Tequila

< CHRIS ANDERSON, FREE | Main | LOST + FOUND: RUSH LIMBAUGH'S RENTAL-CAR FLOOR MAT >

THE BEST WAY TO DRINK TEQUILA—HANGOVER NOT INCLUDED

To really savor the late summer, you need a plan of action, but it doesn't have to be more complicated than "drink tequila." More than any other booze, tequila encapsulates the hot, hedonistic essence of the season. And should you still fear that epic morning after, it's time to reconsider the liquor: The truly good stuff is more plentiful than ever and goes down a lot easier than you might remember—even if your preferred mode of consumption remains a shot glass.
By Rob Wiley; Photographs by Juliana Sohn

THE TEQUILAS

If the label doesn't say 100% de agave, keep moving—it's the one sure way to avoid the swill you learned to hate back in Cabo.

El Tesoro Añejo ($50)
The AñEJO tag means a tequila has been aged no less than one year and no more than three, and it's tough to find one that isn't smooth. El Tesoro pulls off a coup, balancing silkiness with enough heat and spice to remind you that it is a tequila meant for drinking, not fetishizing.

Siete Leguas Blanco ($34)
The aged version might seem like the choice for sipping, but to really know what tequila tastes like, start with blanco. Also known as silver, it's the purest expression of the spirit, earthy and crisp. Should you happen upon a bottle from this distillery, one of Mexicos oldest, buy it.

El Jimador Reposado ($18)
As a rule, tequila cocktails call for blanco or reposado (one notch up the aging scale). The latter is rested in oak from 2 to 11 months—long enough to soften the bite but not so long that it tastes wooden. For the price, it's tough to beat El Jimador (from the makers of Herradura).

Sombra Mezcal ($47)
Underneath its tough rep, mezcal, tequila's cousin, has a sensitive side. Its distinguishing feature is that the agave is baked over mesquite and distilled over a wood fire, resulting in a unique smoky flavor (softened, in the case of Sombra, by a fruity sweetness and piercing citrus tang).

THE COCKTAILS

THE ESSENTIAL: Paloma
While there's no denying the appeal of a fine margarita, there's a lot to be said for diversity. This bracingly pungent grapefruit-tinged concoction is a breeze to assemble—good news, considering you'll be ready for another one in less time than it takes a bathing suit to dry.

1 lime, halved; pinch of salt; 2 oz blanco or reposado; tequila, such as Herradura or El Jimador; chilled grapefruit soda, such as Squirt or Jarritos

Fill a tall glass with ice, squeeze and drop in the lime halves, add the salt and tequila, and top with the soda to taste.

THE UPGRADE: Nuestra Paloma
Created by the ace bartenders at Beretta in San Francisco, this is not so much a riff on the basic Paloma as a full makeover: an elegant elderflower-laced cocktail in the guise of a laid-back summer cooler.

2 oz blanco tequila, such as Patrón Silver or Siete Leguas; ¾ oz Cointreau; ¾ oz St. Germain; ½ oz fresh grapefruit juice; 1 oz fresh lime juice; 3 dashes Angostura bitters; 1 large strip of grapefruit zest

Combine all the ingredients except the grapefruit zest in a cocktail shaker, fill with ice, shake, and strain into a highball glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with the zest.

THE CROWD-PLEASER: La Vida Rosa
A cocktail made with rosé is a rare thing, but one that also successfully incorporates tequila is too uncommon to be missed. For this inspired charmer from Mayahuel in New York, be sure to start the infusion a few days ahead, and let the strawberries be your timer: When they turn white, it's ready.

1 (750 ml) bottle blanco tequila, such as El Jimador; 5 cups strawberries, hulled and cut into thirds; 12 oz chilled dry rosé; 8 oz St. Germain; 8 oz chilled club soda; sliced strawberries for garnish

Pour the tequila over the strawberry thirds, cover, and infuse at room temperature for three to four days, then strain and store the tequila in the refrigerator. One hour before serving, combine a cup of the infused tequila, the rosé, and the St. Germain in a pitcher and refrigerate. To finish, top with the club soda and divide among eight small wineglasses, garnishing each with a few slices of fresh strawberry.

THE CURVEBALL: A Beer and a Smoke
The singular kick of mezcal can raise all kinds of hell in a cocktail shaker. Fortunately, Jim Meehan of New York's PDT has managed to harness that swagger into a brooding, weirdly refreshing spin on the Michelada.

Lime wedge; celery salt; freshly ground black pepper; 1 oz mezcal; ¾ oz fresh lime juice; 4 dashes Cholula hot sauce; pinch of kosher salt; 1 bottle chilled Mexican lager,such as Pacifico, Modelo, or Dos Equis; pinch of grated lime zest; pinch of grated orange zest

Moisten the outer rim of a tall glass with the lime wedge, then coat lightly with celery salt and pepper. Add the mezcal, the lime juice, the hot sauce, the kosher salt, the lager, and a pinch of celery salt, then garnish with the citrus zest.

THE BAR: Mayahuel



Philip Ward may have spent the past several years mixing Sazeracs and Aviations at Manhattan cocktail temples such as Flatiron Lounge, Pegu Club, and Death & Co., but he didn't open Mayahuel, his new tequila and mezcal bar, just to shake and stir the same old stuff. At this moody cantina in the East Village, he's created a drink list that defies categorization and expectations: A concoction called Lipspin somehow pulls off an international mash-up of blanco tequila, sloe gin from England, and an Italian artichoke bitter; and the mezcal-and-cayenne-accented Watermelon Sugar delivers a biting surprise for anyone who thinks it's going to be the sorority-girl drink its name suggests. (304 E. 6th St., New York, 212-253-5888; mayahuelny.com)

THE NEW BAR STAPLE: Bittermen's Xovolatl Molé Coctail Bitter



Avery and Janet Glasser were barflies in San Francisco when they started tinkering with chocolate-and-spice-infused bitters back in early 2007. High-end establishments added this twist on the Mexican cooking sauce to their arsenals early, and now, as it arrives on retail shelves, we amateurs are getting the chance. Try a few dashes in a Gibson variation with two parts blanco tequila (like Patrón Silver or El Tesoro Blanco), one part bianco vermouth, and a pickled onion. ($13, bittermens.com)


READ MORE:
Is bacon god?
The sandwich you should be eating right now
The best dive bars in America

July 08, 2009

Drinks, Food and Drink | Permalink |
Email this post | Reddit It | Digg This | Add to del.icio.us | Share on Facebook