PVCC Lynx Publication

How to find, taste and appreciate tequila
By Deborah Mislove, November 09
Staff Writer

You’re sitting across from your date, who suggests you do shots of tequila.

“What kind of tequila would you like?” the server asks innocently.

Wishing you had brought your date to a civilized wine bar where you’d know the difference between a chardonnay and a pinot noir, you squirm and struggle to remember the name of the stuff with the worm in it so you can impress your date.

The sense of helplessness when faced with tequila options is far from unusual. In fact, most of us don’t have a clue. Silver or gold? Reposado or Anejo? Is it better if it costs more? Who knows?

Always ask for 100 percent: “Selecting a good tequila really comes down to two things,” says Roque Jiminez, co-owner of Cien Agaves, a Mexican restaurant in Old Town Scottsdale and founder of the 3-month-old Meetup Group, the AZ Tequila Society. “The first is to be sure you are getting tequila that is a 100 percent blue agave. Legally a liquor can be considered tequila if it has at least 51 percent blue agave, which means the other 49 percent can be neutral grained spirits. This diminishes the quality,” notes Roque, “because the true taste of the agave is diluted.”

Treat it like wine: “Second, you need to establish the category of tequila you prefer, like choosing your favorite variety of wine,” he explains.

There are four varieties of tequila.

The first is blanco or white in Spanish also known as plata or silver in Spanish, which Roque describes as “the purest form of tequila taste.” It tends to be hot and peppery, and he recommends it for margaritas and other mixed drinks because it is “strong enough to be recognized in a tart drink and mixes well with citrus.” He also recommends blanco for chilled shots.

Reposado or respite in Spanish is aged in oak barrels for 2 to12 months and takes on a smoother flavor with hints of vanilla and wood while still allowing the herbal, peppery flavor of agave to shine through. It’s a good way to start enjoying the influence of the oak on the agave.

Anejo or aged in Spanish are tequilas that are aged from 12 months to 3 years and “start almost tasting like good bourbon or scotch because they take on the character of the wood in flavor and color,” according to Roque. This is a good choice for sipping.

Extra Anejos, aged 3 or more years, “are a fairly new category, almost like cognac,” he says. “They are rich and thick and sweeter because some of the alcohol has evaporated.” This category also lends itself to sipping.

You don’t have to swallow a worm: What about this worm thing?

“The worm is actually found in mescal, not tequila, another form of agave spirits that are less regulated by the Mexican government, that come primarily from Oaxaca” explains Roque. “The worm is actually a larvae found on agave plants. “It’s a gimmick, and has no special qualities.”

Tequila, on the other hand, is manufactured near the town of Tequila in Jalisco State, Mexico.

“It can be,” says Roque, “one of the most delicious spirits if you taste it in the right fashion.”

He suggests that in learning about tequila, you “treat it like wine, and teach people about why it has the taste it has - first tasting the different varieties and then trying different brands, because each tequila maker has lots of opportunities to vary techniques and put their own stamp on it.”

Try a tequila tasting: Rogue started the AZ Tequila Society to counteract some of the bad experiences people may have had in drinking poor quality or “mixto” tequilas.

“I’ve had a lot of people tell me they can only drink tequila in a margarita,” he comments.

But judging from the growing attendance at the society’s monthly meetups with 60 last month, Roque is proving them wrong in the best possible way.

If you want to learn more, please check out the AZ Tequila Society at www.meetup.com.