Choose Your Tequila

Beer is my favorite beverage. Tequila is second. I discovered years ago that there was more to beer than Budweiser or Miller (yes, I've had Coors and was traumatized by it and try to never mention it). The beer world is vast, diverse and requires a sagacious taste to appreciate it completely. The same can be said of the world of tequila.

I began with Jose Cuervo, as so many do. With the Cuervo Gold, I learned to make margarita's. I also began to want more out of tequila. A breakthrough occurred at a dinner party when my brother-in-law and I visited a tequila website. Therein was a description of the different categories, or levels, of tequila.

Everyone is familiar with the first category: blanco or silver. This is tequila right from the still. It's aged less than two months. According to some sources this is the tequila to drink if you desire the unadulterated essence of agave. Gold, or joven, is a blanco with caramel appurtenances. The caramel gives it the coloring and softens the harshness. My favorite blanco's so far are Cabo Wabo and Corazon. Both are excellent examples of the style. Of course, Cabo has the additional benefit of being produced by Sammy Hagar.

After blanco, there is reposado. This means 'rested.' So, if tequila is kept in casks or other vessels for two months to one year, it becomes a reposado. This is my favorite kind of tequila. It will usually have pale coloring and not the opacity of a blanco. Usually, the taste is much smoother in a reposado. Some of the brands I imbibed had a peppery aroma and a caramel flavor, while some had the distinct characteristics of butterscotch. There was one, Chinaco, that tasted like weeds. It was unique. My favorite is Don Julio. It's a beautifully mollified tequila with caramel overtones. Cazadores is another fantastic specimen.

Finally, there is anejo. As you likely discerned, this means 'aged.' These tequila's must be aged for at least one year; they rest in wooden barrels. They are by far the smoothest of the tequila's, perfect for sipping. They retain much of the character of the reposado tequila's: the caramel, the butterscotch, the peppery aroma. I have read that anejo is best served in a snifter glass so that the aroma is fully appreciated. Don Julio is once again a flagship of this category, but Cazadores is close behind (although I prefer Cazadores' reposado). Corazon is also excellent. For a very unique anejo, try Sauza Tres Generaciones.

If you prefer margarita's to straight tequila, be sure to get a good blanco for mixing. Sauza is an excellent choice and 1800 does very well, too. Mixing drinks is an art, but with a little practice and some good tequila you're next cocktail party will be a success.

You'll want the right glasses, too. As mentioned, a snifter is good for an anejo. For the blanco and reposado, you can use a 2 oz "caballito." Riedel Glass has produced an exquisite glass specifically for the anejo, too.

So buy some tequila and some glasses and decide which style you like best.