Tequila is about to be the next big thing. One sip of these and you’ll understand why.
Sure, in Australia, gin is the coolest, chicest, in-vogue spirit, and has been for some time, but if you’re over in the States, tequila is the new gin. You’ll know this if you’ve been watching Selling Sunset (where they drink it on the rocks) or any other American show where fancy and exclusive bars are a constant setting. Tequila’s rise to the top makes sense, it’s more varied and flavourful than gin (without needing to be flavoured), and many of us remember its more rebellious past. And we all love a redemption story.
Tequila was synonymous with “lick, sip, suck” shots, and table-top dancing, but that was a very different time. A time when most tequilas were “mixto”, meaning they were produced by mixing agave with a neutral cane spirit. 100% agave tequila is now much more available and more comparable to fine whisky or robust glass of wine. Ahead, seven bottles to have in your orbit.
Click image to shop
1. The young gun
Tromba Tequila Blanco is named for the Spanish slang that translates to something big, intense and sudden (appropriate for the coming of the tequila age, right?). This tequila is distilled from hand-selected blue agave and crafted in small batches. It’s clean, bright and botanical thanks to being un-aged, this also means it’s almost silvery in colour. A truly young spirit with adventurous and a touch of the wild infused in. It’s the Alexander Hamilton of tequilas. You’ll taste pepper, mint and some caramelised pineapple.
Serve it: In a classic Margarita.
2. The underdog
Like Tromba, El Jimador Blanco Tequila is a young, fresh tequila made 100 percent from Blue Weber agave. The difference is that this one is double distilled (for supreme clarity) and has a lot more of a citrus flavour, which means it pairs so beautifully with soda. It’s a lower price point but really holds its own, particularly if you like your tequila in icy, delicious cocktails. Tequila has a “Spring break” reputation, but if this was the tequila you had on that holiday, its reputation would be golden.
Serve it: In a tart, refreshing Paloma.
Click image to shop
Click image to shop
3. The OG
One for those who really, really love tequila (or will after they try this), Tequila Fortaleza Blanco is crafted with passion through tradition. It’s “100% Stone Crushed Agave” – what does that mean? That Fortaleza’s makers pulled a massive volcanic stone out of the same earth in which their agave grows, chiselled it into the shape of a giant wheel and used it to crush agave in a pit. Officially it’s called the “tahona process”, but feel free to refer to it as “badass”, “OG” and “bloody delicious”. It’s certainly one of the oldest, most labour-intensive ways to make tequila.
The other cool thing about Fortaleza is that their stone-wheel operation happens on the estate the plants are grown on, which happens to be smack bang in the middle of the town of Tequila. You can’t get more authentic than that. Their blanco tequila is amazingly soft with a long finish and made to be sipped and savoured.
Serve it: On the rocks.
4. The crowd-pleaser
Espolòn Tequila Reposado is a gateway tequila. It’s a bar cart favourite (because of the fun label) and it is just aged enough (two months in American oak barrels) to take blanco drinkers to newer, darker horizons. It also pairs perfectly with the kind of food made for sharing and entertaining. Smoky flavours like meat from the BBQ and, of course, Mexican feasts of fajitas, tacos and corn on the cob. To taste, it’s full-bodied — like all reposado should be — with vanilla and brown spice flavours and a long, spicy finish. It’s very sippable neat, but adds some depth and complexity to a cocktail.
Serve it: In a Tommy's Margarita.
Click image to shop
Click image to shop
5. The grown-up sip
Reposado literally means ‘restful’. It’s where tequila gets a serious job, starts to think about investment properties and would say its favourite way to spend the weekend is a quiet dinner with friends at the local. Ergo, it’s grown up and mellowed out. 1800 Reposado Tequila is aged for at least six months in American and French oak barrels, which is where it gets its golden colour. The maturing process brings out the softer flavours of butter caramel and a certain earthiness in this rich liquid. 1800 Reposado also has the honour and prestige of being the first “Super Premium” tequila ever exported to the US.
Serve it: In a Reposado Old Fashioned.
6. The boss
Patrón has become its own noun. Referenced in music and movies, it’s not “Patrón tequila” it’s just “Patrón”. The brand has gotten its rise the old-fashioned way: having a great product. The distillery is highly detail-oriented, selective (taking only the best agave plants), and meticulous about flavour. Patrón Reposado Tequila is the perfect example of this, it is aged up to a year in a mix of French and Hungarian oak to allow for more delicate and nuanced flavours. The variations are then expertly layered together to create the signature Patrón taste. There’s hints of clove, black pepper, sweetness and a soft spice.
Serve it: Neat.
Click image to shop
Click image to shop
7. The top dog
Don Julio is (unofficially) the world’s favourite top-shelf tequila. Don Julio Añejo Tequila, like the rest of the range, is a testament to the brand's dedication to superior quality. They know good things are worth waiting for. Yep, this is the Aaron Burr of tequila (that Hamilton reference had to come full-circle). Don Julio Añejo spends more than the minimum requirement of one year on oak, and is normally aged between 18 months and two years before it reaches its optimum taste profile. The palate is still floral and fruity, but much more full-bodied and slightly richer. The vanilla and agave really stand out in this one. It’s perfectly balanced and ready for its applause.
Serve it: In a top-shelf El Diablo.
