First and foremost, Happy National Tequila Day! Tequila is my favorite spirit to indulge in but finding the right bottle for the right price can be daunting. There are literally HUNDREDS of bottles to wade through and tons of different flavor profiles. Suffice to say we've come a LONG way since choking down shots of Cuervo in college. The biggest thing I've learned recently (after EXTENSIVE research...lol) is that tequila makers are allowed to put a certain percentage of additives in their product to make it "taste better." Some of your favorite brands (Clase Azul, Casamigos) use them quite liberally. Even worse is the fact that if its up to one percent, they don't even have to disclose it. No thank you.
Additives can include:
- Glycerin: Improves smoothness and can obscure lactic fermentation notes
- Oak extract: Adds a barrel-aged taste and aroma
- Caramel coloring: Darkens the tint
- Sugar-based syrups: Also called jarabes, these add sweetness to the final product.
It's all subjective to your preferences but for me, I want to taste tequila, not dessert.
With that in mind, here are some of my FAVORITE (mostly budget-friendly) additive free tequilas on the market today.
The best of the best
No tequila blog is complete without mentioning the 'brass ring' of tequila in the US: Fortaleza. The problem is, because if it's limited production, it's impossible to find. The blanco retails at Total Wine for $45 but I've seen it on shelves for as high as $85 and online as high as $150. If you can grab a bottle for $60-65 you're doing well and its totally worth it. The reposado and anejo are priced up from there but this is truly the best tequila I've ever tasted.
Meanwhile, back on earth...
Best Bottle (Blanco) For Margaritas (unaged):
While reposados are used for mixing on occasion, blanco is your best bet since the lack of aging really makes the agave flavor shine though. I love, love, LOVE Arette Blanco as my go-to tequila for mixing. Super-clean and crisp with some vegetable notes and at $22-$29 a bottle, its not gonna break the bank.
Gotta also give a shout-out to a GREAT local organic tequila. You can't go wrong with the Bay's own Tres Agaves Blanco ($27).
If you want to go a little more fancy, Lalo is another great additive-free blanco that I love (its $35-$45)
Last great one for mixing (ugly bottle, GREAT tequila) is Tapatio. $37
Reposado (for sipping, not shooting). Aged 2-12 months:
If you just want to shoot your tequila, you can actually skip the rest of this blog. If you are interested in exploring "sipping" tequilas, read on. Reposados are aged (2-12 months) for smoothness and (a bit of) sweetness and are great for after work, after dinner, or after hours.
A great (and affordable) "repo" is Tapatio ($50). The aging gives it a bit of a caramel sweetness without compromising the agave notes. You will catch a bit of pepper and spice on the finish.
Another great and affordable repo is Carrera. ($50-$60). You get the agave notes, a bit of sweetness, pepper and just a hint of cinnamon on the finish. Very nice.
IF you want to splurge and you can't find Fortaleza (see above) I'm completely in love with Cazcanes Reposado. It stays true the agave vibe but is smooth as silk and so dang tasty. It IS pricey at $100 but well worth it.
Anejo (even smoother). Aged 1-3 years.
I'll be honest, I don't have a lot of experience here. Not because I don't like anejos, but because I can't typically find or afford the ones I want. Haha. Obviously, Fortaleza anejo is on the top of the list but is almost impossible to find. It retails for $130 but is well worth it.
As far as a more affordable anejo: Espalon gets my vote. You're gonna be able to find it in a ton of bars in the Bay and at $35-$40 it's TOALLY accessible.
All of the other brands mentioned have GREAT anejos as well (Fortaleza, Cazcanes, Tapatio etc) El Tesoro is another one to put on your list.
There is another level called "Extra Anejo" but these don't fit into the affordable category, so I'm gonna leave them out....lol. But feel free to explore on your own!
What is YOUR go-to tequila? Happy National Tequila Day!