Tequila
Spirits · usually a base spirit · in 7 cocktails here
What it is
Agave spirit from designated regions of Mexico. Blanco is unaged and peppery; look for "100% agave" on the label.
Typically about £24 a bottle in the UK.
What it tastes like
Cooked agave — vegetal and slightly sweet — with white pepper, damp earth and citrus. Blanco is the sharpest and most peppery expression.
What it does in a drink
Base spirit. Assertive enough to stand up to lime and orange liqueur rather than be buried by them.
Cocktails with tequila
Unlocks 7 recipes on Drinki.
Best known
- Margarita IBA Salt on half the rim, so you get a choice with every sip.
- Tequila Sunrise IBA Pour the grenadine last and do not stir. That is the sunrise.
- Tommy’s Margarita IBA Agave instead of orange liqueur — cleaner, and the tequila actually speaks.
- Paloma IBA What Mexico actually drinks while tourists queue for margaritas.
- Long Island Iced Tea IBA Five spirits and no tea. Proceed with respect.
- El Diablo Tequila and cassis is a stranger pairing than it has any right to be.
- Oaxaca Old Fashioned Smoke and agave. Flame the orange peel if you want the full show.
What it pairs with
The ingredients that turn up alongside tequila far more often than chance would predict.
Substitutes
Nothing substitutes for tequila convincingly.
It can itself stand in for mezcal.