August 1, 2006

On High End Tequilas

We just found musings on some higher-end tequilas we thought you'd be interested in. This guy's all about Sauza Hornitos and Don Eduardo Reposado (check out our review of Don Eduardo Silver) but he also offers some interesting notes about the creation process, the reason why "tequila cruda" isn't the way to go, and why you shouldn't use your expensive tequila with a pre-made margarita mix.

My staple tequila is Sauza Hornitos (about $30 for a 750-milliliter bottle). It smells like a bouquet of spring flowers sprinkled with pepper, and it's easy on the tongue. But it's potent enough to punch through the sugar and citrus in a margarita. (You don't want to waste this tequila on a prefab mix; instead, mix the juice of 3 lemons and 3 limes, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 cup of Triple Sec, 1 cup of tequila and 2 cups crushed ice. Shake or blend and serve. Makes 4 drinks.)

At more than $50 a bottle, Don Eduardo Reposado isn't likely to find its way into a margarita (not at my house, anyway), but as a sipping tequila, it's a marvel, with an aroma as full of nuance as a single-barrel bourbon, and multiple layers of sweet, hot, sour flavors that call out for slow, meditative drinking.

While the prices may make you wince, these are tequilas that can be sipped solo with a smile, or turned into exquisite mixed drinks.

via Louisville Courier-Journal