Tequila
Tequila is one of the fastest-growing spirits in the U.S., with America consuming even more than they do in its homeland of Mexico. The biggest growth is in the premium and super-premium categories, as drinkers discover the pleasure of sipping rather than slamming good tequila. Tequila is in fact a type of mezcal, but one that has a specific “domain of origin” status and which must be made from a single species of agave, the blue agave. Tequila must be made in certain designated areas in Mexico, the biggest being the state of Jalisco, where the town of Tequila is located. Rack “tequila” must contain at least 51% blue agave sugars, and the remainder can be just about anything, including corn syrup. However, quality tequila will state on the bottle that it is made from 100% blue agave. Anything less than this (think Cuervo Gold) is called a mixto. Within Mexico, tequila can be bottled at anything from 62 to 110 proof, but within the U.S. it must be at least 80 proof. Blanco (silver or white) tequila is sold unaged, reposado tequila must be aged at least two months in white oak barrels, and añejo (aged) tequila are aged for twelve months minimum. Finally, extra añejo must be aged for at least three years. A new variety of tequila, generally called cristalino, is aged tequila that has been filtered to remove color, giving it the appearance of a blanco but the flavor of an añejo.
Top Tequila Posts:
Understanding the Different Styles of Tequila
A Visit to Casa Herradura
A Visit to the Don Julio Tequila Distillery
Late last year saw the launch of Volteo, a new ultra-luxe tequila that boasts football quarterback Dak Prescott as one of its investors. Owned by Zamora USA, the company behind carajillo essential Licor 43, the brand promises an additive-free, organic experience made, of course, from 100% agave. The word “volteo” loosely translated means “to turn…
Like your mezcals on the softer side of things? Check out Tres Tribus Mezcal. The company, founded only in 2023, comes from the same folks behind Mijenta Tequila, and the operation now boasts six different expressions of the classic spirit. The mezcal is made “using pristine water from the nearby Tidaá volcano aquifer and a…
Hacienda de Chihuahua has been producing sotol in the desert of Chihuahua since the 19th century, using a non-industrial process that seems to be unchanged for much of its existence. The distillery offers a surprisingly large portfolio of aged and unaged sotol, even a pair of sotol-based cream liqueurs. Today we’re taking an initial look…
Last year, Maestro Dobel dropped three special edition extra anejo tequilas — dupped 1968, 1969, and 1970 — all follow-ups to its original anniversary bottling, Dobel 50 1967. Now it’s back with three more expressions, as those 50th anniversaries apparently can’t stop coming. These are all made from single estate agave, and all three are at…
Matthew McConaughey’s suggestive tequila brand recently dropped its first limited edition, an extra anejo expression of their signature organic tequila. In classic McConaughey style, the ageless Texas movie star offered a memorable one-liner, comparing his latest liquid creation to “a favorite couch with just a little extra cushion to it.” I’ve never heard a tequila…
Did 2025 turn out the way you were expecting it to? The world’s gone so insane that, at this point, I don’t think anything that happens in the next 12 months could possibly surprise us. Did you also get the memo that the alcohol business is in massive decline? Turns out people stopped drinking, just…
We tasted plenty of great tequila this year — and lots of good mezcal, too. For 2025, we’ve got three mezcals on our list of the top agave spirits released this year, a record since we started compiling this top 10 list in 2019. No lime and salt required today, but a hearty snack won’t…
Tequila Centinela may be new to us at Drinkhacker, but according to their bio, the family-owned distillery has over a century of experience with tequila production. Founded in 1904, it was the first tequila distillery established in Arandas, the home of Highland tequila in Jalisco. As the self-described “Guardians of True Tequila,” Centinela makes their…
Suavecito is a new tequila brand that makes the full gamut of expressions, but it’s this unique single barrel offering that caught our attention of late. Single barrel expressions are of course common in the whiskey universe, but are rarely seen in tequila, where blending is king. Per the company: This small-batch, limited release is…
Pantera de Oro is a new tequila that, for now, exists only as an extra anejo. That’s always a little alarming to me — tequila should start with the basics and grow from there — but we won’t hold that against the brand as we look to experience what it has to offer. The inaugural…