntory, the Japanese company responsible for Suntory Whisky, but this tequila is still made from traditional methods and local agave. In fact, the grandson of founder Don Felipe Camarena oversees production today. The Añejo variety is aged in American oak bourbon barrels for up to three years, which results in a nice blend of warm agave and oak flavors. If you try this tequila neat, youll notice notes of maple, vanilla and caramel, balanced with pepper and floral tones.
Trick To The Egg White Foam: A Dry Shake
Egg whites have been added to drinks for about a century. Why? The foam adds a fun frothy texture on top and adds a rich, creamy flavor . How to get the very best egg white foam? Its called a Dry Shake. That means youll shake the ingredients first without ice. This lets the protein in the egg begin to unravel and form foam instead of being diluted by the ice.
Then youll add the ice and shake again. This cools the drink and strengthens the foam. Strain it into the glass and youll get a thick, white frothy layer. This technique is not only used in the tequila sour: youll see it in other egg white cocktails like the Classic Gin Fizz, Clover Club, Boston Sour, Gin Sour, and Vodka Sour.
Recommended Reading: How To Make Strawberry Vodka Lemonade
Where The Sea Meets The Sky
This poetic-sounding cocktail is made with silver tequila, which is clearer and sharper than the traditional gold type.
Its also bottled as soon as its distilled, so theres no aging, giving it a more neutral taste.
In this recipe, its a smooth base to more explosive flavors like grapefruit and oregano.
Sweet, delicate, and floral, this is a sophisticated drink that true connoisseurs will love.
Tequila Chia Hot Toddy
Winter cocktails are the best way of getting through chilly nights and frosty days.
This warming blend features tequila, chai tea, and a slice of lemon. Its basically cocktail comfort food!
Understated and sophisticated, the flavor pairing of subtle cucumber and tangy lime works perfectly in this cocktail.
Its an elegant twist on the classic margarita, made with lime juice, cucumber, and tequila.
This would be perfect for your next Cinco de Mayo. Make a pitcher and get your guests in the mood to party, Mexican-style!
The tropical taste of pineapple and spicy tequila are a match made in heaven.
You dont have to get complicated to enjoy this dream team.
Just stir together tequila and fresh pineapple juice for a 2-minute treat that cant fail to please.
Add a splash of cocktail bitters for deeper flavor or turn it into a pineapple margarita with Cointreau and lime. The skys the limit with this versatile tipple.
Also Check: How Many Carbs Does Flavored Vodka Have