Today is National Tequila Day and there are numerous ways you can help celebrate this important national holiday. Whether you are a straight up, on the rocks, in a cocktail or a frozen margarita kind of person, today is the day to show your support for this alcohol originating south of the border.
Tequila is a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant. The most important thing to check when it comes to your tequila is that it is made with 100% agave. The other stuff is called mixtos and they are crap — loaded with sugars and added coloring. Mexican laws demand that the Tequila must be made in the state of Jalisco and a few other limited areas.
Check your labels and get your glasses.
There are five types of tequila:
- Joven – usually a mixto, so avoid
- Reposado – aged at least two months in oak barrels
- Blanco – a clear spirit that is rarely aged and if it is, in stainless tanks or neutral oak barrels.
- Anejo – aged at least one year, but no more than three, in oak barrels
- Extra Anejo – aged at least three years in oak. A new category of tequila
There is also a tequila-related product called Mezcal. Mezcal is made from the maguey plant which is a for of agave. Most of the mezcal is made in Oaxaca. It is generally consumed straight up, although there are some cocktails out there, and has a very strong smoky flavor. If you want to learn more about mezcal, check out Mezcal PhD. Very informative.
I will be celebrating National Tequila Day by having a La Paloma with my golf buddies today at Clubs and Cocktails, our Wednesday night league. Below is the recipe:
Fill a high ball glass with ice. Add 1.5 oz (who are you kidding – more than that!) Repasado Tequila and the rest with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. Garnish with a lime. Drink.
Image via Flikr
