How to Drink Tequila
Choose a tequila that is made from 100% agave., Choose an Añejo tequila., Enjoy your tequila with a little bit of sangrita., Follow the sipping protocol.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose a tequila that is made from 100% agave.
Not all tequilas are created equal.
If you are planning on sipping your tequila and enjoying it like most Mexicans do, be sure to choose tequila that is 100% authentic.
There are tequilas that are "mixtos," meaning that they are made with at least 51% agave and fortified with sugars.
Stay away from these.
They don't taste much like tequila.
Many bartenders and tequila experts recommend choosing a family-owned tequila over a large conglomerate.(We're looking at you, Cuervo.) If you can find a tequila that's part of a small, family-owned business, chances are overwhelming that it will be 100% agave, and simply that it will taste better. -
Step 2: Choose an Añejo tequila.
Because añejo tequilas are aged for at least a year, they make for better sipping than a tequila that is rushed to maturity or those that are front-loaded with tequila flavor but lack any body or complexity to round it out.
These añejos are often compared to aged cognac.
Añejos tend to be more expensive than reposados or blancos, but not outrageously so.
You should be able to find a good añejo for under $50.
Drink añejos at room temperature.Adding ice to it dilutes the flavor and can mask the tequila's different components.
If you become serious about sipping tequila, consider getting a tequila glass to enjoy your añejo in.
Many also enjoy the tequila in a snifter. , "Sangrita" means "little blood" in Spanish, called this way because of the color of the liquid.
The sangrita is non-alcoholic.
Pair the sangrita with your sipping tequila in a separate shot glass and take turns sipping the tequila and sangrita.
To make sangrita, mix together, then refrigerate: 1 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice 1 cup tomato juice (not V-8) 1 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice 1 tsp grenadine 12 dashes hot sauce — e.g., Cholula , (Optional.) If you're the kind of person who enjoys the thought of sipping tequila the right way, here are some tips on how the experts enjoy their vintage tequila.
Pour about one ounce of tequila in a tequila glass or snifter.
Hold the glass at the stem (not the bowl), raise the glass to eye level and look at the tequila's color.
Swirl the tequila gently in its glass.
Note how the tequila clings to the walls of the glass, looking for the "string of pearls" effect.Take a small sip, swishing the tequila around in your mouth for about 10 seconds, letting the alcohol travel over different parts of your tongue.
Swallow and repeat! Fancy, huh? -
Step 3: Enjoy your tequila with a little bit of sangrita.
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Step 4: Follow the sipping protocol.
Detailed Guide
Not all tequilas are created equal.
If you are planning on sipping your tequila and enjoying it like most Mexicans do, be sure to choose tequila that is 100% authentic.
There are tequilas that are "mixtos," meaning that they are made with at least 51% agave and fortified with sugars.
Stay away from these.
They don't taste much like tequila.
Many bartenders and tequila experts recommend choosing a family-owned tequila over a large conglomerate.(We're looking at you, Cuervo.) If you can find a tequila that's part of a small, family-owned business, chances are overwhelming that it will be 100% agave, and simply that it will taste better.
Because añejo tequilas are aged for at least a year, they make for better sipping than a tequila that is rushed to maturity or those that are front-loaded with tequila flavor but lack any body or complexity to round it out.
These añejos are often compared to aged cognac.
Añejos tend to be more expensive than reposados or blancos, but not outrageously so.
You should be able to find a good añejo for under $50.
Drink añejos at room temperature.Adding ice to it dilutes the flavor and can mask the tequila's different components.
If you become serious about sipping tequila, consider getting a tequila glass to enjoy your añejo in.
Many also enjoy the tequila in a snifter. , "Sangrita" means "little blood" in Spanish, called this way because of the color of the liquid.
The sangrita is non-alcoholic.
Pair the sangrita with your sipping tequila in a separate shot glass and take turns sipping the tequila and sangrita.
To make sangrita, mix together, then refrigerate: 1 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice 1 cup tomato juice (not V-8) 1 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice 1 tsp grenadine 12 dashes hot sauce — e.g., Cholula , (Optional.) If you're the kind of person who enjoys the thought of sipping tequila the right way, here are some tips on how the experts enjoy their vintage tequila.
Pour about one ounce of tequila in a tequila glass or snifter.
Hold the glass at the stem (not the bowl), raise the glass to eye level and look at the tequila's color.
Swirl the tequila gently in its glass.
Note how the tequila clings to the walls of the glass, looking for the "string of pearls" effect.Take a small sip, swishing the tequila around in your mouth for about 10 seconds, letting the alcohol travel over different parts of your tongue.
Swallow and repeat! Fancy, huh?
About the Author
Jacqueline Sanders
Brings years of experience writing about lifestyle and related subjects.
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