"What is your favourite drink?” a co-worker asks when preparing my bio for the weekly interoffice newsletter. I have a canned response ready for this question and with an impish grin I retort, “Whiskey in the winter, gin in the summer, and tequila year round!”
“Okay,” she says, without a single note of enthusiasm, “I’ll just put tequila.” There is no correction needed, and as a native New Mexican displaced in the Pacific Northwest, I stand proudly behind my choice.
Tequila, named after its birthplace in Jalisco, Mexico, has an intoxicating reputation. While most would agree that each type of liquor creates a different mood, there is no question that tequila does something special. The bad tequila story is anything but uncommon (Urban Dictionary has a “Tequila Story” definition), and normally starts something along the lines of “This one time in college …” or, “We were at this local bar on vacation …”
But there is a refined side to this smooth, enigmatic liquid. I offer you a New Mexican’s guide to drinking and enjoying tequila:
1. Sip! Don’t shoot. Let me say it again: Sip! The taste of tequila varies largely based on where the agave is harvested. Nourished by blue volcanic soil and pollinated by bats, agave from the highlands is sweeter than its counterpart from the lowlands, distinguished by an earthy flavour. In order to enjoy these flavours, take sips from a snifter or a shot glass (as is custom in my family as an apéritif) instead of sending it down your hatch.
2. Know your types! There are five different types of tequila. Blanco (“white”) and plata (“silver”) are unaged and bottled in stainless steel or neutral oak barrels. Joven (“young”) and oro (“gold”) are unaged Blanco tequilas that are coloured and flavoured with caramel. Reposado (“rested”) is aged a minimum of two months, but less than a year. Añejo (“aged” or “vintage”) is aged a minimum of one year, but less than three years in small oak barrels. Extra Añejo (“extra aged”) is aged a minimum of three years in oak barrels.
3. Don’t worry about the worm! Not surprisingly, few people jump at the idea of drinking dead worms. But rest assured, because it is not tequila that is bottled with a worm, but its cousin Mezcal. Some claim this is to preserve the taste, while others think it’s a marketing ploy.
4. Don’t sweat it! There is a debate about whether or not to drink tequila on ice. Conventional wisdom maintains that ice mutes the flavour, therefore the drink is traditionally served at room temperature. While it may be sacrilegious, I say do what you want. Especially when tequila is of a lower quality, a splash of water can offer welcomed dilution. A purist method is to add a few cubes to your glass, swill it around, and then strain them out. But don’t forget, storing tequila in the fridge damages its aroma and flavours.
5. Keep it sweet, spicy, and sour! Skip the salt and lime routine. In Mexico tequila is commonly served with sangrita, a mixture of orange juice, pomegranate juice, and chili powder. Alternate sips between two equally sized shot glasses of tequila and sangrita, then enjoy a deep fried poblano chili stuffed with cheese and smothered in mole.
• To learn more about tequila and try some of the best tequila in the world, saddle up and head to the Vancouver International Tequila Expo on May 31st at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Vancouver. Until next time, carpe mañana!
