Tequila is not something I am crazy about but the market has really exploded.

I walked into our local “superstore” liquor/wine place (in NJ just over the bridge) recently, and their tequila/mezcal section, once the size of a modest bookcase, now takes up half of a long supermarket aisle. Some of it is big producers, some are just fancy-looking bottles, but more interesting are the growing number of small artisan makers. People going back to small-batch, old-fashioned methods and trying to aim for best quality and local terroir.

I was also intrigued by this article on blanco tequilas in The Wirecutter (NY Times feature) that captivatingly described some new offerings. I am skeptical of a lot of reviews, but this woman seems to really know her stuff and goes into some depth.

So I bought one of those recommended and it’s really good. I can taste the difference. And it doesn’t mess up my head, as some do. I’m intrigued.

I started learning about tequila/mezcal a few years ago in Santa Fe. Many places there hold tastings of the artisanal makers. Quite fun.

Doesn’t mess up your head? Isn’t that the point of it?

quote:

Originally posted by Jack Frost:
Doesn’t mess up your head? Isn’t that the point of it?

He's just not drinking enough of it.

I got really sick on tequila in high school and never drank it again.

Maybe I should try it.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Miller:
I got really sick on tequila in high school and never drank it again.

Maybe I should try it.

There’s your problem. What was available back then was Jose Cuervo, which was (probably still is) a blend of agave and who-knows-what. You have to get pure 100% agave. Just as a starting point.

Jose Cuervo launched a thousand illnesses.

(Of course, one has to monitor consumption too.)

Is (was) Cuervo the crap with the worm?

quote:

Originally posted by Piano*Dad:
Is (was) Cuervo the crap with the worm?

No, that’s mezcal. And like Cuervo, there was only one brand available for decades…the one with the worm.

(The worm…caterpillar…is not a required ingredient.)