1800 Cristalino combines the clarity of blanco with the complexity of añejo – and it’s setting our work group chat on fire.
How do you take a traditionally dark spirit and make it a hit with everyone? Why not take a page out of Missy Elliott’s book? Put that thang down, flip it and reverse it. In other words, remove the colour while retaining all the complexity. Recently, there’s been a wave of clarified and filtered beverages changing the game, turning what we thought we knew on its head. And that’s just what tequila makers have done with cristalino.
This isn’t a gimmick, like when Coca-Cola went transparent (remember Coca-Cola Clear? Or are we showing our age?). The reasoning here goes beyond clever marketing. Filtration changes the texture of a spirit, as well as the colour, offering unparalleled clarity both in the glass and on the palate. Cristalino tequila is a great example, and by the way some bartenders are embracing it, we can’t help but think it just might be the next big deal – and the perfect present for the coolest people on your Christmas list. 1800 Cristalino is leading the way, so read on to learn what cristalino tequila is, how it’s made, and how to enjoy it at home.
You’ve heard of blanco, reposado and añejo tequila. Perhaps you know that those names correspond to how much ageing the spirit has undergone, and that ageing tequila (like many spirits) makes it darker. Well, cristalino is an aged tequila (so reposado, añejo or extra-añejo) that’s been through a special filtering process to remove the colour. ‘Cristalino’ means ‘crystaline’ or ‘clear’ in Spanish. The end result is a high-quality tequila that has all the incredible flavour notes of an aged spirit, with the benefits of clarity (more on that in a moment).
It was first developed in 2011, and while it’s growing quickly in Mexico, it’s only very recently that the rest of the world has started to take note. And as a fairly new category of tequila, there aren’t too many hard-and-fast rules around its production just yet. However, it does need to be aged in oak barrels for a minimum of two months.
1800 Cristalino starts out life as an añejo (following their 220-year-old recipe) and is actually aged in both French and American oak barrels for 16 months, before being finished in port casks for an additional six months, giving it a particularly unique depth of flavour – think caramel, honey and vanilla. From here, it’s meticulously filtered through activated charcoal to create a crystal-clear and super-smooth tequila. Yep, this is premium stuff.
If you were sentient in the Coca-Cola Clear times, firstly, it’s time for an eye cream. Secondly, that first sip was a bit of a mind boggle. It was Coke, but our mind wanted to attach a different flavour to it. When we see dark colours, our brains expect dark flavours. The same goes for clear or light drinks – we expect simple, light and fresh. Cristalino toys with the senses in the same way and we’re here for it.
It all comes down to that filtering. Regular oak-aged tequilas don't have that last element of filtration and are therefore golden or brown in colour. Cristalino tequila, on the other hand, uses filtration to carefully strip the colour from the liquid, while still retaining (and actually magnifying) all those great vanilla and spice complexities, as well as the heavier body, that come from time in the barrel. Excitingly, with 1800’s take, we find the filtration also brings back those sweet, herbal notes of fresh agave (they use 100% Blue Weber, handpicked at peak maturity) that can sometimes get a little too lost in the ageing process. You have that brightness that blanco drinkers love, enhanced by layers of caramel and vanilla, all in a crystal-clear spirit. And the finish? It’s as velvety soft as you can get.
With 11 generations of tequila expertise and wisdom, 1800 are innovating in a way that very much respects tradition. They’ve cherry-picked all the tastiest things about blanco and añejo tequila and married them together to truly bridge the best of both worlds.
However you want. We’re not here to yuck anyone’s yum. But we do have some gentle suggestions. First, try treating cristalino as you would a good whisky. Sip it neat or on the rocks (with an orange peel). It’s definitely one to linger on and appreciate.
That said, a huge factor in why some bartenders are so excited about cristalino is how brilliantly it works in cocktails. When you want all the richness and complexity of an aged spirit, without muddying the colour of your finished drink, that’s where cristalino steps in.
We wouldn't be Dan’s Daily if we didn’t suggest at least a few cocktails for this special 1800 Cristalino. Of course, it can be subbed in for traditional tequila cocktails for more complexity – reach for that bottle of 1800 next time you want to massively elevate your Margarita or Paloma. We also reckon a Tommy’s Marg is a good call here to let the tequila’s unique flavours shine.
Besides all your classic tequila tipples, cristalino is very versatile. Because of its similar profile flavour (caramel, vanilla, oak), it’s a thrilling twist in most rum cocktails – test it out in a Mojito and try to tell us we’re wrong. Those subtle citrusy flavours of the tequila will be pulled out by the fresh limes, while the chunkier oak and vanilla notes mesh with the added sugar. However, pull back a touch on the sugar for this twist and let the tequila do the work.
Hot tip, this also makes for a seriously levelled-up Espresso Martini. Why? Vanilla is a core flavour note of 1800 Cristalino, and vanilla and coffee are an ‘it’ couple. Maybe this isn’t your traditional ‘throw everything in a shaker and hope for the best’ style of Espresso Martini, but something a touch shinier and more intriguing. Try to pick your coffee carefully, look at how it pours and the flavour profile, and pair that with the notes in the tequila. We’ve got more tips here.
Lastly, look to top bars like Eau De Vie and Shell House and how they’re serving their 1800 Cristalino – better yet, sidle up at the bar and pick the bartender’s brain. We like to take inspiration from how Cantina OK! serves their special tequilas and mezcals – very simply, a shot paired with some seasonal fruit, sprinkled with a spiced salt. For 1800 Cristalino we recommend some cubes of mango (ripe or green – have a play) and a soft chilli-lime salt sprinkle.
