When it comes to alcoholic beverages, there are few I don’t support.
Wine and beer are nectar of the gods and thus need no introduction. After a meal, nothing beats a whisky or brandy and a chit-chat. Gin will always be refreshing, and the quinine in tonic helps combat malaria (follow advice at your own risk, I’m not a doctor). I’ll have Guinness any day of the week, and yes, it always tastes better in Dublin. Give me an ice bar and an oversized mink coat and I’ll drink vodka till the sun comes up. Aperol for aperitivo. Rose on a beach or during après. Never say no to sparkling wine, but always be snobby about how it’s made (Method traditional or bust).
However, if there’s one liquid that defeats me, it’s tequila. Maybe I’m a wimp, incapable of stomaching the Mexican agave juice. Getting knocked for six by a bottle of blanco. Or perhaps a few rogue university eves overindulging on atrocious liquid, masquerading as Mexico’s spirit of choice, has caused irreparable damage to my otherwise highly refined palate. The jury’s out.
And yet, all hope is not lost. Because if there’s one thing that could convince me to roll the dice once more and give tequila another try, it’s celebrating an underdog victory against France.
Cinco de Mayo is an annual celebration held on, you guessed it, the 5th of May, to celebrate Mexico’s absolute thriller of a victory against the Second French Empire back in 1862. “But Mexico would go on to be defeated by France a year later,” I hear you cry, “Cinco de Mayo is barely observed in Mexico, today it’s more of an American celebration of Mexican culture,” and to that I say, never let facts get in the way of an opportunity to drink cocktails. And so, bring forth the tequila.
A few days ago, Luxco unveiled Escasa Tequila, its new ultra-premium serve from fourth-generation master distiller Graciela ‘Grace’ Gonzalez. Each year, Gonzalez will select a single estate for the exclusive harvest. 100% Blue Weber agave gets cooked for over 24 hours with added begazo fibers for extra complexity during fermentation. The liquid is then triple-distilled, increasing both purity and smoothness.
Currently, only the blanco (unaged) is available, however, the reposado (aged) iteration will be arriving this summer, having spent time in Albariño barrels from Spain’s Rías Baixas.
As ultra-premium tequilas, both of these can be enjoyed neat. But that’s not really in the spirit of The Last Call, so why not mix up an Elevated Escasa Margarita?
As the closest you can get to trying tequila with the training wheels on, it’s hard to go wrong with a margarita. The ideal balance of sweet, sour and salt, be it sipping poolside in Miami, atop one of London’s many rooftop bars, you could even take the plunge and order the ever-popular ‘spicy marg,’ this is a delectable crowd pleaser.
But will it be enough to conquer over eight years of tequila turmoil? You’ll have to check in next week to find out.
Adios amigos.
Ingredients
2-3oz Escasa Tequila Blanco
.75oz fresh lime
.05 oz agave nectar
.05 oz cognac-based orange liqueur
Lime wheel
Method
Select your vessel and salt the rim. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, add all the ingredients apart from the lime wheel and shake. Pour into your salted glass with ice, and garnish with the lime wheel.
escalatequila.com
[See also: The Ezra Twist: A Cocktail That Hits the Right Notes]