Premium brands aim to change perceptions

Love it or hate it, tequila conjures up strong feelings in many drinkers.

“Forgive us for the old memories of bad quality tequila!” jokes Antonio Rodriguez, director of production at Patrón Tequila. “We cannot hide that we come from a history when usually tequilas were not as premium as they are right now.”

Deano Moncrieffe, founder of the London tequila and mezcal bar Hacha, laments, “People always blame tequila for a bad hangover when really the fact is that they probably started the night drinking wine and then beer and then champagne and then at some point, maybe 2 or 3 in the morning, someone said, let’s have tequila!”

And Steffin Oghene, vice president of global marketing and sales for El Tequileño Tequila, agrees tequila used to be seen as “the party, smash-it-down, get-wasted kind of spirit.”

But, he says, “Over the past 10 years, there’s been a lot of effort put into educating people and making them understand that tequila isn’t just the spirit to shoot. It’s a really complex spirit” that takes time and expertise to produce.

These re-education efforts appear to be working. Tequila is one of the fastest-growing alcoholic drinks in the U.S., with consumption up by 40% over the past five years, according to International Wine and Spirits Research (IWSR).

Hamish Smith, editor of the bartending magazine Class and bars editor of Drinks International, says there’s growing understanding of tequila’s different qualities, with “100% agave” now the star performer, in the way single malt is for Scotch.

“This awareness is set against the craft spirits movement, the appreciation of provenance, celebrity endorsement and a cocktail industry that has been showcasing quality tequila for years,” Smith says. “It’s not quite a perfect storm, but it’s carrying the category forward to year-on-year international growth.”

Despite its old reputation, experts say tequila is not in fact a great choice for people looking to get drunk. While many spirits contain glucose, which causes a rapid increase in blood sugar followed by a crash, adding to a hangover, tequila contains fructose from the agave plant, which they say is broken down more slowly.

For a premium tequila, don’t use a shot glass, says Nitzan Podoswa, founder of Satryna Tequila.

“Your nose is too close to the liquid so you cannot really smell the notes right. It just makes it easier to drink. But if you are having a very nice tequila, you need to have a flute cup,” she says.

And rather than down it in one, swish the liquid around the mouth to taste, she suggests.

There are three types of tequila, based on the time spent in oak barrels before bottling. Blanco is aged 0-2 months, reposado 2-11 months, añejo 1-3 years and extra añejo 3-plus years.