Spirit Mastery
Tequila: Blanco to Añejo Decoded
Tequila's legal framework is one of the most detailed in spirits — from its geographic restrictions to its agave variety requirements. Learn to read labels, identify quality, and build the essential cocktails around Mexico's national spirit.
More Than a Party Spirit
Tequila has been fighting for respect in the cocktail world for decades, hampered by decades of cheap mixto products (minimum 51% agave, balance from cane sugar), salt-and-lime shooter culture, and the hangover reputation of college-bar well tequila. The 100% agave revolution — now the dominant narrative in premium tequila — has revealed a spirit of genuine agricultural complexity, regional character, and aging potential that rivals the great whiskies.
Understanding tequila means understanding agave, and understanding agave means understanding terroir in a way that no other spirit requires quite so directly.
Blue Agave and Terroir
Tequila must be made from Blue Weber agave (Agave tequilana Weber, azul variety). Unlike sugarcane or grain, agave is a slow-growing succulent that takes 7-10 years to reach maturity — longer in highland regions. During those years, the plant absorbs the character of its soil, climate, and altitude. This creates genuine terroir differences.
The Highlands vs. the Lowlands
Los Altos (Highlands): Above 1,500 meters in Jalisco, typically around Arandas and Atotonilco. The red volcanic clay soil, cool nights, and sunny days produce agave with higher sugar content and, often, more floral, fruity tequila. Brands like El Tesoro, Siete Leguas, and Casa Noble source highland agave.
El Valle (Lowlands): The valley around Tequila town (yes, there's a town called Tequila). Volcanic soils, hotter climate. Typically produces more herbal, earthy, mineral expressions. Cuervo, Sauza, and Olmeca operate here.
Some premium producers blend highland and lowland agave to achieve complexity from both profiles.
The Piña: Harvesting
The agave heart — called the piña (it resembles a giant pineapple) — is harvested by jimadores, skilled workers using a tool called a coa. A mature piña weighs 40-90 kg. Once harvested, agave cannot be replaced quickly; the plant dies at harvest, making over-harvesting a genuine ecological concern.
NOM: The Distillery Code
Every legitimate tequila bottle carries a NOM (Norma Oficial Mexicana) number identifying the distillery. The Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT) assigns these numbers. This matters because hundreds of brand names might share a single NOM — multiple "different" tequilas are made in the same facility.
NOM lookup tools (tequilamatchmaker.com) let you identify the actual distillery behind any labeled brand. This isn't a criticism — contract distillation is common across spirits — but knowing the source helps you understand why two seemingly different brands might taste identical, or why a bargain-priced tequila and an expensive one with the same NOM are worth comparing.
Age Statements Decoded
Blanco (Silver/Plata)
Unaged or aged fewer than 60 days. The purest expression of the agave itself — no wood influence. The best blancos show the piña's cooked sweetness (from the slow roasting/steaming process), mineral character, citrus, and pepper. Fortaleza, G4, Tequila Ocho Plata, and Siete Leguas represent the category at its finest.
Blancos are essential for Margarita and Paloma — the agave character needs to cut through citrus and sugar without being smoothed out by oak.
Reposado ("Rested")
2-12 months in oak. The category's sweet spot for many cocktail applications — the agave character remains dominant but gains vanilla, caramel, and slight spice from wood contact. Herradura Reposado and El Tesoro Reposado are benchmarks.
Añejo ("Aged")
1-3 years in oak. The agave begins to recede as wood takes more influence. Añejos shine for sipping and for cocktails where whisky-adjacent complexity is desired. Don Julio 1942 (2.5 years) and Patrón Añejo are high-profile examples.
Extra Añejo
Minimum 3 years. Heavy wood influence — some extra añejos taste closer to brandy or bourbon than to fresh agave. Excellent for neat sipping; their subtlety is lost in cocktails.
Cristalino
A recent trend: filtered añejo or extra añejo to remove color while retaining (some) wood flavor. Critics argue filtration also removes much of the complexity that justifies aging; proponents appreciate the visual clarity with oak influence. Try them before committing to a strong opinion.
Essential Cocktails
Margarita: Tequila, fresh lime juice, triple sec. The world's most popular cocktail. Use blanco tequila for the classic; reposado for a rounder version. Shake (Shaking) with ice, strain over fresh ice or serve up. Salt the rim by moistening with lime and rolling in coarse salt — salt is an Acidity contrast, not a flavor.
Paloma: Tequila, grapefruit soda (Jarritos Toronja or Fever-Tree Pink Grapefruit), lime juice, pinch of salt. Mexico's most popular tequila cocktail internally — bigger there than the margarita. Simpler and more refreshing than it sounds.
Tequila Sunrise: Tequila, orange juice, grenadine (for the gradient effect — Layering the grenadine over the back of a spoon to create the sunrise). A 1970s classic that deserves better ingredients than it usually receives.
Tequila Old Fashioned: Reposado or añejo tequila with agave syrup and mole bitters (or Angostura if unavailable). Stir over ice (Stirring), serve over large clear ice. Demonstrates tequila's sipping potential beautifully.
Buying Guide
Essential blanco: G4 Blanco or Tequila Ocho Plata — both single-estate expressions showing terroir clearly. Fortaleza Blanco for slightly higher spend.
Reposado for cocktails: Herradura Reposado or El Tesoro Reposado. Both available, honest representations of the style.
For sipping: Don Julio 1942 (añejo, celebrity pricing), or the better-value alternative: Siete Leguas Añejo.
Avoid: Any bottle labeled "mixto" (though this rarely appears on premium bottles) or "gold tequila" (typically caramel-colored mixto). If the bottle doesn't say "100% agave" or "100% Blue Agave," it's a mixto.
The tequila journey rewards patience and attention. Tasting the difference between a highland and lowland blanco, side by side, is one of the most vivid demonstrations of terroir in any spirit category.