Enjoy Tequila Anyday
Let’s all Celebrate Tequila Day! Oh, Wait, that’s June 24!
Who doesn’t love a good Margarita? But then again, who doesn’t love an outstanding tequila to just sip? The most important ingredient, of course, is the tequila. Here’s how to find the best and make the best tequila drinks!
Tequila is the Champagne of Mexico! Made from the blue agave plant, tequila was named after the small town of Tequila in a valley west of Guadalajara in Jalisco, Mexico. Mexican law actually states that no liquor can be labeled tequila unless it comes from the western state of Jalisco (or select districts of other Mexican states).
While many of us enjoy tequila cocktails such as the margarita, tequila sunrise, and mojito, a good tequila can be savored like a good whiskey. Tequila is experiencing a renaissance of sorts as savvy drinkers discover it can be sipped like a fine brandy or whiskey.
List of Best Tequila’s In The World
Try these links for lists of the best tequila in the world
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-18-best-tequilas-in-the-world-2014-11
https://www.thestreet.com/story/13230869/1/here-are-the-10-best-tequila-brands.html
How do you pick the best tequila’s to sip, not mix?
Avoid mixto tequilas; they’re fermented with a mix of blue agave cactus and other sugars, such as cane or grain alcohol, and tend to be rough stuff. Instead, seek out tequilas made completely from agave — they’re much smoother.
Watch out for brands that don’t cite “100% agave”, as those brands have added coloring and sugar to obtain the gold color. Gold tequilas are not typically aged, and usually contain only about 51% agave tequila. Sometimes 100% agave gold tequila is made by combining silver tequila and an aged tequila, such as reposado or añejo. Since quality aged tequila has a gold hue, the addition of the coloring was a marketing tactic to improve one’s perspective of cheaper brands.
For zesty or spicy flavors, go for blanco or silver tequilas, which are virtually un-aged and retain the punchy agave flavors. Silver tequila, sometimes referred to as blanco, is rarely aged more than a couple of weeks, making it the purest form of tequila. It is often considered the best type of tequila to use in mixed drinks, and is commonly seen in margaritas.
Another type of tequila is Reposado, which means “rested” in Spanish, and reposados rest anywhere from two months to a year before they are bottled. Reposados take on the gold hue from the barrels in which they are aged. They are typically aged in oak or white oak barrels, and the type of barrel changes the flavor of each distillery’s tequila.
If you are going to sip tequila instead of mixing it with other ingredients, Añejo tequila is best. Añejo means “vintage”, and they are darker than reposado tequilas. Añejo tequilas are aged from one to three years, and are considered the best type of tequila for sipping because of their smoother flavor.
Best Margarita Recipe
Ingredients:
2 oz tequila
1/2 oz Cointreau
1 oz lime juice
1/4 oz simple syrup
lime wedge and course salt for garnish
Other Tequila drink recipes
http://www.chron.com/entertainment/restaurants-bars/article/Cool-cocktails-for-National-Tequila-Day-8392363.php
https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/07/6-cocktails-to-celebrate-national-tequila-day.html
How Is Tequila Made?
Tequila is produced by removing the heart (piña) of the plant in its eighth to fourteenth year (depending on growth rate and whims of harvester). Harvested piñas normally weigh 80–200 pounds (40–90 kg). This heart is stripped of its leaves and heated to convert the starches to sugars, which is fermented and distilled.