Friday Drink Post: TEQUILA!
09/30/2010
Hi all I am the Mighty Meatatarian and besides a variety of tasty dishes involving meat I am a very big fan of the alcohol, particularly Tequila! Unfortunately this was supposed to be in celebration of Cinco De Mayo but I’m not only a lover of tequila but a total flake so it’s a little late. Anyways, in this post we’re going to go over the basics of this wonderful liquid that I feel is perfect for any situation whether it’s a relaxing drink after work or with friends, a celebration, or mourning something sad in a dark and dusty room with random guitar playing in the background.
When it comes down to it, Tequila is a simple drink, you don’t particularly have to know too much to find a good brand other than a bit of background, a few defintions and what particularly works for your palate.
First off, lets consider a liquid known as Mezcal, (or Mescal) a beverage often confused with tequila since it is made from the agave plant much like tequila. Mezcal is produced in a variety of locations while tequila is more specifically produced around the city of Tequila or with a very specific type of the agave plant. Furthermore, Mezcal, unlike tequila has a worm in it. The concept of the worm in alcohol is specific to the Mezcal as it is intended to not only imply that the liquid is alcoholic, but the worm lives in the agave plant and serves to change the taste and color of the Mezcal. This means if you’re buying “Tequila” with a worm in it, it’s not Tequila. The next very important piece of information when considering tequila is “100% Agave” or “100% Blue Agave”. This is something you want to see on every bottle of tequila you are buying because if it’s not 100% agave then it’s usually a combination of agave, water, sugar, and other chemicals and alcohols that are very well known for resulting in stomach problems and very bad hang overs. In particular this deals specifically with the very common Jose Cuervo which only produces one or maybe two types of tequila that is 100% agave.
Next you want to consider how it’s aged if it’s aged at all, Tequila much like many other alcohols becomes more complex and more smooth with age so these definitions really make a difference. Blanco is completely unaged, distilled and put right into bottles, it has no color and has a very strong and some would call “mind numbing” taste. Next is the Reposado which is personally my favorite, this is aged a minimum of 2 months and less than a year; most commonly in oak barrels which have sometimes already been used to age whiskey, scotch, and wine, giving it a slightly more complex taste and a darker color. Finally is Anejo which is also aged in oak barrels that have been used for the other alcohols listed above as well as reposados and this is usually aged for a minimum of one year but no more than three years giving it an even darker and more complex taste.
While I am a fan of shots if the occasion calls for it, I personally prefer enjoying the taste of my alcohol and instead of the classic salt and lime, I drink it straight and slowly with a bit of lime only if it needs any chaser. My favorite producer is Don Julio however I also recommend Herradura. While I am not a fan of margaritas a good tequila really does make a good margarita, I urge you all to go out and order a shot, see what works and in the future I’ll make sure to post about one of the few tequila combinations I enjoy, The Mexican Breakfast.
