Sip On Some Holiday Cheer At This Yorkville Pop
Try one of Patrón Tequilas trio of festive cocktails and take home a beautiful gifting kit
This December, PATRÓN® Tequila is putting on the ultimate pop-up for any Torontonian craving a dose of some tropical holiday-inspired relaxationwithout the hassle of airport security. On the weekends of December 3 and December 11, Yorkville Village will be hosting the brands mini Mexican escape, a chance for stressed-out shoppers to be treated to a luxurious cocktail experience by the worlds top tequila brand. The pop-up will be serving a trio of festive tequila-based cocktails that prove why Patrón Tequila is the perfect spirit for the holidays. After sipping a custom concoction, guests can purchase a curated cocktail gifting kit containing all the ingredients to re-create the entire experience at home . Provided you can resist tearing them open yourself, they make a perfect gift for any hard-to-shop-for liquor fans on your list.
Make sure to stop by Yorkville Village this December to enjoy one of these mouth-watering cocktailsand get the chance to cross a few people off your shopping list at the same time.
Pick up your very own Patrón Tequila holiday cocktail kit on-site, or explore Patrón Tequila in-store and online at your local LCBO. Visit Patrón Tequilas holiday pop-up, The Gift of Patrón, in Yorkville Village . Must be 19+ to attend. Please note that provincial COVID-19 protocols will be enforced.
Pop-up hours:
If You Like This Try These
The obvious sister to the Tequila Sunrise is a Screwdriver, which’ll do the trick if you’re short on tequila but stocked with vodka. Then there’s the Mimosa with OJ and champagne, to which you can even add a teaspoon of Grand Marnier, to give it a backbone.
Photography and Prop styling by Heidi’s Bridge
How To Drink Aejo Tequila
Just like bourbon, you can drink añejo tequila any way you like, but we prefer it neat.
Know what youre drinking:
- Puro tequilas are 100% agave tequilas
- Mixto tequilas are 51% agave with 49% sugar
Were going to talk about puro tequilas because they are best for sipping and savoring. No lime or salt is necessary as you dont want to mask the flavor. Ideally, you want to use a copita glass which focuses the aromas up to the nose.
We recommend the following method for drinking finer tequilas:
Thats the Mexican method for drinking tequila.
And that brings us to our next section
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Is Tequila Stronger Than Vodka
Tequila must have an ABV content of 35% to 55%, whilst vodka can be as strong as it likes as long as its over 40% to be sold in America. In terms of taste, the strength of the drink is determined by how you drink it. As most people drink tequila neat or as a shot, some would argue that tequila is the stronger liquor.
Is One Oven Better Than The Other
If you ask a few tequileros, you will receive different opinions about what each style of oven brings to the final product. It is a great debate some people will compare the modern autoclave to a microwave and the brick oven to using a traditional oven in your kitchen. Do tequilas from an autoclave have a diminished flavor.
This single step does not consign one to a bad tequila. Instead, it is the culmination of every step in the tequila-making process, from the agave to the barrel, that will affect the final product’s quality.
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This Is What Tequila Is Actually Made From
In the same way that Scotland is known for its whiskey and Jamaica is synonymous with rum, Mexico has a reputation for tequila, a distilled spirit enjoyed around the world often in a margarita or with salt and a lime slice. The United States is the world’s largest consumer of the beverage, and more than 171 million liters were imported in 2017 .
Americans beat out other countries by a wide margin, with Spain being the world’s second-biggest consumer at a relatively meager 5 million liters. Similar to champagne or bourbon , tequila is also a legally protected term. It can only be used if the liquor was produced in the Mexican state of Jalisco, or in certain parts of the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, or Tamaulipas . Tequila is typically 80 proof and can only be produced using one very specific ingredient.
Your Tequila Bottle Should Not Have A Worm In It
Tequila, FYI, will have absolutely no worms in it. The association with tequila and worms is based on the fact that maguey plants are often nibbled on by gusano de maguey, little larvae that, if not interrupted, would turn into a mariposa, or a kind of butterfly. When they are put into bottles of liquor as larvae, its mezcal, not tequila. So basically dont drink tequila if theres a worm in it. If the producer got that wrong, who knows what else is wrong in the bottle.
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I Love This Drink Because
- Looks amazing: Fun, light colors make this drink a must-try. I mean who doesnt love putting a cute two-toned drink on their Instafeed.
- 3 Ingredients: You only need 3 common ingredients to make this. Most people keep a bottom of Tequila on the house, but if you dont you can pick up an affordable choice at your local liquor store.
- No Fancy Bar Equipment: No cocktail shaker or blender is needed.
- Sweet Taste: The tangy orange juice and sweet grenadine make this a favorite among those who dont drink very often.
How Is Tequila Made
Tequila is made from ripe blue agave plants which take a minimum of six years to mature but those planted in the highlands frequently take much longer to reach maturity and can be up to 12 years.
