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
Luxco isn’t dancing around the premium nature, or price, of its newest blanco tequila. Even the name, Escasa, means “scarce” in Spanish. The details, per the brand: Crafted in Los Altos de Jalisco, Escasa Tequila is dedicated to the opulence of scarcity, the result of hundreds of years of knowledge distilled into one bottle. Founded in 2024 by renowned fourth-generation…
We’ve encountered plenty of movie and rock star-backed tequila brands, from George Clooney’s Casamigos, arguably the tequila that lit the fire for the Hollywood obsession, to Matthew McConaughey’s more recent Pantalones, among so, so many others. What we don’t see as much are celebrity chefs throwing their weight behind a tequila brand. Which, well, is…
Last year, Mijenta Tequila launched the first in a series of new special editions called Maestra Selection, each intended to explore a rare facet of tequila and agave production. Selction No. 1 was a high-proof blanco make only from agaves grown from seed. Selection No. 2 is not about how agave plants are grown but…
The trilogy is finally complete as we look at the last expression in the Mijenta tequila lineup, following its blanco and reposado. It’s a complex spirit (from a newly minted B Corp), so let’s dig into the details: Mijenta Añejo Gran Reserva is an eighteen-month aged expression of the brand’s award-winning, sustainable, and artisanal Mijenta Blanco.…
Madre Mezcal continues to innovate with this new line extension from its ensamble offering, an “Ancestral” bottling made from Espadin and Tobasiche agave. (Note the bottle now reads “and” instead of “y.”) What’s an “Ancestral” mezcal? It all has to do with how it’s made: What makes Madre Ancestral unique is that compared to most…
This new line of tequilas comes from the Jalisco Highlands — said to be harvested from land held by a single family for more than 200 years — and is imported into and distributed from Houston, Texas. All three expressions are of course 100 percent agave and 80 proof. NOM 1460. Updated 2026 with the…
El Mayor has long been a favorite tequila of Drinkhacker, and it’s also one of the most innovative kids on the block. Its series of special editions is unmatched in depth and breadth, and its latest offering continues its run of creativity, using coffee beans to give a reposado a racy twist. How it works…
The Don Julio distillery, La Primavera, does not offer public tours. They are a working distillery dedicated to making 100% Blue Weber agave tequila. But they do periodically open their doors to members of the press. One of our staff visited the distillery in the Highlands of Jalisco in 2018, and I recently had the…
Entirely USDA-certified organic, Pezuña Blanca Tequila is a new line of tequilas making its way to US markets now. One noteworthy detail of production: the tequila is made using the natural yeast in the environment. Beyond that, we don’t know much about the brand. The tequilas come in attractive, earthy, over-sized, bottles and would make…
Sazerac’s luxe Last Drop series is stuffed with whiskeys and brandies, but for its 40th entry into the series it’s turning to a new category: Tequila. The Last Drop No. 40 was created by Carmen Villarreal at Casa San Matías, where three very old barrels of tequila were blended to produce this release of 435…