A Good Tequila is Never Shot, but Slowly Sipped Away
By Heather Wilson
Summer-Fall 2005

I confess that my first experiences with this country’s national drink – making a fist, pouring salt on it, licking it off before slugging back a stiff shot of the stuff in one gulp, then gratefully sucking on a lemon to disguise the taste – left me with less than a stellar impression.

Yet Jalisco happens to be where the world’s finest tequilas come from, so over the years I’ve been exposed to a thing or two about just how exquisite and varied this elixir can be. Turns out I had peer-bonded with fellow students over the cheapest swill on the market, containing 49% sugar cane – the maximum adulteration allowable if the word “tequila” is to appear on the bottle. No wonder we always had horrible hangovers the following morning!

Now don’t get me wrong. Tequila is a Mexican cultural cornerstone that has been produced here for more than two centuries, and rituals involving it have their place. Tequila poppers poured down throats after being slammed so the pop in them fizzes is a rite of passage into modern Mexico for some, while others prefer the palpable sense of tradition delivered via tequila shots in cute Lilliputian-sized clay pitchers, or jarritos de tequila, Mexico’s original shot glasses.

As Vallarta, the premiere culinary resort destination in this country, came of age in relation to both gourmet food and drink, the focus naturally turned to this alcohol derived from our own soil. And in exploring its complexity, smoothness and sophistication, tequila festivals and tastings gained the cachet formerly confined to fine wines.

With more than 600 labels available, our finest venues are presenting the best of them in stemware dedicated to maximizing their bouquets. Café des Artistes, for example, offers this oh-so-Mexican nectar in both the traditional caballito, or “tiny horse,” and the elegant new Tequilera Riedel, depending on which is more appropriate for the tequila selected.

And you can’t go more than a block or two in the heart of town these days without coming across a store selling it, prices ranging from under $10 to well over $300 USD. That’s quite a spread! And if you don’t know what you’re looking for, the choices can be boggling, so here are a few insider tips.

*If you don’t speak Spanish, some shops are easier to navigate than others, like downtown’s La Casa del Tequila, its bilingual staff guiding you through personalized tastings of an extraordinary tequila collection and helping you chose both a bottle and contents you’ll rave about. And we’re talking works of art here! While you’ve always been able to find fun tequila bottles that make inexpensive souvenirs in the shape of, say, a suguaro or sombrero, as the tequila market got hotter it took bottling to another level, several designs worthy of center stage in even the most tasteful homes.

*Any tequila worth its salt must meet the Mexican government’s stringent standards, sold under its name of origin only when it actually comes from the Tequila region, an easy two-hour or so drive from here, where it must also be bottled. Ranging in alcoholic content from 70 to 110 proof, when you see “100% Agave” on the label you can be assured it contains nothing but fermented and distilled blue agave and pure water.

When the bottle says Blanco or Silver, expect traditional tequila straight from the still, transparent and strong. Oro or Gold is Blanco mellowed with colorants and flavorings. Usually caramel colored and strong, it is the tequila used most often for frozen margaritas. Reposado or Rested is Blanco that has been mellowed in white oak casks for more than two months and up to one year. Pale and mellower, these tequilas have experienced increased demand and prices. Añejo or Aged is Blanco that has been mellowed in white oak casks for more than a year, resulting in an amber color with a woody flavor. Reserva, Añejo that has been mellowed for up to eight years, is the big league in both taste and price.

*You probably know that margaritas can be enjoyed here in fresh tropical flavors like mango and pineapple, but did you know there are flavored tequilas, too? Almendra, or almond, is one favorite.

* Casa Herradura, with nine varieties, and Don Julio, with six, are popular brands with those who know their tequila yet don’t want to spend more than they have to for a quality they are proud to serve.

*All liquor distilled from agave plants can be called mezcal, which is very potent and often sports a worm in the bottle, but only the blue agave produces tequila. Raicillia is also made from agave, but it is so high in alcoholic content and its effects so immediate that some consider it an hallucinogenic. A few local restaurants and bars, including El Arrayan, carry it. So ask for it, if you dare.