Sip, don't shoot
The idea of tequila shots used to intimidate me. Then, at a nightclub many years back, I downed six. Still standing, I realised tequila is a misunderstood drink. It's smoother than rum, more flavourful than vodka and definitely more potent than any other spirit.
This was confirmed at a recent mixology session in Mumbai, where New-York based bartender David Dennis made cocktails with a Cuervo tequila base. "Unlike vodka, which has no flavour of its own, I can choose how I want to manipulate the flavour of tequila when making a drink," he says. "While vodka just makes a mocktail a cocktail, tequila-based cocktails have some character."
Incidentally, the spirit can only be called tequila if it comes from blue agaves grown in Tequila, Mexico. Much like champagne is the sparkling wine that comes from the Champagne region in France. The town Tequila, in turn, gets its name from a volcano, which erupted centuries ago, leaving the region mineral-rich and ideal for agave production.
In Mexico, tequila is usually had chilled. It is served in a shot glass, but 'em Mexicans, they don't shoot the drink, they sip it. Most people drink silver tequila or 'plata' — aged for a maximum of two months. "It's so popular that in a lot of pubs in the US, 'silver and sprite' is almost taking over the 'Jack [Daniels] and coke' market," says Dennis.
The more celebratory spirit is 'anejo' or gold tequila, aged between one and three years in oak barrels. But for cocktails, silver is the preferred type since its flavours are lighter than the mature gold.
Technically, rum is the closest spirit to tequila. "But even rum doesn't have the span of flavours that tequila offers," says Dennis. "Tequila has the flavour profile of whisky – it can be smoky, or tangy or refreshing, depending on how it is matured."
After the Tequila Regulatory Council of Mexico allowed flavoured tequilas to carry the name 'tequila' on their labels in 2004, Tequila barons are now experimenting with the ageing process. So hibiscus — or chocolate — or even jalapeno-flavoured tequilas are gaining popularity the world over. Some manufacturers are even ageing tequila in bourbon barrels, lending the spirit a distinct bourbon flavour.
So next time you decide to 'do tequila', don't shoot it, sip it — enjoy the flavours for as long as you can. But even sipped, tequila can be potent. As American actor Lee Marvin once said: "Tequila. Straight. There's a real polite drink. You keep drinking until you finally take one more and it just won't go down. Then you know you've reached your limit."
The idea of tequila shots used to intimidate me. Then, at a nightclub many years back, I downed six. Still standing, I realised tequila is a misunderstood drink. It's smoother than rum, more flavourful than vodka and definitely more potent than any other spirit.
This was confirmed at a recent mixology session in Mumbai, where New-York based bartender David Dennis made cocktails with a Cuervo tequila base. "Unlike vodka, which has no flavour of its own, I can choose how I want to manipulate the flavour of tequila when making a drink," he says. "While vodka just makes a mocktail a cocktail, tequila-based cocktails have some character."
Incidentally, the spirit can only be called tequila if it comes from blue agaves grown in Tequila, Mexico. Much like champagne is the sparkling wine that comes from the Champagne region in France. The town Tequila, in turn, gets its name from a volcano, which erupted centuries ago, leaving the region mineral-rich and ideal for agave production.
In Mexico, tequila is usually had chilled. It is served in a shot glass, but 'em Mexicans, they don't shoot the drink, they sip it. Most people drink silver tequila or 'plata' — aged for a maximum of two months. "It's so popular that in a lot of pubs in the US, 'silver and sprite' is almost taking over the 'Jack [Daniels] and coke' market," says Dennis.
The more celebratory spirit is 'anejo' or gold tequila, aged between one and three years in oak barrels. But for cocktails, silver is the preferred type since its flavours are lighter than the mature gold.
Technically, rum is the closest spirit to tequila. "But even rum doesn't have the span of flavours that tequila offers," says Dennis. "Tequila has the flavour profile of whisky – it can be smoky, or tangy or refreshing, depending on how it is matured."
After the Tequila Regulatory Council of Mexico allowed flavoured tequilas to carry the name 'tequila' on their labels in 2004, Tequila barons are now experimenting with the ageing process. So hibiscus — or chocolate — or even jalapeno-flavoured tequilas are gaining popularity the world over. Some manufacturers are even ageing tequila in bourbon barrels, lending the spirit a distinct bourbon flavour.
So next time you decide to 'do tequila', don't shoot it, sip it — enjoy the flavours for as long as you can. But even sipped, tequila can be potent. As American actor Lee Marvin once said: "Tequila. Straight. There's a real polite drink. You keep drinking until you finally take one more and it just won't go down. Then you know you've reached your limit."
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