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
Laelia is a new tequila brand entering the U.S. market. No celebrities here: It’s 100% Mexican owned and operated. At present, the portfolio consists of a blanco and a reposado, both produced through “traditional brick oven slow cooking, then distilled in 100% copper pot stills after a Tahona extraction.” We tasted both of them. Thoughts follow.…
Our first experience with Siempre Tequila was not wholly memorable — and that fact was perhaps not lost on its Canadian brand owners, which, since that 2019 review (below), dumped its original distillery and upgraded to a new NOM, the well-regarded but fairly busy NOM 1414, Feliciano Vivanco. The new expressions also carry “vintage” production…
Lalo Blanco is one of our favorite tequilas to emerge in recent years — and a follow-up expression is finally hitting the market. Surprisingly, it’s neither a reposado nor an anejo, but rather another blanco — specifically a high-proof version of its silver bottling bottled at 54% abv. There doesn’t appear to be any difference…
Here’s a tequila that’s conceptualized in India and bottled in Mexico. Indian actor and film producer Rana Daggubati, music composer Anirudh Ravichander, and entrepreneur Harsha Vadlamudi launched Loca Loka in August 2024 , a 100% additive-free tequila, crafted with highland agave grown in Jalisco, Mexico. Per the brand, “each agave is picked by hand and…
Olujo is a new tequila brand founded by entrepreneur Adam Weitsman, in collaboration with Larsa Pippen and Oliver Camilo, “crafted with purpose, aged for perfection” … and priced to the moon. Available in a single expression for the moment — anejo — the tequila hails from Los Altos agave, is cooked in autoclaves, double pot-distilled,…
Lágrimas del Valle (“tears of the valley”) launched a few years back with the goal of showcasing “single ranches” of blue agave to showcase how terroir influences tequila. It recently launched its fourth and fifth ranch, with 2024’s La Loma and La Sabina joining Palo Verde (2022), El Chiqueño (2022), and El Sabino (2023). La…
“Where the volcano erupts, a new tequila is born.” So goes the slogan of Volcan de Mi Tierra, a new line of luxury tequilas that have been flying a bit below the radar. Is the name too much to say? Or is it just a discovery yet to be made by tequila connoisseurs? Either way,…
Tears of Llorona (“ur-ona“) is one of those unicorn tequila bottles that sit up there with Clase Azul, waiting for whales to purchase a celebratory shot. At roughly $300 a bottle, it is only available in one expression — the “#3” extra anejo. The number 3 refers to process, as Llorona is aged in three…
After a lengthy hiatus, our coverage of Jose Cuervo’s Reserva de la Familia Extra Anejo expression recently returned with the 2024 release, and now we’re back with a look at 2025’s bottling. As always, this Extra Anejo comes with a custom wooden box, this one designed by contemporary Mexican artist Ana Segovia. Per Cuervo: “The…
The Lost Explorer brand began making mezcal on the Miztec land in Valles Centrales, Oaxaca in late 2020, with Maestro Mezcalero Fortino Ramos behind the tahona. Don Fortino has been working in the industry for over 40 years and now works with his daughter, who is training to become the next generation Mezcalera. The Lost…