The Iguana is a nice twist if you’re a fan of Kahlua but you’re tired of White Russians. It uses a simple 1:1:1 ratio, and you can mix it right in the glass – notice the swirling Kahlua in the photo above.
Iguana
Let me just begin by saying it was almost irresistible to NOT make an Eagles reference here. A lyric, a joke, anything. Be strong, Greg, be strong……
A Sunrise is a classic tequila drink, and a good one to practice layering with. The Tequila Sunrise takes progressively heavier liquids and serves them together, unstirred, for a cool “sunrise” effect in your glass. Add the ingredients in the order I show below:
Tequila Sunrise
When you serve a Sunrise, give the drinker a stir stick or sipper straw so that they can stir their cocktail before drinking.
Jose Cuervo Cinge is a new cinnamon-infused tequila that retails for about $18. As you may know, Cuervo is the top-selling tequila brand in the world, and since vodka and whiskey have embraced the flavored liquor trend, it’s no surprise to see tequila flavors, too.
Cinge is sweet and spicy, though mostly spicy, vaguely reminding me of a Fireball candy. Because Cuervo isn’t a 100% agave brand, the mugginess of tequila is eclipsed by the cinnamon burn, and your lips will be left sticky and sweet. Cinge has a unique flavor that makes for some fun cocktail recipes, and since tequila mixes well with apple, here’s a recipe for you to try:
Firey Cinged Apple (by Greg Mays)
Tonic water isn’t just a handy mixer with gin (though that’s the most common). You can substitute any base liquor for gin and see how it works with tonic water. This cocktail is a fun variation on a margarita, as the tonic water takes the place of the sweet triple sec. Enjoy!
Tequonic
I was talking with someone from out of town recently, and they asked if Breaking Bad has given Albuquerque a bad name, y’know, since it’s a TV show about drugs, drug dealers, and violence, and since it proudly mentions that Albuquerque is the place that all of this is happening.
I snickered in my response: Breaking Bad has actually brought a strange local pride to Albuquerque, not shame. There are spas that sell “Bathing Bad” bath salts and soaps. A local donut store has their own Breaking Bad donuts. Local confectioner The Candy Lady sells little baggies of blue rock candy, in fact, they’re the company that made the props for the TV show.
It’s about time that we (Albuquerque) came up with our own Breaking Bad Cocktail. This is a simple recipe provided that you can find some candy “blue meth.” While you prepare to make the drink, crush the candy with a big knife butt just like Tuco Salamanca. Then using lemon juice, rim an old fashioned glass with the crushed candy.
In Albuquerque, Tequila is the second-best selling spirit (just behind vodka), so we should certainly use tequila as the base. Here’s the recipe, which is a Tequila Sour with the addition of blue meth candy. That makes it break bad, right?
Breaking Bad Cocktail (by Greg Mays)
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Don Julio proudly proclaims itself the “original premium tequila.” Sold in unique but similar bottle shapes each with a wooden stopper, the standard line on Don Julios will run you between $45-60, depending on the age. The Blanco is fruity and beachy. The Reposado (which they claim is the bestselling tequila in Mexico) is mellower, a touch spicy, and very smooth. The Añejo is a little more bold from the extended time in the barrel. You could use the Blanco in a cocktail, but all of these are very tasty and smooth drunk straight.
These are excellent tequilas without a doubt – surely the best tequilas I’ve yet tasted. There’s a world of difference between these and a bargain-basement $20 tequila, even one that’s 100% agave.
Don Julio also has a premium line of tequilas – as if their standard line isn’t premium enough. 70 is an añejo tequila that’s clear and has characteristics of a blanco. It’s crisp and herbal, a bit less like a tequila and more like a premium vodka in some ways. 70 will run you $68 a bottle. 1942 is an older tequila, with a lot of tropical and whiskey-like characteristics. It smells like vanilla and coconut and is ultimately the spiciest of the bunch. 1942 is $125. Lastly, Don Julio Real is a knockout. It’s smooth and quite savory (is that cheese and nuts I smell?). Real is drinkable, wonderfully flavorful, full, and complex. You may have heard: Real is $360 a bottle. The question to ask is are these worth their costs? If I was in the market for a $360 tequila, I’d totally buy this one. I also liked the 70 a lot, too. While 1942 is good, but I didn’t find it to be quite as amazing as the others in this range.
With spring just starting to warm up and Cinco de Mayo on the horizon, that means it’s tequila season! I’m working hard to dig up more classic recipes with tequila because I’m pretty limited in what I can make, which is usually Margaritas with the blancos, Old Fashioneds with the reposados or añejos, or drinking the good añejos neat in a snifter.
Casa Noble is a 100% agave tequila (the only kind you should buy) that’s $40 in a sexy, thick hand-blown glass bottle with an shiny pewter stopper. Backed by Carlos Santana, Casa Noble is available in the usual varieties: unaged silver (which Casa Noble calls Crystal), “rested” resposado, and “old” añejo, as well as some high end premium single-barrel varieties.
If you taste it neat, Casa Noble Crystal begins with the initial, familiar blanco tequila smell – a little punchy, a little sour – but as you sip it, it’s very smooth with a fresh, grassy, roasted taste. It goes well in this classic tequila recipe:
Tequardo
SilverCoin is the first tequila available from Santa Fe Tequila Company. Made from 100% blue agave and sold in a hearty hand-blown bottle, this tequila is available in about 6 states right now. SilverCoin Silver (unaged) is a quality tequila with lots of flavor, a very clean taste, and a fresh finish.
I have been a bit stuck lately with tequila. Using it for either Margaritas or shots, I haven’t had much success making other tequila cocktails until I got a copy of the Café Royal Cocktail Book (Amazon link). I found a tequila and gin cocktail that has a surprisingly great flavor combination. Here’s the recipe:
Señorita
Piedra Azul is another quality entry into the 100% agave tequila market. It has the elements of a great tequila: a classic bottle, a beautiful label design, a wooden stopper, and an authentic tequila flavor.
Tequila is distilled and bottled in central Mexico from the blue agave plant that’s native to the region. 100% blue agave tequilas are often preferred to “mixto” tequilas, though they are more expensive, because their flavor is richer and more true to the agave they are distilled from. I have tasted tequilas with stand-out tropical, citrusy, muggy, swampy, spicy, or whiskey-like flavors. Piedra Azul (“blue stone”) has it’s own unique flavor that sets it apart as well – it’s earthy, herbal, and grassy, which makes it taste just a little bit like a pisco.
Outside of the traditional tequila shot with lime, here’s a simple cocktail recipe:
Brave Bull
Tequila Avión gets much of its reputation as the “tequila from Entourage,” which was apparently a sweet unpaid buddy deal. As I’ve yet to see Entourage, I just know Avión based on this tasting. Avión is available in Silver, Reposado, and Añejo varieties, with this Añejo clocking in at 2 years old.
Tasted alone, all three of these tequilas are world-class. There is a soapy note particularly in the Silver and Añejo varieties, as well as a bit of fruitiness in the Silver as well, and I’m sure it’s an outstanding mixer as a result. For a sipping tequila, the Reposado and Añejo are both great, but are significantly different from each other. The Reposado has a spicy woodyness that puts it more in line with whiskeys, and the Añejo is a smooth, mellow, subtler version of the the Silver.
Avión has a really good collection of recipes on their site, and I found one that looked the best for a Fall drink: The Avión Autumn Apple. I modified it just a bit for my own palate, so here’s my take on their recipe, which is high on the juice and pretty low on alcohol, so this would be a great party punch too:
