HEY! Some Respect!
The best tequilas to sip and mix
Wednesday, May 05, 2004
John S. Long
Plain Dealer Reporter
Whole Story is Here
The popularity of tequila, that fiery drink from Mexico, is on the rise.
The quality has risen, too. This has occurred at a time when a blight that struck agave plants throughout Mexico has dramatically curtailed the production of upscale tequilas. Agave is a plant closely related to the amaryllis plant - not the cactus family, which many people mistakenly believe - and is the key ingredient for tequila. The resulting shortages, coupled with the improved quality, have helped drive up prices of the best tequilas. Today, many bottles are priced in the $50 to $80 range.
That's quite a change for a liquor which, 20 years ago, could be picked up in a Mexican border town at $3 or $4 for an average brand and $10 for a deluxe brand.
Most of the high-end tequilas were initially produced to be savored as a sipping liquor, in much the same fashion as a fine bourbon, scotch or cognac. The premium brands were never meant to become part of the Americanized margarita, those slushy drinks that generally mask the flavor of the tequila used in them.
But some of the high-end tequilas can be used in making a traditional margarita, bringing the drink to new heights. In an unscientific tasting from several bottles of high-end tequilas, along with one ringer priced in the teens, a few stood out as examples of the perfect margarita.
The best premium tequila for a margarita really shocked most samplers. It was Cabo Wabo ($50), a brand created by rock star Sammy Hagar. I figured this tequila would be all jazz and would not rock us at all. But it absolutely made the perfect margarita, in fact the best I've ever tasted. Smooth, it added a bit of complexity to the drink and blended with the other ingredients as if it was expressly made for them. This brand is also an excellent sipping tequila - as it should be, given the price.
The best tequilas to sip and mix
Wednesday, May 05, 2004
John S. Long
Plain Dealer Reporter
Whole Story is Here
The popularity of tequila, that fiery drink from Mexico, is on the rise.
The quality has risen, too. This has occurred at a time when a blight that struck agave plants throughout Mexico has dramatically curtailed the production of upscale tequilas. Agave is a plant closely related to the amaryllis plant - not the cactus family, which many people mistakenly believe - and is the key ingredient for tequila. The resulting shortages, coupled with the improved quality, have helped drive up prices of the best tequilas. Today, many bottles are priced in the $50 to $80 range.
That's quite a change for a liquor which, 20 years ago, could be picked up in a Mexican border town at $3 or $4 for an average brand and $10 for a deluxe brand.
Most of the high-end tequilas were initially produced to be savored as a sipping liquor, in much the same fashion as a fine bourbon, scotch or cognac. The premium brands were never meant to become part of the Americanized margarita, those slushy drinks that generally mask the flavor of the tequila used in them.
But some of the high-end tequilas can be used in making a traditional margarita, bringing the drink to new heights. In an unscientific tasting from several bottles of high-end tequilas, along with one ringer priced in the teens, a few stood out as examples of the perfect margarita.
The best premium tequila for a margarita really shocked most samplers. It was Cabo Wabo ($50), a brand created by rock star Sammy Hagar. I figured this tequila would be all jazz and would not rock us at all. But it absolutely made the perfect margarita, in fact the best I've ever tasted. Smooth, it added a bit of complexity to the drink and blended with the other ingredients as if it was expressly made for them. This brand is also an excellent sipping tequila - as it should be, given the price.
<< Home