Rediscovering Tequila
If you're anything like I am, your first memories of shooting back Sauza at the club are...well...non-existent. Tequila – that gold or blanc spirit typically associated with blackouts, poor decisions, and inebriated projectile...I'll let you finish that thought – has had a bad rap thanks to spring breaks in Cancun plastered on poorly-directed MTV docs and tequila imbibers' wanderlust for rearing up their haunches.
I like to fancy myself as a seasoned student of libations, learned the rough way: years of samplings and binge outings and irking my liver evermore with each night out. Though until, say, nine months ago, I still saw tequila as that 'bad decision' I need not order. When I finally gave way to open-mindedly sipping the agave-based bevvy at a trade show last summer, I was thrust into a world of sugary notes and peppery aftertastes. There's more to this here tequila than meets the, shall we say, club floor...
So how do you identify the nuances and intricacies that go into a successful tequila? What separates the glorious nectar from the innocuous swill? And what are the best practices when sipping back?
To start, it boils down to composition. “100 per cent pure agave tequila can be enjoyed like a fine scotch or cognac,” says tequila mogul-in-the-making Eric Brass, co-founder of Tequila Tromba. Many of the lower-end offerings have added sugars or distillates that are part and parcel with the what-just-happened mornings after typically associated with this Mexican export.
The soil where the tequila's agave plant is grown plays a part, too. Highland tequilas are sweeter, softer and more citrusy than those from the 'valley', and have a lower boiling point when it comes to production, ensuring that more of the agave plant's sweet notes are maintained.
Eric suggests finding “smaller boutique producers. The higher scale of production means quality might be compromised. If you're sending out a million litres per year, you can't ensure you have the most mature agave. Big brands will cook agave faster at higher temperatures, but making tequila is like baking something in the oven: slow and steady means tastes and flavours are maintained.”
To find the right tequila for your palate, go to the experts. Bartenders and mixologists at places like Reposado and Playa Cabana – “absolutely fantastic,” says Eric – are in the know of the makes, tastes, and quality of tequila because they're the ones who pour the liquid love on a daily basis.
As for how to truly appreciate, not decimate, the tequila drinking experience, the type of glass has a massive influence on flavour. Some tequilas work best in snifters, others perform with grace in caballitos. Take in the aroma of the tequila with just a bit of your nose in the glass and tilt it towards you. This allows you to pick up the different scents like herbs, pineapples, maybe vanilla or chocolate notes. Swirl the tequila, look at the legs for viscosity. Then, the hard part: actually tasting it. Sip, let it move around your mouth, and keep on your tongue for about five seconds. Practice makes perfect, so...
Toronto's cocktail culture is evolving, and drinks like the traditional Paloma are starting to pop up on well-thought lists. As Eric notes, “Bartenders are now pushing tequila not just for shooters and margaritas, but towards sophisticated cocktails.” Give tequila the respect it deserves, and in return it will give you 100 per cent pure agave clarity.
Image by Canon Fatboy
