Future generations will wonder what happened around 2022 when tipplers around the world, including many in India, began switching to Tequila as their new favourite drink. White spirits–vodka, gin, rum–in the mentioned order have had their day over the last two decades. But Tequila, for most parts, had remained relegated to the much-abused ‘shots’, in reality an excuse to get drunk, and mired in gory stories of bar crawls gone horribly wrong. 

Blame it on the Covid vaccine–or anything about as controversially zany–but we came back from the lockdowns with a penchant for the luxury sipping tequila. The story is particularly relevant for India, which has suddenly seen a spate of Tequila launches, followed closely by many Mezcals, as well as locally made Agave brands. This article though, is a guide only for Tequilas.  

What is Tequila?  

 
Tequila is the distillate from the Blue Agave Weber plant. The Agave plant is native to semi-arid central America (and maybe parts of the Caribbean) and Mexico is the place it mostly calls home. Of the 200 or so varieties, almost 70 can be found in Mexico. Mexican government regulations stipulate that only Blue Agave can be used to make Tequila. To this, add the geographical demarcation of the state of Jalisco, and select  municipalities  in four other states of the 31 states  in Mexico, where Tequila is (exclusively) produced. As a result, we have a drink with a limited supply by virtue of place and main ingredient (much like wines such as Champagne). Otherwise put, Tequila always had the pedigree to make it big. But its bad boy image thus far has largely been account of the rowdy lowlifes in American colleges who   denigrated it to the party shot levels of infamy. 

The double distillation process used in making Tequila produces a smooth yet extremely flavourful beverage which tastes somewhat herbaceous and a touch leafy. This makes it all the more surprising that Tequila hasn't achieved the kind of popularity that other white spirits have. Vodka, as I see it, has no flavour and gin is essentially vodka with makeup. Yes, gin is the cupcake of the drinks world, and I said it.  

Aside from agave spirits, rum is the only other white beverage which is popular and has my respect for having a distinct inherent flavour. 

The Tequila Varieties: Blanco, Reposado, Añejo 

Blanco: Fresh Tequila, bottled immediately after distillation or within a few weeks  is colourless and  is called Blanco. It is also referred to as Silver, White or Platinum Tequila. The  cleanliness of  flavours make it stand out. It is great with tonic, or lemonade or even just plain soda. You can fashion it into any Tequila cocktail without hesitation–Margarita to Picante. The cheaper ones get shot at bars but any form of shooting any neat spirit is beyond my comprehension of civility. 

Reposado: A Tequila aged between two months to one year  is marketed as Reposado. Reposado means rested in Spanish. The Tequila is aged in oak barrels which imparts colour and raromas to the liquid, and rounds off the spirit a bit. It can still work in cocktails and adds a special creamy (touch of vanilla) facet to the drink. But both this and the next category belong to the latest category of sipping Tequilas where people pour them over ice and sip them gently through the evening. 

Añejo: Añejo is at the top of the ladder when it comes to Tequilas. It is aged for more than  one year, and sometimes upto three  years in oak barrels. Consequently, the influence of oak is stronger, and the spirit is now decidedly different from the other two versions, much smoother and smokier with lesser of its original herby character. I haven’t found much value for this in cocktails (for even 30ml is frightfully expensive) but price proposition aside, the taste is not easy to harness in your regular Tequila-centric drinks.  

Añejo is best reserved for sipping on ice but in case you have a smashing recipe, am all ears, shaker and stirrer. There is also extra Añejo which, as the name suggests, is aged encore (3+ years). Honestly, to me, it comes at the cost of sacrificing the innate taste and flavours of this lovely spirit and that too at a price which makes it a little confusing.

Gold: The best Tequila will always have 100% Agave written on the label. But you also get a variety called Gold Tequila or Mixto, which contains 51% Agave, with caramel  and sugar added to it before fermentation,  to give the resulting liquid  the gold colour of a premium Tequila. These are usually not aged. There  are also  varieties of gold Tequila that are a mix of 100% Agave Silver and an  aged  Reposado or Anejo. So, it is important to check the label of the Tequila bottle before buying.

Best brands you can buy in India 

Tequila is the new way to announce you have arrived and in style. This is the only way to explain the astronomical prices that some brands command. That said, all good Tequila isn’t prohibitively priced. Here are my top picks. 

Patron

The market leader and a great brand to have on your shelf. I love their Blanco, but the Reposado is quite versatile and extremely value for money. 

Corralejo

A family-owned house that makes their ware the traditional old-fashioned way and it shows in the taste. They even have a triple distilled version which is quite unique and worthy. 

1800

This is my go-to brand for drinking with tonic or mixing into cocktails. It’s a textbook recipe and works brilliantly in cocktails, all at a great price point. 

Don Julio

Among the smoothest in town and they command a respect unparalleled for their Añejo version. 

Teramana

In case you didn’t know what, The Rock is cooking, this is it–one of the popular celebrity-owned brands. 

Casamigos

Originally owned by George Clooney but now part of a larger conglomerate, it’s still a good Tequila, even if their reposado is a bit too caramel-vanilla-crème brulée tinged for my liking.  

Clase Azul

I love their Reposado in distinct ceramic bottles with their bell-shaped stoppers, but I hate the idea that one needs to rip into their savings to bring this baby home.  

If not Tequila… 

Well, hot on its heels, Mezcal is gaining popularity. It is like a stepsibling, made outside Jalisco and using agave other than the Blue Weber.  Almost 40 other agave varieties are used to make Mezcal in 9 states across Mexico. It is earthier and personally, I absolutely love the mineral touch. It’s also a lot cheaper but again, demand is making prices go crazy.  

Outside those 9 states, there is Raicilla (distilled once and uses Rhodacante agave), Bacanora (using Espadin agave), and Sotol which is made from the Desert Spoon plant which is similar to agave (even though it’s an entirely different family) but still clubbed in here.