A Little Tequila Etiquette, Factoids and Recommendations

From the land of the Mrs.....................

If it comes with a worm, it ain't tequila, that's mezcal, you knew that.

Drinking tequila with salt and a lime means you are more than likely drinking tequila that is not very good, and if you are drinking fine tequila with salt and a lime...........well, that's sort of like showing up to play golf at a fine country club with parachute pants on............dork city.

If you're drinking margarita's with a tequila that costs over $25-30 a bottle, you're wasting your dough. Stick with the clear (white tequila) and stay from the Gold tequila, it's gold because of caramel coloring.

A change of pace tequila drink - try your tequila with Squirt, it's refreshing, the folks down in Tequila, Jalisco drink 'em that way at carne asada's and get togethers. Another way is to add mineral water and a little sugar and a lime with the Squirt and tequila.

Tequila should be served in a special glass, called a Caballito (cah bah YEE toe) -- "Little horse" -- or tequillita (tay key YEE tah) which is slightly smaller in diameter than a shot glass and about two and a half times as tall. It will hold just about two shots of tequila.

Show your tequila nads and order a Batanga, this is what the locals drink in Tequila and my favorite watering hole in the world "La Capilla" (Little Chapel). In a tall glass fill up about 2/3 the way with large ice cubes, then a little over halfway with blanco (white) tequila then finish it off with mineral water and coca-cola and a lime.

Tequila factoids:

Herradura in Herradura tequila means "horseshoe". As you are driving NW out of Guadalajara toward Tequila about 30+ miles or so you will come to a hairpin curve that resembles the exact shape of a horseshoe, and is the location of the Herradura facility, hence the name of the super fine tequila. BTW, Herradura was recently sold to Brown-Forman, a large marketer and producer of fine goods, for a cool $776 million.

The town of Tequila sits at the base of an extinct volcano and the 2nd highest mountain in Jalisco and home to 17 manufacturing tequila facilities.

The part of the blue agave plant that produces the end result tequila is called a "piña" which resembles a pineapple is underground and typically weigh 60-90 pounds.

There may not be a finer aroma (except maybe a grilled steak) than the scent of the cooked piña that flows through the town of Tequila. It is a sweet, honey like aroma that you will find no where else in the world.

Jimadores are the men that tend to the blue agave plant who shear off the sharp "leaves" to get to the piña.

Jose Cuervo translated is Joe Crow.

Sammy Hagar's tequila Cabo Wabo is the real deal.

Just as true champagne can only be made in Champagne, France, true tequila can only be produced in the Tequila region of Mexico and must meet stringent government regulations. It is made in two general categories:

• Tequila 100 percent Agave: Must be made only with the juice of the blue agave plant and must be bottled at the distillery in Mexico. It may be Blanco, Reposado, or Añejo.

• Tequila: Must be made with at least 51 percent blue agave juices. It may be exported in bulk to be bottled in other countries following the NOM standard. It may be Blanco, Gold, Reposado, or Añejo.

NOM, the official Mexican product safety requirements, defines three types of tequila, blanco, reposado and añejo.

Recommended tequila's:

Blanco (Blanco tequila is not aged, and is clear and transparent and must be bottled immediately after distillation. It is the base for all the other types of tequilas. It has the true bouquet and flavor of the blue agave and is typically strong in alcohol content.):

Hacienda de Cristero
Patron
El Platino
Frida Kahlo
El Tesoro de Don Felipe
Cabo Wabo
Don Julio
Las Trancas
Chinaco

Reposado (sometimes called "rested": Blanco that is aged in white oak barrels or casks for more than two months and up to one year. A more mellow taste with a pale color.):

Chinaco (even though it is from Tamaulipus and not Tequila, Jalisco!)
Lapiz
Herradura Antiguo
Don Julio
La Rosa Reposado
Casa Noble
Hornito's (best bang for your buck)
Cuervo Tradicional
El Tequileño Especial

Añejo (sometimes called "aged": Blanco that is aged in white oak barrels or casks for more than one year, with each barrel capacity less than 159 gallons. The oxidation through the wood barrels gives it a unique bouquet and taste producing an amber color and more woody flavor.):

Herradura Selección Suprema
Oro Azul Artesanal
Don Julio
Frida Kahlo
Corazon
Chinaco