Tequila: why 100% Agave is always better…

Tequila comes in two main types: Mixto (blended) and 100% agave. The former is the type you’re likely to find at a college party. It’s cheaper than 100% agave and can leave you with a nasty pile of regret in the morning. The latter, on the other hand, is as pure as tequila gets…

That said, here are three reasons you should always reach for 100% agave tequila…

#1: No hidden surprises:

100% agave tequila is pure agave and nothing else. Mixto, on the other hand, contains up to 49% non-agave ingredients. These usually consist of sugar cane, or other distillable products, but can include additives such as flavourings and colourings.

What makes things worse is that producers are not required to tell you what they use! So you’re never going to know, completely, what is in your bottle. If you’re the sort of person who likes to know what they’re drinking, always choose 100% agave!

#2: No hangovers:

When you drink a mixto tequila you’re literally mixing your drinks from the very first sip. With only 51% agave, mixto tequilas have a range of other ingredients, including various distillates. That means you’re consuming more than one type of alcohol at the same time, which is why mixto tequila has earned such a bad reputation.

However, if you choose 100% agave tequila, your hangovers will be a thing of the past. This is because they are made using only the Blue Weber Agave and nothing else!

Responsible drinking clearly speaks for itself; but if you were to swap your mixto tequila for 100% agave tequila, you’d notice the different immediately – especially when you have work in the morning!

#3: Better taste:

There are more premium tequilas than ever before and for good reason: It simply tastes better than its mixto counterpart.

Each brand has their unique flavour profile, which creates a vast array of great tasting tequila. Whilst the species of agave used in tequila has to be the Blue Weber by law; the location of the distillery in which it is made will drastically affect its flavour.

Whether you prefer yours fruity, spicy, or earthy, there’s a 100% agave tequila out there for everyone!

As outlined here, premium tequilas are superior in taste and quality, but that doesn’t mean mixto brands haven’t played an important part in the 100% agave boom coming out of Mexico. This boom has been made possible, in large part, thanks to the path laid down by mixto brands, with the industry rethinking its method and creating some truly stunning premium products.

There are strict regulations in relation to both Mixto and 100% agave tequilas. If you’d like to know more about these, information can be found here.

Now you know which tequila to choose, why not check out these 100% Tequila Paloma cocktail recipes I made? 

Casamigos Tequila – Hollywood gone Rogue…

So I sit here sipping on my very last drops of Havana Club 7YO (Sad Face) and let’s be honest with ourselves, you all feel my pain. Let’s have 30 seconds of pause for a sad moment…

Enjoy the first 15 Seconds looking at this wonderful picture of a great Tequila…

Now spend the next 15 seconds enjoying this simplistic yet rather classy label…

Ok so with that over we can carry on (I’ll attempt to make this Cuba Libre last the entirety of the writing of this post). Recently I’ve had a bit of a fetish for tequila, and seeing as today (July 24th) is “National Tequila Day” in the U.S.A . it thought I’d celebrate it here in the UK with one of the newer Tequila’s on the US market: Casamigos.

Now I know what you’re thinking “we’ve all been there, and thrown up” well you’re wrong. I’m not talking about Jose Cuervo ‘Salt, tequila, lime’ (or however you prefer to take the three) Tequila.

I’m talking about the Cazadores/El Jimador/Casamigos style Tequilas; the ‘Craft Tequilas’ of our time period.

Now the latter of the three is a Tequila I want to focus on (for the remainder of this post anyway). Casamigos Tequila, if you haven’t heard, is something a little different to the norm.

Sure it’s distilled and created in Jalisco (Mexico) and to all the specifications it needs to be called Tequila, but there’s a bit of a Hollywood feel to this tequila. But enough teasing for now, that’s a little surprise for later!

Casamigos Tequila was formed by the common interest of two friends and originally meant for just them and their circle of friends & family (if you believe the stories anyhow) until they decided one day, for some reason or another, to share their gold with the world.

The mystery owners aside, this Tequila really is something a little special; although the company has only been distilling long enough to produce a small amount of their Tequila (by industry standards), they have still found the time and methods to distil a great spirit in a growing market (it’s expanding exceptionally fast – especially in the U.S.A.) that has various flavours and aromas you’d expect from a company distilling tequila for years.

It is (as I keep saying) something special. And this may be because of those mystery owners I mentioned earlier. Do any of you know who they are? Hell some of you may even know them personally… They may even be reading this as you do (in which case HEY GUYS!). Have you guessed? No? Well here’s a little picture to put you out of your misery…

Clooney & Gerber folks…

That’s right folks, George Clooney & Rande Gerber are behind the new and emerging glass of pure, distilled agave gold.

With the addition of their long-time friend Mike Meldman they are surely a force to reckoned with. It would not surprise me if this time next year, they became one of the top 3 craft tequila’s in the USA. Let alone Europe, should they expand this far (I really hope they do – I’m dying for a sip!).

They are trying different things with both the cooking/distilling and the advertisement (albeit they are in a unique position to exploit their famous reputations). Whether it’s slow roasting the Agave Piña’s or using Gerber’s & Clooney’s star status to advertise both the product and their love for it; putting across the products quality – “if it’s good enough for Clooney it’s good enough for me” is a great slogan to use subconsciously (it’s worked on me at least).

So let’s sum up:

As I cannot taste it and review it that way, I’ll be pining (excuse the pun) over it instead… I want to try it. I want to test it. I want to make some Mexican Mules, Margaritas, Palomas & even sip it on the rocks. Until then I’ll suggest all you American readers jump on the bandwagon and give it a try. I know it’s about $50-60 per bottle, and not everyone can afford it, but if you’re in the market for a craft tequila, I suggest you give this one ago (and let me know what you think as well?!)…

Want to know more about Casamigos Tequila? Clooney? Or even just watch the cheesy but smart advert/trailer for Casamigos (watch out for the painfully good pay off at the end) then follow THIS link and enjoy. Or for a quick link to their Tequila Day blog post check out THIS.

Finally enjoy this picture of Clooney and Gerber enjoying themselves behind the classiest bar in the world:

2 Amigo’s making that bar look the most attractive it’s ever been…

Casamigos Tequila – Spoilers people, Spoilers…

I have heard news of a post about a New USA based* Tequila brand hitting this blog tomorrow around 11am (UK time) as a homage to the USA’s ‘apparent’ National Tequila Day (NTD)  … What could it be about I hear you say… What mysteries will be unveiled? Will it give you a hangover? All that and more on tomorrows post (Except the hangover thing – of course it will. It’s Tequila!**)

Here’s a little teaser to get you ebbing with saliva for that post…

Who are they? What brand will this tequila be? Is this teaser to revealing? All these and more tomorrow!

Take care, and until tomorrow, drink well and be safe!

*As US based as it possibly can be whilst still being called Tequila…

**Tequila consumed in copius amounts will always cause hangovers, as much as any alcohol consumed in excess. Please drink responsibly and be aware of your limits.