Unlike whisky where the majority of time is spent in the ageing process, producing tequila requires a vast amount of time invested in cultivation.
At maturity the blue agave plant produces a single flower then dies, but just as the plant begins to flower skilled harvesters called jimadors cut off the shoot with a sharp curved tool called a Coa, preserving the starch stored in the heart of the plant.
The hearts are known as the piña as they resemble pineapples with jimadores cutting the plants spiky leaves as close to the piña as possible. The ripe hearts, which have an average weight of 32kg but can vary from 10-100kg, are then halved, quartered and slow roasted in traditional ovens called hornos for 24-48 hours or baked in faster steam ovens called autoclaves for 7 hours where the starches are converted into fermentable sugar.
After cooking the hearts are pressed and shredded to release the sugary juice, known as aguamiel or honey water. It is then put into fermentation tanks where yeast is added, though traditionally spontaneous fermentation using naturally occurring airborne yeast is still used by a small number of distillers.
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Where Is Tequila From
The first tequila distillery was in the town of Tequila, in the state of Jalisco. Much like the way in which France controls the wine regions and naming of wines, Mexico controls the regions where tequila can be produced. The state of Jalisco is the largest area that produces tequila with the seal of approval, and there are other smaller areas near some cities in the states of Guanajuato, Michoacan, Nayarit and Tamaulipas. If you’re interested in purchasing some high-quality tequila, head over to our spotlight on 11 Mexican- and Mexican American-Owned Tequila & Mezcal Brands You Need to Know.
The Blue Agave Plant Only Has One Life To Give
It doesnt help efficiency that blue agave is a one-time use plant. Once theyre finally ready to harvest, the agave plants have their piñas or hearts called that because they end up looking like pineapples ripped out. Those are the parts that will be steamed, crushed, and fermented into tequila.
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Cooking The Blue Agave
The piñas are then placed into large brick or stone horno ovens where the raw agave is steamed at low temperatures for between 22 and 56 hours. Historically, the process took place in earthen pits. Yet, this is rare for tequila and is usually used for making mezcal instead.
Contrary to popular belief, the blue agave piñas are not baked or roasted. By using steam, the piñas become soft and the fructan and inulin are converted to fructose.
Some modern operations may use autoclave pressure ovens. However, although larger and much faster, the higher temperatures arent as effective at removing bitter flavours. Nevertheless, while less authentic, professionals claim that it can proposer cleaner flavours.
In any case, these arent quite as poor as diffusers, which work on an industrial scale to chemically extract juice from the agave.
Ever Sip On A Margarita And Wonder What Is Tequila Made From We Break Down What You Need To Know About Mexico’s Most Famous Spirit
In a cocktail, as a shooter or as a spirit to sip on, tequila in all its forms remains super popular. Its not hard to find a good tequila, either. But theres more to tequila than meets the eye. You might be surprised to learn how tequila is made and what types of tequila you can buy.
Mix yourself a margarita on the rocksits time to learn all about tequila.
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The Tahona Process Is As Crafty As It Gets
Tequila can be as artisan as the most artisany crafty tiny spirit out there. Even if its made by a big producer. See, tequila is made by steaming and crushing those massive piñas. One way those piñas can be crushed is the Tahona processbasically dragging a massive volcanic wheel over the steamed agave hearts. Traditionally, and in at least one place, still done by donkey. If use of a donkey isnt artisan, we dont know what is.
Can You Make These Vegan
Jello shots that contain gelatin are not vegan or vegetarian friendly because gelatin is an animal product. However, you can use agar-agar powder. This is made from seaweed instead of gelatin to make your jello shots vegan.
Note that agar-agar has more robust properties than gelatin 1 tablespoon of gelatin only needs about half a teaspoon of agar-agar powder.
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Main Types Of Tequila:
- Blanco or plata can be bottled directly after distillation or rested in stainless steel or neutral oak barrels to allow oxidisation for up to two months. These have a bold taste and work well in cocktails.
- Joven or Oro sometimes blends of unaged and aged tequilas but more commonly unaged tequilas produced in the same way as blancos but given a golden hue from the addition of colouring and additives for flavour.
- Reposado must be aged in oak barrels of unspecified size or vats called pipones for a minimum of two months and up to a maximum of 12 months. Best for mixed drinks and sipping.
- Añejo must be aged in oak casks with a maximum capacity of 600 litres for at least one year, or between one and three years. These often have a toasty, vanilla and citrus flavour.
- Extra Añejo must be aged at least three years in oak barrels with a maximum capacity of 600 litres. These generally have more of a smoky flavour and can be compared to fine French Cognacs with similar price tags.
