Eat This: Tequila & Food Pairingsgold Silver Reposado & Anejo
If youre like most people, then you probably have a love-hate relationship with Tequila. Countless mornings waking up with a pounding headache probably assured that. Fear not though, Tequila is so much more than the headache-inducing gold liquid you took shots of in college. Tequila is one of the most versatile and complex spirits out there. As tequilas go, there are five main types, each with their own unique flavor profiles and qualities. Lets take a look so you can decide which ones going to work best with your meal.
Budget Pick 1800 Aejo
The 1800 añejo is a reasonably priced tequila, over delivering in every possible way. This añejo is aged in American oak casks for 12 months, with a portion of the alcohol aged for an additional two years. The palate is rich and round, full of caramel, citrus, and sweet spicy flavors. To seal their spot in the top añejo tequilas of all time, its a 2021 winner of the New York International Spirits Awards Competition.
About the distillery: 1800 añejo tequila is produced at La Rojeña Distillery, owned by the Beckmann family . La Rojeña is the oldest active distillery in Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico. In 1921, when Jose Cuervo died, management of the distillery was taken over by administrators Juan Beckmann Gallardo and Juan Beckmann Vidal before eventually passing to the Cuervo Heirs. After 200 years, Cuervos heirs still own and operate the distillery, winning multiple awards for all of their tequilas.
Best For Gifting: Don Julio 1942
This luxurious tequila was originally created to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Don Julios first distillery. The spirit ages for two years in oak barrels and is packaged in its signature elongated bottle, which is inspired by the shape of the agave leaf. Textured notes of vanilla, toasted almonds, milk chocolate and cinnamon spice dominate the tequilas rich, round and utterly delicious palate. This bottle is nothing short of special.
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Aejo Vs Reposado: Which Tequila Is Better
Understanding the differences between añejo and reposado tequila can help when youre faced with too many tequila choices. Although plenty of choices is nothing to complain about when it comes to tequila, even the greatest connoisseurs can become overwhelmed with too much of a good thing. Lets look at the differences between these two types of tequila.
Shooting Tequila Imbibing Quickly
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Costco Kirkland Signature Anejo Tequila Review
Costco Kirkland Signature Tequila Anejo reasonably priced, high quality, sipping tequila!
Costco Kirkland Signature Anejo Tequila
Tomorow is my birthday so Im going to review something fun! The Costco Kirkland Signature Anejo Tequila. Ive previously reviewed the Kirkland Signature Silver Tequila which is my go to for margaritas but I decided to pick up this amber colored tequila to make golden margaritas and try it to review!
This can be found at your local Costco liquor store and the item number is 1327189.
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.
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How To Drink Anejo Tequila & Extra Anejo Tequila
Añejo tequila and Extra Añejo tequila come from 100% healthy agave pinas harvested on the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico. The flavors of fresh agave that is mixed with oak caramel and strong alcohol make tequila one of the most popular drinks in the USA. As fresh Blanco tequila is highly popular among margarita and other cocktails, Añejo and Extra Añejo tequilas are better when drinking neat or on the rocks. If you are beginning your journey with an Añejo tequila prepare yourself to enjoy the rich and matured flavors of aged tequila. With smoothness and richness in flavor Añejo and Extra Añejo tequilas are becoming high competitors to bourbon and other whiskies. The aged lose the strong burn of alcohol in the palate and deliver a smooth finish with vanilla, caramel, and cinnamon. Drinking Añejo tequila neat or on the rocks opens up its hidden characters which makes it one of the best drinks. Same with Extra Añejo, with more years in aging the Extra Añejo tequila, becomes more subtle and allows the drinker to explore the experience without any burn or intimation of the fresh agave. Beginner or experienced wherever you stand, Añejo and Extra Añejo tequila call for a neat taste then you will know what’s the fuss is all about. Order now at BootleBroz and we will deliver the best bottle of Añejo and Extra Añejo to you anywhere in the USA.
Visiting Tequila In Mexico
If you want to level-up your tequila knowledge, then go and do some tasting in the town of Tequila in Mexico.
Occupying little more than two dusty streets, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the town of tequila retained a sleepy, small-town vibe. Of course, the peace was interrupted each day when a coach load or two rolled a bunch of tourists into town, but Tequila was otherwise absent the mass tourism that has bulldozed through other parts of Mexico .
Taking pride of place and owning much of the main street in tequila is Jose Cuervo..and boy do they have some big plans.
Before leaving the town of tequila I tried to burn the image of the street into my memory because Jose Cuervo has announced its intention to pump around USD$25 million into developing the town of Tequila with the intention of driving international tourism to the town.
Of course, it has to be a good thing that more people visit tequila and taste this drink in its home location, but I fear it will be at the expense of the towns authenticity.
So, if there were ever a place to visit sooner than later, tequila is it. And why not because there is no better place to learn how to drink tequila like a Mexican?
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Mixing Tequila In A Cocktail
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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Whats A Good Mixed Drink To Make With Tequila
There are a lot of popular mixed drinks that include tequila. If you must mix your tequila , try the Tequila Sunrise.
