Tequila 101
TEQUILA FROM SHOTS TO SIPS
In agave plantations all across Mexico, jimadores are tending to their agave plants, nurturing the prized piña, which provides the essential carbohydrates needed to produce the alluring elixir we know as tequila.
J ust like in the production of wine or whisky, there are many decisions along the way that impact the resulting quality of the product. Soil, climate, harvest methods and distilling and aging processes will all in- fluence the final flavour profile of your tequila. Gone are the days of con- sidering tequila’s place only as a vehicle for a lick of salt, a slurp of lime wedge and a swift tilt into your mouth. Nor are they merely just meant to be blended with ice inside a salted rimmed margarita glass. Infused with hints of vanil- la, candied orange peel and American oak with light notes of cinnamon are common descrip-
tors of the tequila. It’s tequila’s time to shine. Fine tequila has found another place that fits it well — inside your Glencairn. Don’t believe us? Try an experiment with your good friends who know their whisky. Bring a delicious añjeo or reposado, pour it in a Glencairn or other whisky-friendly glasses and ask them to taste it neat. (Hiding the bottle, of course.) As they smell the aromas that added aging and varied barrel choices provide, watch quizzical
brows furrow. “Is this a whis- ky?” You respond with, “What notes do you get?” As typical notes of cinnamon, oak and vanilla or others emerge, note their reaction when you tell them “It’s a tequila!” Naturally, most will recog- nize that it’s not a whisky, but the point is to prove that tequila, like its whisky cous- ins, has earned its place in a Glencairn too.
SAVOUR MANITOBA | WINTER 23 67 SAVOUR MANITOBA | WINTER 23
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