Sip A Tequila Cocktail And Learn About the History of The Spirit
Celebrate National Tequila Day with these sweet but sophisticated recipes
From the LifeMinute.TV Team
July 24, 2022
July 24th is National Tequila Day. Learn about the history of the spirit, then enjoy these tequila-based recipes on a hot summer afternoon or warm summer evening.
Tequila was developed after the Spaniards introduced distillation in Mexico around the 16th century. The name originates from the town of Tequila in the Mexican state of Jalisco.
Tequila can only be produced in five regions in Mexico—Guanajuato, Jalisco, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas.
To be classified as tequila, a spirit must be at least 51% derived from blue agave with the rest made up of another neutral spirit.
In the United States, it’s a common practice to take a shot of tequila with lime and salt, but in Mexico, the more traditional way to drink tequila is neat like whiskey.
As to a worm floating at the bottom of a bottle of tequila, that’s a myth. The Mexican Standards Authority (Las Normas Oficiales Mexicanas) dictates standards for a variety of products. It prohibits worms or insects from being placed in tequila. But you could find a type of larvae moth, gusano de maguey, which lives on the agave plant, floating in a bottle of mezcal. Tequila is technically a mezcal, but not all mezcals are tequila. The origin of the larvae moth added to mezcal remains steeped in legend and misinformation.
Margarita Recipe
Ingredients:
Lime wedge and coarse salt for rimming the glass
1.5 ounces tequila
.75 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
.25 ounce agave nectar or syrup
.5 ounce fresh orange juice
Instructions:
Moisten the rim of an old-fashioned glass with a lime wedge, then salt until the entire outer edge is covered. Fill the glass with fresh ice. Combine tequila, lime juice, agave nectar, and orange juice in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake well to chill, then strain into the glass.
Tequila Old Fashioned Recipe
Ingredients:
2 ounces Añejo (aged) tequila
¼ ounce simple syrup or agave
1 dash angostura bitters
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in an old-fashioned glass and stir together, then add ice.
Baja Gold Recipe
Ingredients:
2 ounces Reposado tequila
.75 ounce pineapple juice
.5 ounce agave syrup
Lime for garnish
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with lime.
Tequila Negroni Recipe
Ingredients:
1 ounce Campari or other bitter orange aperitivo
1 ounce sweet red vermouth
1 ounce tequila
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until well chilled, then strain into a cocktail glass.