How to mix, sip and pair tequila

The Australian public have spoken and the news is good for tequila fans. The spicy spirit is on the rise and odds are it’ll be making its way into a glass near you soon, ready to be – you guessed it – mixed, sipped and paired ‘til your heart's content. Gone are the days of cheap tequila and nights you’d rather forget; now, tequila bars are popping up everywhere to both educate and entertain the masses. But you don’t have to hit the town to appreciate this Mexican wonder – any tequila, any mezcal for that matter, can be enjoyed at home too once you know how to mix, sip and pair them.

There’s only one thing to remember: every tequila is a mezcal, but not every mezcal is a tequila. Tequila can only be made from the blue weber agave plant, while mezcal is made from over 40 different species of agave, so you’re bound to get different flavours depending on the plant that’s used. Got it? Bueno, vamanos!

With tequila becoming more and more popular, you’re going to have to know how to give the people what they want. And what they want is one of Mexico’s favourite tequila-based cocktails – the Paloma. Sure, the Margarita is a tried and tested favourite, but if you want to really show off your cocktail knowledge then look no further than this refreshing mix of grapefruit, lime and tequila. Visit Mexico and you’ll no doubt see the locals drinking Palomas across the country, everywhere from fancy cocktail bars to local dives and family gatherings in the backyard.

We recommend using Le Tribute Mezcal for this Paloma recipe, a wonderful mezcal made from the ‘agave durangensis’, also known as ‘cenizo’. It’s a relatively rare, and tasty, agave species native to the Zacatecas and Durango regions, the latter of which is home to Le Tribute. Mezcals made from the durangensis are typically sweet and creamy, making them a great choice to balance the paloma’s bitter grapefruit mixer. Get the recipe to make a Paloma cocktail.

You’ve already discovered that a good tequila can make a fantastic cocktail, but wait until you sip a premium tequila straight. And no, that’s not a typo, we’re really suggesting that you sip a tequila instead of shotting it – crazy, right?

More often than not, when it comes to sipping straight, you’ll be recommended an ‘añejo’, or aged, tequila. That’s not the case today thanks to El Tesoro Blanco, a premium unaged tequila from the Jalisco highlands – the heart of Mexico’s tequila production. It’s bottled immediately after distillation to capture the essence of the highland blue weber agave and showcase the minerality of the area’s soil and water. Again, it’s not that common that a ‘blanco’ makes the cut for sipping, but El Tesoro have really nailed it with this crystal-clear, award-winning tequila.

Salty and earthy with classic citrus notes, the Blanco perfectly balances sweetness and spice to make an enjoyable sipper that’s got just the right amount of kick at the end. Pour it straight into a glass and try it first without ice to experience the full flavour profile. The Blanco is bottled at 40% ABV – as are all of El Tesoro’s tequilas – so you really don’t want to dilute it any further or you’ll potentially lose some of the tequila’s character. If you are keen to have it on the rocks, try to use one big ice cube, or even whisky rocks, so the flavours remain at the forefront.