Category Archives: tequila

Gran Centenario Añejo Tequila

Gran Centenario Añejo Tequila

Proximo Spirits, responsible for importing Three Olives, Maestro Dobel, and Kraken Rum, imports Gran Centenario Añejo tequila as well.

Tequila must be distilled in Mexico generally comes in these varieties:
Blanco: White/silver, unaged.
Resposado: “Rested,” aged 6 months.
Añejo: aged more than 6 months, usually about a year.
Extra Añejo: aged more than a year.

Añejos are usually aged in American whiskey barrels, so they can take on some whiskey-like qualities. They are usually smoother than unaged tequilas, so they’re great for sipping straight. Gran Centenario surprised me with an apple flavor that’s joined by the whiskey barrel/woody taste. It retails for $20-30, and particularly if you like the traces of apple it has, this tequila is a good buy. Because Fall is in the air, if you’re not drinking Gran Centenario straight, add a shot to a pumpkin ale or try it in a T.A.P.:

T.A.P. (by Greg Mays)

  • 1 1/2 oz of Gran Centenario Añejo Tequila
  • 2 oz of unfiltered apple cider
  • Stir and serve over ice in an old fashioned glass

Jalapeño Bacon Margarita

Tanteo Jalapeño Bacon Margarita

Tanteo Tequila is a mid-range ($40-50) flavored tequila that comes in tropical, chocolate, or jalapeño-infused flavors. The jalapeño variety is a faint green and has a very natural taste, but can be a bit off-putting in the wrong drink. I found Tanteo Jalapeño in a regular margarita to be interesting, but a bit too pungent because the jalapeño on your breath will likely stick around longer than the tequila in your blood.

I developed a drink based on an idea my wife had. She makes these killer bacon jalapeño poppers and said “why don’t you try to make a drink like that?” I created something that worked really well.

Tanteo Jalapeño Bacon Margarita

The Jalapeño Bacon Margarita (by Greg Mays)

  • 2 oz Tanteo Jalapeño tequila
  • 1 oz lime juice
  • 1/2 oz triple sec
  • 1/2 oz Torani bacon syrup
  • serve in a salt-rimmed glass, up or on the rocks
  • lime wedge and/or jalapeño garnish

For the vegetarians out there, Torani Bacon is both vegan-safe and Kosher, so this may be one of the few meat-based cocktails that’s safe for all consciences. On a safety note, however, don’t get this in your eyes. As I was dropping ice in my shaker, I got a splash of the lime/jalapeño in my eye. Ouch.

Maestro Dobel Diamond Tequila

Maestro Dobel Diamond Tequila

So I have had a bottle of Maestro Dobel Diamond Tequila in my liquor cabinet for a month. It’s a high-end tequila that is endorsed by Perry Farrell and sells for about $55 a bottle. It’s a combination of reposado (6+ month aged) añejo (1+ year aged), and extra añejo (really aged, ok?) tequila, but it’s still diamond-clear.

Unfortunately, I don’t like the taste of the stuff. It doesn’t mix well in drinks – I tried several margaritas and a Brave Bull, and I really disliked it. The bottle itself is absolutely classy, though: hand numbered with a steel base and crystalline glass – plus the stopper is heavy enough to kill a man when launched at a high velocity.

Unfortunately, as much as I’m a sucker for a snazzy package, the taste fell short.

I hope this isn’t the last time I need to write this phrase in my lifetime: “I’m sorry, Perry Farrell.

JLP Tequila

jlp anejo tequila

A new brand of tequila has made an appearance in Albuquerque liquor stores: JLP Tequila. Named for the former governor of the Villa of Tequila, Jesus Lopez Portillo Y Galindo, JLP is a mid-range tequila will run you about $20-30, and it’s made from 100% agave. I tried all 3 of the varieties: Blanco (unaged), Reposado (aged 6 months), and Añejo (aged 12 months), and I’m pretty impressed.  While it has been widely available in California, JLP is new to New Mexico.

First, an explanation about the two types of tequila manufacture. Tequila is distilled from agave, just like some whiskey is distilled from corn, but there are 2 different ways of processing it from there: 100% agave or mixto.  100% agave is the most pure type, with no added ingredients. A mixto uses at least 51% agave, then sugars are used to make up the remainder of the mixture. This would expain why 100% agave tequilas start at $20, but a bottle of Jose Cuervo is $13.  It’s a mixto.

The older a tequila is, the less appropriate it is for cocktails, so I made a margarita with the JLP Blanco  and found that it made an outstanding margarita, one of the best I’ve ever had. It’s a very smooth tequila and the muggyness that tequila is famous for is a bit more subtle.

Tasting it in a glass by itself, the JLP Añejo is very smooth, highlighted by an outstanding peppery/chili finish. The middle child, JLP Reposado, is a fine tequila for a Tequila Old Fashioned:

Tequila Old Fashioned

  • in an old fashioned glass, add:
    • 1 tsp of raw sugar
    • 3 dashes of orange bitters
    • 2 oz of JLP Reposado Tequila
  • fill with ice and stir well
  • garnish with a lime wedge

 

Mango-Ice Margaritas

mango ice margaritas

This recipe is a minor variation on the margarita for the summertime.  First, puree mangoes with a bit of water and freeze the results in ice trays overnight.  Using the “mango ice” instead of regular ice, build your margarita.

Mango Ice Margarita

  • 1 1/2 oz of tequila
  • 1 oz lime juice
  • 1 oz triple sec
  • on the mango rocks in a salt-rimmed glass
  • no garnish (it distracts from the cool yellow cubes)

Now, recently, I’ve begun doing something to my margaritas that people say has made them even better.  I add 1-2 ox of club soda/seltzer water on top and give it a stir.  It mellows out the pungent nature of tequila and makes a more refreshing drink anyway, and in this one, it helps break down the mango cubes.  You’ll want to let this one sit at the table before your guests start sipping so that the mango can get all sloshy in there.  The mango flavor will be subtle, and not overpowering.

Viola:

mango ice margaritas