Tequilas for sipping,
Each week in this space, we better our beverages together.
Maybe it’s because Canadians can harbour a lamentable tendency to underestimate the sophistication of Mexican culture. Maybe it’s because they just haven’t enjoyed a great tequila yet. For whatever reason, people look at me funny when I say I usually drink tequila straight and slowly, like Cognac. Summer is the perfect time to try tequila as something other than a shot or cocktail ingredient. One hundred per cent agave tequila is what you’re after (the qualification is crucial), and the following brands are a good place to start.
The first category I’ ll call the entry-level sippin’ tequilas. They appeal to newbies not because they’re cheap (good tequila seldom is), but because they enjoy a certain celebrity cachet and flavour approachability.
Patrón is a bottle service staple and a popular hip-hop shout-out. It’s the first 100 per cent agave tequila brand many people ever try. The standard Patrón tequilas strike me as bland but I suppose that’s deliberate. I’m more intrigued by the new Roca Patrón line, a separate trio of tequilas available only in Alberta for now and made from agave that’s been pounded flat using a huge volcanic rock. Well, all right, but how do they taste? The Silver ($100) is a gentle gem, with orange/lemon and caramel on the nose, plus a hint of pepper. It’s smooth; suitable for a tequila novice. The Roca Patrón Añejo ($130) is subtle and suave, exhibiting pear, grapefruit and cucumber aromas against a creamy texture. I felt the Reposado was boring — the monkey in the middle.
For even more star power, there’s Casamigos, which makes a tasty, low-key reposado (that is, lightly aged) tequila. And yes, that’s George Clooney’s signature on the label. Sit back and imagine what it would be like to be amigos with El Jorge, and invited to his nice old casa in Italy. He hands you a glass of this stuff, offhandedly says he invested in it. What do you smell and taste? Cookies, grapefruit peel, menthol, Crispy Crunch bar. It’s terrific, George.
More complicated, brooding tequilas await the initiated. For a mere $30 (ish depending on the province), Dulce Vida Blanco serves up campfire, red bell pepper, celery and hoisin sauce. Tromba Reposado (around $60) is just as complex, yet mild, with green herbs, jalapeño, black pepper and caramel. And you’ll know we’re truly friends if I pull the Don Julio Añejo 1942 off the shelf for you. In the neighbourhood of $140 a bottle, it offers chocolate milk, plum sauce, orange peel and vanilla with a warm, lingering finish.
Finally, if you’re meditatively sipping tequila, do as the Mexicans and alternate with sips of sangrita. Note the “t”; this is a concentrated, spicy citrus concoction quite different from Spanish sangria. Stir together equal parts fresh orange and lime juice, half as much grenadine, and Chohula hot sauce to taste. Chill for an hour and serve next to tequila, in tiny glasses.