Five of our favourite Tequila brands to celebrate National Tequila Day
Tequila has seen a resurgence over the last decade. No longer delegated as the spirit most consumed by frat boys and shot takers, there is a whole new demographic of sophisticated spirit drinkers that are coveting some pretty incredible tequila.
July 24 is National Tequila Day, and we thought it was only appropriate to celebrate some of our favourite tequila brands. One of the benefits of tequila at the moment, is the price point is still relatively low compared to other spirits like whisky or bourbon. You can get some incredibly well made tequila at a much, much lower entry point than the aforementioned spirits.
Here are a few brands we’ve loved over the last few years, and consistently find ourselves coming back to when we need to make a great Margarita or simply have a delicate tequila on the rocks.
Casamigos
Let’s talk about celebrity endorsed alcohol for a sec. At best it’s adequate, at worst it’s barely palatable (looking at you Virginia Black). But every once and a while you get a celebrity who actually cares about the brand, and the result can be pretty impressive. That’s George Clooney and Casamigos, a tequila you can tell he damn well cared how it tasted. There’s a reason Diageo bought the brand in 2017 for a whopping $1B dollars…
Herradura
A lot of good things can be said about Herradura, from the luxury train ride to the exceptionally smooth Selección Suprema. Whether you’re aiming for something at the entry level, or looking to splurge, Herradura has a strong lineup at a reasonable price point.
Vikera
Owned and operated entirely by women, Vikera proves that making great alcohol isn’t solely a boys club. Not only is it a great tequila, but each bottle of Vikera Tequila sold provides education, empowerment and career opportunities for women and other marginalized groups in the wine and spirits industry.
El Tesoro
El Tesoro is a tequila that has family roots. The La Alteña distillery was created in 1937 by Don Felipe Camarena. He saw the potential to make a great tequila in the mineral-rich highlands of Jalisco. Today, his grandson Carlos Camarena continues the tradition as the master distiller. Carlos still honours the traditional way Don Felipe made tequila over 80 years ago. The years of mastery have led to multiple award wins for all levels of their tequila production.
Espolon
Tequila is generally aged in used French or American oak bourbon barrels. Espolòn, however, ages only in “virgin” American oak barrels featuring a lighter char to impart more subtle caramel and vanilla notes and ensure no additional influences. Their barrels are also smaller than the industry standard 500-liter barrels, giving the liquid more contact with the wood for additional complexity.