A Tequila Sunrise is delicious on a hot day. The fact that the ratio of juice to tequila is high makes it a good choice for a brunch cocktail: a little pick-me-up that wont prevent you from getting through the rest of the day.
Heres how to make a killer Tequila Sunrise:
Tequila + Pineapple Juice
Pineapple juice and tequila were made for each other. Together, they harmonize to create a cocktail that is grassy, vegetal, tropical and peppery. While fresh pineapple juice makes the brightest and tartest drink, canned pineapple juice is a viable option . Best of all, literally any tequilabe it a blanco, reposado or añejoworks as the base of this drink. Our favorite bottling to use is Calle 23s blanco tequila, which lends its vibrantly tropical fruit-forward flavors to the juice.
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What Is The Smoothest Tequila For Shots
10 Best Tequilas for Margaritas and Shots in 2021
- Best Overall: Casamigos Blanco Tequila at Drizly.
- Best Top-Shelf: Milagro Añejo Tequila at Drizly.
- Best Cheap: Sauza Silver Tequila at Drizly.
- Best Mid-Priced: Herradura Silver Tequila at Drizly.
- Best Añejo: Don Julio Añejo Tequila at Drizly.
- Best Blanco/Silver: Espolòn Blanco at Drizly.
- Best Reposado:
- Best Gold:
How To Drink Tequila Like A Mexican
Do you have a fear of tequila? Do you flat-out hate the stuff? If so, I can almost guarantee that youre drinking it wrong. After spending a year in Mexico, I finally learned the secret: how to drink tequila like a Mexican and actually enjoy this potent drink.
You might also like my post with 8 tequila cocktail recipes to try at home. El Niño anyone?
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What About The Tequila Worm
Most people are familiar with the concept of the worm in tequila bottles. Reputed to be hallucinogenic, the tequila worm is a trademark for daring drinkers. And yet, there are two common misunderstanding when it comes to tequila worms:
- the worm is actually associated with Mezcal , not tequila and
- in any case, the worm concept was a marketing ploy dreamt up in the 1940s to rebrand and enhance excitement about the drink.
Tequila is not produced from worms. Worms play no part in the flavouring or colouring of tequila and if you want to drink to tequila like a Mexican, youll steer clear of any worm based products .
Some Popular Cocktails Containing Aejo Tequila
- Cash In Hand Añejo tequila, Amargo-Vallet, Mezcal, Honey syrup, Salt
- Mexican Sunrise Blanco tequila, Añejo tequila, Cinnamon Schnapps liqueur, Bitters, Coffee, Simple syrup, Vanilla extract, Cinnamon
- Smoke Signals Amaro, Mezcal, Scotch, Añejo tequila, Lemon peel
- Banana Manifesto Añejo tequila, Crème de Banane, Coconut liqueur, Amaro Nardini, Coffee Pecan Bitters, Orange peel
- Dance into the Fire Mezcal, Añejo tequila, Amaro Abano, Amargo de Chile, Grapefruit peel
- Ends of the Earth Añejo tequila, Crème de Banane, Amaro Nardini, Orange peel
- Importer Añejo tequila, Amaro Montenegro, Pedro Ximénez Sherry, Amontillado Sherry, Bitters, Orange peel
- Pasado de Moda Añejo tequila, Vanilla liqueur, Bitters, Maguey sweet sap, Orange peel
- Strawberry Confusa Añejo tequila, Strawberry, Agave syrup, Lemon juice, Soda water, Basil
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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.
Best Organic: 123 Tequila Aejo
This new-to-market certified organic tequila comes from the lowlands of Jalisco, Mexico, and is produced from hand-harvested agave plants. Eighteen months of aging in white oak barrels add length and complexity to the spirit, which bursts with warming flavors of chocolate, baking spice and maple. 123 Tequila even uses recycled materials and natural soy ink to create its labels. This is sustainable sipping in one of its finest forms.
For crafting cocktails at home, Hornitos offers a great bottle that won’t break the bank. This 100% agave tequila ages for one year in American white oak barrels and is loaded with delicate flavors of sweet oak, smoke, vanilla and black pepper. Perfect for mixing in , Palomas, Tequila Sours and beyond.
For a drink like an Old FashionedI do prefer the spicier, wood-driven character to add depth, says Reynolds.
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Always Buy 100% Agave
Agave , is the plant that tequila is made from and is the very foundation of a good tequila. Yet, despite growing in abundance in Mexico, not all tequilas are made using 100% blue agave.
Why is that a bad thing? Well, lets think for a moment about a packet of pork sausages that only contain 50% pork. Did you shudder? I did too. The same applies to tequila . The non-agave ingredients are usually lower quality, less natural, affect the taste of the drink and can often contribute to those tequila hangovers that are so hard to handle .
In short, if you make only make one change in your tequila drinking habits, then make it this: only ever drink tequila that is made from 100% agave.
Pro Tequila Tip: some brands may state they are made with blue agave but unless they say 100%, you are still getting a blend.