Building the Home Bar: Tequila
Lisa Romerein
If it’s not gin without juniper, it’s not tequila without agave. The first documentation of tequila’s origin dates all the way back to 200 A.D. when Aztecs in modern-day Mexico began fermenting the sap of agave trees, producing a drink known as “pulque.” The tequila we know and enjoy today did not come about until the 15th century with the Age of Exploration. As Spanish conquistadors invaded central America, it didn't take long for the absence of their brandy to be felt. As their cargoed liquor ran low, they improvised with agave and mud, what is known as “mezcal” today. In the mid-1500s, the Spanish opened a trade route including the new spirit with the Philippines, and a few decades later, the first full-scale distillery was built by Marquis of Altamira in what is modern-day Tequila, Jalisco. The first commercial distillation of tequila was followed in 1758 by the Cuervo family and tequila production and distribution expanded further in 1873 with the Sauza family opening another large-scale distillery.
Once prohibition was implemented in the U.S. in the 1920s, Tijuana became a spirited escape for Americans living in the southwest. As Canadian rye whiskey infiltrated the American palate from the north, Tequila did so from the south. Following the end of prohibition, Americans’ taste for tequila only spread further. With the accidental invention of the Margarita, “daisy” in Spanish in 1936, tequila planted itself as a mainstream spirit in homes, restaurants, and bars throughout America and beyond. However, in 1974, the Mexican government ensured their gift to the globe would never be tarnished or deauthenticated and claimed the spirit as the intellectual property of Mexico. From then on, tequila was only to be produced and aged in designated areas of the country, and distillation was made illegal in any place outside of those areas. Now, we can all rest assured the tequila in our shot glasses and cocktails are 100% genuinely Mexican as we sip our way into this corner of the globe fueled by passion and tradition.
Tequila is a crowd-pleaser. It’s taken as a shot, mixed in iconic cocktails, and can even be enjoyed neat. Your home bar is not complete without it, and with a multitude of styles and the flavors and uses that come with each, here are your best options for each category.
In the world of tequila, it’s best to start with the one that has stood the test of time. Don Cenobio Sauza identified blue agave as the best for distilling tequila back when he opened the first modern-style distillery back in 1873. Since then, Sauza has remained an institution of the spirit. The tequila we know today would cease to exist without the blue weber agave pioneered by Sauza. To this day, Sauza still produces tequila in the Jalisco region, the home of the world’s finest agave, and does so using the same gentle extraction method. The agave juices are cooked only after their removal from the piña, ensuring the freshest and most pure flavor possible. Afterward, their double distillation results in a clean and crisp product.
Sauza Hacienda Silver is the most fundamental tequila there is. It’s straightforward in its agave flavor and has remained that way for over a century. Its crystal clear color allows all of the attention to be placed on its concentrated agave flavor and herbal aroma. This tequila is medium-bodied with a moderately bitter finish, making it the perfect companion for anything from a classic margarita to your preferred Paloma. This tequila will provide the flavor and bite you’re looking for without throwing your cocktail off balance. A 750 ml bottle of Sauza Hacienda Silver Tequila is available at Total Wine and More for just $13.
Distilling tequila has become quite a notable celebrity venture. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Nick Jonas, and Kendall Jenner all have their own bottles, but there’s one celebrity-owned tequila that sets itself apart from the rest, so much so that its quality supersedes the A-list actor behind it. Founded in 2013 by George Clooney and longtime friends Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman, Casamigos set out to distill a tequila so smooth there’d be no need for any salt or lime wedges beside it. Casamigos is also distilled in Jalisco with 100% blue weber agave. Their reposado tequila, however, is where Casamigos brings tequila to the next level.
“Reposado” means “restful.” Reposado tequila means the tequila has been rested in oak barrels for at least two months. Casamigos reposado tequila is aged between seven and nine. While most other tequila distillers roast their piña for less than 10 hours, Casamigos roasts theirs in a traditional brick oven for 72. While most other distillers use commercial yeast for fermentation, Casamigos uses their own yeast blended by their Master Distiller. While most other distillers ferment their tequila for about two days, Casamigos ferments theirs for 80. This elongated process is worth the wait and the extra-fine attention to detail even more so. By the time it is bottled, distributed, purchased, and brought to your home bar, the result is an impeccably balanced tequila golden in color and complex in flavor. The caramel aromas are followed by a taste of dried fruits, spiced oak, and a sweet finish line of agave. A 750 ml bottle of Casamigos Reposado Tequila is available for $55 at Astor Wines & Spirits.
It is said that the best tequila in the world is not for sale. However, occasionally, small batches are sold to select individuals. Código 1530 is one of them. Every input of Código 1530 tequila is highly exclusive and 100% natural, a process perfected over five generations of passionate, artisan distillers. The water used is naturally filtered by the volcanic rocks of Amatitán in the Jalisco region. The agave is grown in the nearby fields by those who have done so their entire lives. The yeast is organically made by a bakery down the street. The agave chopper is the one-of-a-kind machine invented by Código 1530. The aging barrels are only the finest Cabernet French white oak barrels of Napa Valley. From that point on, there are zero added ingredients, no chemicals, no unnatural flavorings, no unnatural anything.
Código Añejo is aged 18 months and is the perfect blend of agave and the barrel it lies in. This tequila has won every single competition it has entered including Double Gold in the 2018 Stuttgart International Spirits Competition, Platinum Best In Class Añejo Tequila in the 2016 SIP Awards, and Añejo of the Year in the NY International Spirits Competition. In fact, the barrels used for aging this añejo are award-winning themselves. Your frozen margaritas and tequila sunrises can wait. This añejo was made absent of any elements other than those provided by mother nature herself and should be enjoyed as such. The Aztecs who first distilled agave sap worshiped the goddess Mayahuel and her husband Patecatl for their relationship with their creation. Today, a neat sip of Código 1350 Añejo is sure to raise the suspicion of such divine intervention. A 750 ml bottle of Código 1350 Añejo Tequila is available on the brand’s website for $115.
