The nights are drawing in (boo), so why not bring in the heat with some of Mexico’s finest elixirs?
Here are five fabulous tequilas for your Autumn sipping.
1) El Sueño Watermelon Tequila – EDITOR’S PICK
Watermelon sugar high. We love this hot pink tequila liqueur more than we love Harry Styles! Notes of pure fresh watermelon hit you from a distance and you simply need to mix with fresh lime (and a little sugar syrup if you like it sweet) and shake over ice for an irresistible margarita with a punch. El Sueño Watermelon Tequila Liqueur is made using real watermelon and sweetened with natural unrefined Mexican sugar, Piloncillo, resulting in a liqueur that tastes amazingly natural while not being too sickly sweet. It’s made with high quality, fully matured lowland and highland Weber Blue agave, grown by the distillery and two trusted partner farms in Jalisco. Bring this out at your next Mexican do and things are bound to get a little fruity!
2) Tapatio Blanco
This 100% agave tequila hails from the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico. Tapatio is a third-generation, family-owned brand created in 1937 by Don Felipe Camarena. Tapito Blanco has a fresh and pure minerally taste with a hint of green pepper, spices, apple. The agave is home grown in the Arandas highlands, and slowly cooked in traditional ‘hornos’, crushed by a Tahona wheel and then put through a long, natural fermentation process and double distilled. It’s then rested for two months before bottling! Good things come to those who wait though, this is a lovely refined tequila, clean enough to enjoy neat or to work into classic cocktails.
3) Mijenta Tequila
Here’s another sustainable and artisanal tequila. A dedicated team of jimadores select Mijenta’s agave from mixed fields where there are no pesticides and many other crops growing which they believe helps to create the tequila’s very unique taste. It’s full of fruity aromas and vanilla to taste and you get a strong caramel scent on the nose. Mijenta (pronounced Mee-hen-ta) means ‘My People’ which mirrors their ethos in supporting the local community and acting sustainably. We loved the look of this bottle’s label and packaging depicting the Jalisco mountains and agave plans below. Even the label and box are created from agave waste to further minimise impact on the environment.
4. Padre Azul Tequila
Going to a Day Of The Dead party? Choose this tequila for its bottle alone. Presented in leather cover, cast iron and aluminium and topped with a skull in homage to the Dia de los Muertos, Padre Azul has picked up a numer of World Spirts Awards for its three strong range – Biano, Reposado and Anejo. They’re made with 100 % blue agave from Jalisco lowlands, not far from the town of Tequila, Jalisco. The agave is given a minimum of 8 years to mature before being harvested.
5. Vivir Anejo
If you’ve read this far, by now you’ll know that Blue Weber and Jalisco mountains are the buzzwords for proper premium tequila. VIVIR founded by Navindh Grewal and Paul Hayes is made with 100% Weber Blue Agave and natural volcanic spring water, created in the award-winning family-owned Casa Maestri distillery, found in the heart of Jalisco.
They grow their own agave and are commended for their sustainable and traditional farming practises. We taste tested the VIVIR Anejo and this is an absolutely standout tequila. It’s lovely and dark in hue and smoky and sweet. Delicious sipped neat and if you’re the type of guy or gal who likes a shot, try it with a slice of orange and dash of Tabasco instead of the traditional salt and lime. Both their Anejo and Reposado are matured for 18 months in oak bourbon casks, adding to the tequilas flavour.
They then cook their agave for 3-4 days in a ‘Hornos’, a traditional Mexican clay oven, which gives the brand its strong and smoky unique flavour. VIVIR Tequila Añejo has a 2-star Great Taste award and we can totally see why! If you’re in the spirits section wondering which tequila to bring to a dinner party – we vote VIVIR!
[Items in this article may have been gifted to Chatting Food. No financial payment has been made to feature in this article, and entries to the feature are made independently by members of the Editorial Team. This page contains affiliate links and we may receive a small commission for purchases]
Chatting Food Contributor Jo Aspin
Half American / half (born and bred) Londoner, Jo Aspin is a food writer and established freelance food, drink and lifestyle PR. She’ll be reporting on all the latest restaurant openings and news from the capital. When she’s not eating her way around London, she’s planning her next trip abroad.
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