Tequila Masterclass
Ten years ago it was all about the Tequila slammer, these days though, Mexico’s most famous spirit has moved on. In the recent International Spirits Challenge, the biggest and most prestigious international spirits competition in the world, the judges gave five gold medals to tequilas and a Tequila Society has recently been set up in London to celebrate the stuff.
So while there are still chances to squirt lemon in your eye and snort salt (what? You’ve never heard of a suicide tequila?) these days you might be called on to bluff an appreciation of the stuff and we thought we’d give you a hand.
A bit of background
Though the Spaniards introduced the art of distillation into South America, pre-Columbian Indians were the first to ferment the juice of the Agave. The blue Agave, a plant native to the state of Jalisco, was found to produce the finest spirit and Tequila, the town located in this state, became the centre of production.
The first commercial distillery was established in 1753 but prohibition soon followed. It was not until 1795, after it was repealed, that Don Jose Cuervo (sound familiar?), having been granted the first commercial licence, opened his distillery. Others followed during the 19th century, including Sauza, who established La Perserverancia Distillery in 1873.
In 1976 all aspects of production became regulated and in 1992 the Consejo Regulador del Tequila was formed to supervise production in every distillery and to award certificates of quality, now signified on labels by the initials CRT and the NOM numbers to identify the distillery.
Tequila Terms You Might Need
Silver/Blanco: Also known as ‘Plata’, a clear and intense tequila, particularly fresh because it is not aged in oak barrels though some may have been rested for up to thirty days to soften the taste.
Gold: Also known as Joven Abocado, joven meaning young. Produced in the same manner as Bianco. A gold tequila which uses caramel for colour and to suggest age. Only golden coloured tequilas that state ‘reposado’, añejo’ or ‘extra añejo’ are aged.
Reposado: Ageing tequila is a relatively recent development. To use this term the tequila must be aged in oak tanks for a minimum of sixty days and usually no more than one year. Caramel can still be added to improve the colour and invariably some of the agave character is sacrificed to the wood.
Añejo: Term used for quality golden tequilas, usually produced from 100% agave. The barrels used to age añejo must be oak and no larger than 600 litres in size. Añejo tequila is aged from one to three years, beyond that the class is called ‘Extra Añejo’ which is three years of age and above.
100% Agave: A tequila which uses only sugars from the blue agave.
Curados: The term applies to tequilas flavoured with natural ingredients such as fruits.
What to order
You’ll want the best for the stag-do, so stick with the gold-medal winners.
Sierra Milenario Tequila Reposado
100% Agave 41.5% ABV 70 cl £40.99
Sierra Milenario Tequila Extra Anejo
100% Agave 41.5% ABV 70cl £44.99
Sierra Antiguo Tequila
40% ABV 70cl £26.99
Cazadores Reposado
40% ABV 75cl
El Senorio Reposado Mezcal
38% ABV 75 cl
How Much!
Aged tequilas are becoming ever more popular and the prices people are willing to pay for tequila has also risen. In Mexican restaurants, such as La Perla and Café Pacifico, single servings of certain tequilas (for example, a 3.5cl glass of Coleccion) sell for £125. Earlier this year a bottle of Blue Agave Tequila by Ley.925 went on the market for a (negotiable) price of between $1,300,000 and $1,500,000. Another Tequila, The Diamond Sterling, was valued at 1,000,000 Euros.
There is a growing trend of people trading up and spending more on these prestigious, exclusive spirits. In La Perla, if someone orders Cuervo 1800 Milenio – extremely rare, mellow tequila with a well structured body which reveals a rich succession of vanilla spices and fine woods (apparently) – they get their name on a plaque behind the bar for all to see – not a bad way to celebrate a last night of freedom.
Don’t forget that even on a stag-do you should drink safely and part of that means you’re only drinking the good stuff…
Related Posts:
Leave your response!