- Curados a new category launched in 2006 tequilas flavoured with natural ingredients such as lemon, orange, strawberry, pineapple and pear. A minimum 25% agave spirit must be used with 75% of the fermentable sugars coming from cane or corn and the addition of sweeteners, colouring and/or flavourings up to 75ml per litre.
Extracting The Sweet Agave Juices
Those sweet juices found inside the baked agave now need to be extracted. Just like every other step in the process, tequila distilleries employ different methods.
The majority of the time, mechanical shredders are used to pulverize and separate the agave fibers, allowing the sweet juice, or mosto, to be collected for fermentation. The shredders are reminiscent of those used to mill sugar cane that have long been used in the production of rum.
A handful of tequila distilleries choose to do it the old-school way, with a tahona, a large wheel often made from volcanic rock that rolls around a stone pit, crushing the agave and extracting the juice as it goes. Using the tahona wheel is a very traditional method and it was originally pulled by horses, mules, or oxen. Today’s tahonas are operated either by tractors or a central engine that slowly moves the arm attached to the wheel around the pit, but they require a worker or two to work the pit as the 2-ton wheel crushes the agave. Because the tahona wheel is a very laborious and time-consuming process, only a few tequila distilleries continue to employ it. Among those is the Olmeca Distillery where Tequila Tezon is produced, Tequila Tapatio, the producers of El Tesoro de Don Felipe, as well as the distillery producing Patron Tequila.
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Is Don Julio Better Than Patron
Ok, thats a generalization, but in most categories in their respective lines, Don Julio is better than Patron. Patron is flashier, with shinier bottles and a lot of hype, but for the money, Don Julio Añejo is one of the better sipping tequilas on the market. Make cocktails with Patron, or do shots of it.
How Strong Is A Tequila Sunrise
Assuming that you pour an 80-proof tequila and end up with a 7-ounce drink, the alcohol content of either tequila sunrise will be around 11 percent ABV . You can pour as much tequila or as little juice and soda as you like to make stronger or weaker drinks, but it’s almost always a relatively mild cocktail.
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How Tequila Is Made
The cultivation of blue agave is managed by farmers known as jimadores and the process is labour-intensive. Little machinery is used and most of the process is undertaken by hand.
The jimadores prevent the aforementioned quiotes from growing by regularly trimming the plant. As a result, the agave doesnt die but continues to grow until it is ripe. The timing is essential as an under or overripe agave will not properly ferment.
When the agave is between seven and fourteen-years-old, the plant is stripped of its leaves with a coa, a sharpened circular spade, to reveal the heart. The remaining core is referred to as a piña and it can weigh as much as 110 kg .
Expert Tips For Making A Tequila Old Fashioned
- Stir, stir, stir! You’ll want to spend the extra 30 seconds stirring this drink rather than just pouring and giving it a quick spin. Agave syrup is thick, so it needs a bit of effort to become evenly distributed in the drink. A tall bar spoon is perfect for this job. If you don’t take the time to stir it thoroughly, your drink will taste imbalanced – straight tequila at the beginning and super sweet at the end.
- If you don’t have a large cocktail mixing glass, feel free to use a large glass measuring cup or mason jar. Although we love our inexpensive cocktail mixing glass and use it frequently, the most important thing is to spend time stirring the drink.
- Save yourself a potential knife mishap and use a vegetable peeler to get a clean orange peel shaving. This peeler is our favorite because it comes with replaceable blades!
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What Is Extra Aejo Tequila
This type of tequila hasnt been on the market as long as the others it was only given an official classification in 2005, though distillers had been making their own batches of this extra special spirit long before the world knew about it.
Extra añejo is aged more than three years, and it is the most expensive tequila option. The flavor, which is spicy and warm like incense, continues to improve with age, but only small batches of tequila are reserved for this purpose. That means most distillers make very limited supplies each year. Sip and savor each drop of this precious liquor.
What Is Silver Tequila
Silver tequila, also known as blanco, white, or platinum tequila, is the first spirit producers make with the distilled agave juices. Its often bottled directly from the distilling process, but some producers age it for a few weeks , often in stainless-steel containers, which maintains the wild agave flavor you expect from a silver tequila.
Silver tequila is typically the most budget-friendly option because it requires the least amount of effort on the distillers part. Its considered the best type for mixed drinks, such as a Tequila Sunrise, for its price tag and for its flavor. The bright essence of agave shines through sweet or tangy mixes and doesnt dampen other flavors. The more complex the tequila gets , the less well it partners with other cocktail ingredients.
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Tequila Jello Shots Alcohol Content
The amount of alcohol depends on how much Tequila you use in your recipe. If you want your jello shot to taste like Tequila, then use about half a cup of alcohol.
If you wish to make them a bit stronger, you can use about two-thirds of the drink. Be careful not to add too much alcohol, which can spoil your Jello shot.
You could add more water or other mixer to create a lower alcohol version, so you can still have just as much fun but keep a clearer head.