Tequila is unusual in that it has two very distinct associations that live in parallel worlds. Their worlds may converge but they are unlikely to intersect—with one exception to be noted later.

The first world of tequila is embodied in one drink, or should we say, activity: tequila shots. The associations are unwavering. Take a bar in a hot climate, loud music, and a lot of college-age drinkers and inevitably some of them will be doing tequila shots. Not “someone” will be doing tequila shots but “some of them” will be doing tequila shots, since this is almost exclusively a group activity, or at the very least a reciprocal one. A solitary tequila shot drinker should be viewed with suspicion.

Preparing tequila shots is not like preparing the perfect dry martini. Precision and delicacy is not required. You will need a shot glass full of tequila, possibly an aged anejo tequila for the first shot (after that, drinking the good stuff may be unnecessary). Grasp a wedge of lime between your left thumb and index or middle finger (if you’re right-handed) and put a pinch of salt in the declivity between your thumb and finger. Lick the salt off your hand, grasp the shot glass in your right hand, and down the contents. Bite and suck on the lime slice. Blink rapidly a few times. Repeat the process when the blinking stops. The wise drinker will halt the process when the conversation turns to deciding who’s the greatest rock ’n’ roll band in the world, “not including the Rolling Stones.”

The other world of tequila encompasses a venerable drink distilled from an unlikely plant and produced in only one section of Mexico.

The history of tequila antedates the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in 1521. The indigenous people had long fermented a drink from the agave or “maguey” plant called “pulque.” The Spanish were used to drinking distilled beverages like brandy and it did not take them long to distill pulque into a more alcoholic drink. The Spanish called the agave wine “mezcal” or “mezcal wine” (no relation to the similarly named drug) and the distilled product was usually called either mezcal or tequila.

The origin of the word tequila is in some doubt. Which is to say, there is doubt about the origin of name of the town of Tequila, in Jalisco Province, where true tequila is made. There are cognates to the word tequila in pre-Columbian language, and there is also a theory that the word is a corruption of the Spanish word for “small breast,” which could describe the shape of a mountain near the town of Tequila. (Our tequila shot drinkers favor the latter theory for reasons we won’t go into.)

Although not as well known outside of Mexico as tequila, mezcal remains a popular drink there. Production of mezcal is not as tightly regulated as tequila. It is usually made of a blend of the juice of agave plants (which are not cacti, by the way, but a relative of the amaryllis plant), not just the juice of the blue agave as is tequila. Mezcal is made in a few locations in Mexico, much of it in Oaxaca. Mezcal producers are often family businesses, unlike tequila, which is dominated by a few large firms. Mezcal varies widely in quality, and high-quality mezcal is not easy to find in the U.S. Single village mezcals like Del Maguey are considered the premium brands. One unmistakable difference between tequila and mezcal is, if there’s a worm in the bottle, it’s mezcal. It can’t be tequila. (We are unable to confirm or deny the widely circulated fraternity house legend that the worm itself is
a hallucinogen.)

Tequila began to be officially separated from mezcal when tequila production began to be regulated in the 1940s by both producers’ organizations and the Mexican government. Successive regulations require that tequila be produced in a defined area of Jalisco (much in the way that champagne can only come from the Champagne district of France), the types of tequila, and the amount of other sugars that can be used in “mixto” tequila. Premium tequilas are not “mixto” tequilas but are made from 100 percent agave. If the bottle doesn’t say it has 100% agave, it’s a mixto.

There are four types (tipos) of tequila: Gold, which is unaged tequila and may have had coloring or sugars added to mellow it, making it a “mixto” tequila. Blanco or Silver is a clear, unaged tequila, usually found in mixed drinks. Reposado (“rested” tequila) has been aged 3–10 months, and Anejo has been aged at least twelve months and has an amber color. Usually it’s a sipping tequila but may be found in the some of the best mixed drinks.

Which brings us to the intersection of the two tequila cultures: the boisterous tequila shot crowd and the aficionados of old, barrel-aged tequila anejo. That intersection is the Margarita. Beloved of both Jimmy Buffett’s parrotheads and tequila connoisseurs, the Margarita is one of the world’s great cocktails. Tangy, salty, on the rocks or straight up, it’s just the thing to bridge the culture and generation gap. Some great recipes follow.

Paula Palmer of Horizon Ultra Beverages was an invaluable resource in our tequila research. We caught up with Paula in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, at Brazo restaurant—a South American/Latin American restaurant with an enviable list of twenty tequilas. Paula was there to introduce us to a few of the very high-end marques.

Gran Patron Platinum is a silver (clear) tequila that has been triple distilled and aged to give it its remarkable smoothness. The bottle is worthy of the drink: it’s handmade of lead-free crystal and is hand-signed and numbered with an etched label. The box is maple wood and, like the bottle, the box is signed and numbered with an etched label. Just $199.99 at your liquor store.
 Herradura Seleccion Suprema is the top of the line from this distillery founded in 1870. Seleccion Suprema is aged for more than four years and has a dark copper color with a smooth taste that retains the agave flavor along with spicy and flora notes. It’s a four-time winner at the San Francisco Spirits Competition, including 2007. The retail price is $299.99 per bottle.

Gran Patron considers its Burdeos to be the height of the tequila-maker’s art. It’s aged for a minimum of twelve months in barrels made from American oak and oaks from different regions of France. It’s then distilled again and aged in French bordeaux barrels—Burdeos means bordeaux in Spanish. The tequila itself is a combination of Gran Patron’s medium-bodied anejo and its Platinum tequila, but the barrel-aging process gives it its dark color and its uniquely refined character and smooth finish. We likened it to an exceptional cognac that retained a whisper of its agave origins. No tequila shots for the house here: it’s $699.00 per bottle.

Tequila liqueurs are gaining traction, too. Patron XO Café is a tequila coffee liqueur that is found in drinks like the XO Café Coco-tini and desserts like XXX Café (coffee ice cream topped with two ounces of XO Café and sprinkled with one teaspoon of finely ground coffee beans.)
Patron Citronage is an all-natural tequila orange liqueur that is finding its way into mixed drinks like the Chipotle-Peach Margarita and is also fine for sipping on its own.

XO Café Coco-tini
2 ounces Bacardi Coconut rum
1 ounce Patron XO Café
1⁄2 ounce Crème de Cacao
Splash of cream

Shake over ice and strain into Martini glass drizzled with chocolate syrup.

Brazo’s Chipotle-Peach Margarita
2 ounces chipotle-infused tequila
11⁄2 ounces Patron Citronge
Splash of peach puree
Fresh lemon and lime juice

Shake and serve on the rocks with or without salt.

Brazmopolitan
2 ounces Patron Silver tequila
1 ounce Patron Citronage
Splash of lemon or lime juice
Splash of cranberry juice

Shake over ice and strain into martini glass.

Pesce Blue’s Blue Agave
3 ounces Patron Silver tequila
1 ounce blue agave nectar
1 ounce fresh lime juice
Splash of Blue Curacao

Shake with ice and serve on the rocks or straight up.

For more great tequila recipes visit www.tasteoftheseacoast.com

Taste’s Associate Editor Spencer Smith is co-author, with Taste editor Jean Kerr, of three cookbooks: Mystic Seafood, The Union Oyster House Cookbook, and Windjammer Cooking. He is also the editor of Fodor’s Seaside America.