Cocktail enthusiasts are aware that a high-quality tequila is the foundation of any truly delicious margarita or paloma. But did you know that there are various tequila kinds, each with unique flavors, colors, and ages? Whether you plan to sip tequila neat or add it to a cocktail, here is what you need to know about the many varieties.
Tequila: What Is It?
The Weber blue agave plant is used to make the distilled spirit known as tequila. It is made in Jalisco, a state in western Mexico, as well as at a few locations in Guanajuato, Nayarit, Tamaulipas, and Michoacán. The top of the agave plant, also known as the agave tequilana, has towering, spiky leaves that resemble the top of a pineapple. The agave plant’s “heart” is frequently referred to as the “pia,” the Spanish word for pineapple, because it also resembles the outside of a pineapple.
How is tequila produced?
The blue agave plant is harvested to make tequila. The blue agave plant’s pia is cooked and baked in a unique oven called a horno. The mosto, or liquid sugars, are subsequently extracted from the pia by pressing and shredding it. The pia is shred with either a specialized machine or a traditional stone wheel known as a tahona to recover the sugars for fermentation. After that, the sugars are fermented with yeast and water to produce tequila. This transparent tequila is distilled and either immediately bottled, as with tequila blanco, or matured (rested), as with reposado tequila, to acquire various flavors and colors.
Combine Tequilas
Your bottle of tequila is probably a “mixto tequila” if it doesn’t specify that it is “100% pure agave.” Mixto tequilas, which are simply referred to as “tequila,” are mixtures of pure agave and other ingredients, including cane sugar and high-fructose corn syrup. Legally, mixto tequilas must include at least 51% pure agave, although it’s not unusual for the remaining 49% to consist of these other components.
Blanco Tequila
The term “silver tequila” is also sometimes used to describe tequila blanco. Since it is often bottled right away after distillation, this type of tequila is thought to be the purest. Tequila blanco retains its clear color because, unlike the other tequila variations on this list, it is not matured or “rested” in oak barrels. Tequila blanco may taste faintly lemony. The majority of popular cocktails, like margaritas and palomas, employ this type of tequila. Espoln, Patrón, and El Jimador are a few high-quality brands to seek for.
Reposado tequila
Tequila reposado, which means “rested” in Spanish, is a somewhat aged tequila. Tequila blanco and reposado are both distilled from the blue agave plant after it has been fermented. Tequila reposado is matured in oak barrels for two months to a year after distillation. It ought to be pale amber in color. Oak, vanilla, and citrus flavors are common in reposado tequila. Huerta claims that tequila reposado can occasionally be substituted for tequila blanco in cocktails, particularly traditional drinks with a strong fruit flavor, like margaritas. Tequila reposado is available from well-known labels like Casamigos, Don Julio, Fortaleza, and Herradura.