THE PARTY SPIRIT
Tequila has been reborn, and this time it is to be sipped, not slammed
Tequila! A tipple so synonymous with revelry, an LA-based rock ’n’ roll band called the Champs wrote an anthem for it in 1958 – and when played in bars across the world, conjures a ceremonious round of clinking glasses accompanied by a pinch of salt and a fresh lime wedge.
First distilled in the 16th century, tequila is made from the blue agave found in Mexico, where more than 300 million of the succulents are harvested each year. While it is traditionally sipped slowly, served neat in a narrow glass called a caballito (‘little horse’ in Spanish), there are countless songs about its cocktails too, from the Eagles’ 1973 ode to a Tequila Sunrise and Jimmy Buffett’s lively 1977 track Margaritaville.
Despite previously garnering an unfavourable rep as the instigator of bad decisions and even worse hangovers, tequila has made a spectacular comeback as the aperitif du jour among the glitterati, including George Clooney and Rihanna. Known as having been Jack Kerouac’s favourite tipple, which he drank not to get drunk, but ‘to enjoy life’, it is a little sweet, a little sour, but packs quite a punch – the perfect spirit for a night of celebrations.
You can find some of the most delicious small-batch agaves in London at the Notting Hill tequileria Los Mochis, which serves up a range of blanco (a young, fresh variety), reposado (meaning ‘rested’ – so slightly barrel-aged) and añejo (more mature still) alongside a 16-strong taco menu. ‘It has that feel-good factor,’ says Roxy Bayati, the restaurant’s events manager. ‘What started off as the party shot has evolved into being the chic go-to party cocktail as well. Plus, the clean taste means it goes so well with everything – especially tacos filled with grilled fish, chicken or steak.’
To kick off one’s New Year’s Eve celebrations, Bayati recommends serving Los Mochis’ spiced clementine margarita. Toast two cloves, a cinnamon stick, a juniper berry and half a star anise, add lemon and orange peel, 100 millilitres of clementine juice and 20 grams of sugar. Shake the mixture with one-part lime juice and two-parts reposado tequila over ice – then pour into a whisky glass rimmed with cinnamon sugar and you’re off. Here’s to 2022!