Z Tequila is the product of Jose "Pepe" Zevada. As the story goes, he spent his career in the spirits industry working with brands like Jack Daniels, Sauza and Espolon Tequila, among others. It was during this time that, as he gained experience and refined his palate, he began formulating his own proprietary process for producing tequila. The end result is the 100% agave Z Tequila, available in three expressions - blanco, reposado and anejo. Z Tequila's recipe requires mature agave plants between seven and nine years old. After the agave is fermented, the juice is distilled in short column stills....

Tequila Partida is calling all Texas bartenders to create a Partida cocktail that represents the true spirit of Texas and exemplifies the spirit of tequila. Entries are due by May 18th, and the bartenders who submit the best drinks will be asked to compete in person at the Southwest Food Expo, taking place in Dallas on June 25th, 2012. Creators of the three best cocktails will win cash prizes of $1200, $600 and $400, and the winning drink will be featured on the Partida website. This should be a fun challenge. Partida's Reposado Tequila is one of our favorites, and if you’re...

A lot goes into producing Clase Azul Plata Tequila. First, the agave: the plants are matured for at least nine years before being harvested for distillation. From there, the agave hearts are slow cooked for 72 hours in traditional ovens and then fermented using the company’s proprietary combination of yeasts. The tequila is double distilled in a copper alembic still, and the water goes through a five-step refining process before marrying with the tequila. The spirit is filtered three times before entering a bottle, and those bottles are hand-made by local community artisans. Of course, the intricate production process is...

With spring in the air and warmer weather upon us, let’s drink some seasonal tequila cocktails. Many people associate tequila with warmer weather – cue the margarita – and put the spirit away during winter months. That’s a shame, of course, as reposado and anejo tequilas can warm even the coldest and most sober soul on a frigid winter day. But no matter; to celebrate the onset of spring, we present a trio of seasonal tequila cocktails. Each comes courtesy of Excellia Tequila, a 100% agave tequila from the highlands of Jalisco. And each features the brand's reposado tequila, which...

We wrote about the launch of Don Julio 70 Anejo Claro back in July, when it was unveiled at Tales of the Cocktail. It sounded interesting, but we didn’t sit down with a bottle until now. Don Julio 70 Anejo Claro is the newest tequila in the Don Julio lineup, and it’s certainly the most unique. The spirit begins its life as 18-month-old Don Julio Añejo. From there, a unique filtering process strips away the color. Besides just removing the color, however, the process is supposed to recover the agave notes of the Blanco without removing the richness of the...

It’s no secret that we’re fans of Espolon Blanco Tequila, as it’s one of the best value buys in the 100% agave tequila market. But how fares the Reposado? Espolon Reposado Tequila is crafted at the San Nicolas Distillery in the Highlands region of Jalisco, Mexico. After distillation, it’s aged six months in American oak barrels. The result is a golden-hued spirit that’s full of roasted agave, spice and caramel on the nose. Drink up to taste flavors ranging from brown sugar and vanilla to tropical fruits. It’s less agave-forward than the blanco, and those six months in barrel give...

El Tesoro de Don Felipe makes a range of quality tequilas, including the Añejo, which is aged between two and three years in oak barrels before bottling. All El Tesoro tequilas are hand-crafted in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, where the estate-grown agave plants are cooked the old-fashioned way – in large brick and stone ovens called hornos. After the agave hearts are crushed and the juices are extracted, the tequila is double distilled straight to 80 proof. For comparison, most tequilas – and spirits in general – are distilled to a higher proof and then diluted with water to...

Excellia Tequila is a relatively new player in the tequila category, and it’s making some noise due to its unique maturation process. The 100% agave Excellia Tequilas begin their life in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, where the estate grown blue agave plants are cut by hand and cooked slowly in traditional brick and stone ovens. From there, the cooked agave is shredded and crushed to extract the aromatic agave juice and then fermented in wooden vats and twice distilled in copper stills. Most aged tequilas then sit in used whiskey barrels until maturity. But in producing Excellia Tequilas, the...

Milagro makes a range of 100% agave tequilas, including the Milagro Anejo, which is triple distilled in the Jalisco highlands in small batches before spending 18 months maturing in oak barrels. Many big tequila companies roast their piñas (the heart of the agave plant) in massive autoclaves for just four to six hours prior to fermentation, but Milagro roasts piñas the traditional way – in smaller clay ovens – for 36 hours. This method is utilized to retain more of the piña’s natural flavor, giving the tequila an agave-forward taste. Let’s take it for a spin. Milagro Anejo is pale amber, lighter...

At last week’s Tales of the Cocktail, Don Julio introduced 70 Anejo Claro, a new tequila that embodies the rich, complex flavors of an anejo tequila in a filtered, crystal clear spirit. The new product is being launched in honor of the 70th anniversary of the year founder Don Julio González began making Don Julio tequila. Don Julio 70 Anejo Claro starts as Don Julio Añejo and filters the tequila through a specialty process that brings back the bold agave flavor typically found in a Blanco. The result is a crystal clear tequila that combines traditional Añejo and Blanco flavors. It...