TEQUILA!

Does anyone here drink it?

Aloha,

STEN

Show Me The Moai!

[ Edited by: stentiki on 2003-05-24 11:14 ]

I think I'm still hung over from the last time I drank tequila..... when I was 24!

'cept an occasional margarita....

:tiki:

What's up with this Agave stuff? Anyone?

In my day, we had Cuervo Gold and Cuervo White.

And we liked it!

I've never been much of a Tequila drinker - unless of course I wanted to take the fast road to a buzz. Haven't needed to do that since I was in my 20's. The taste of tequila is just a little to harsh for me.

I do have a friend however, who is somewhat of a tequila connoisseur and collector. His bar consists of about 100 different tequila bottles of varying brands, shapes, colors and vintages. He buys/drinks/recommends "Reservado" tequila's exclusively. All the bottles are numbered and limited in production (ala Shag Mugs). However, its all the same to me - again, the taste is just to harsh for my preference.

A good Rum though - now that's another story. I also like a good Brandy or Cognac with a flavorful cigar. Its a nice blend when you're out on the town or on a nice vacation.

**Poly-Pop ***

[ Edited by: PolynesianPop on 2003-05-23 11:57 ]

On 2003-05-23 11:49, stentiki wrote:
What's up with this Agave stuff? Anyone?

In my day, we had Cuervo Gold and Cuervo White.

And we liked it!

I remember once also liking Boone's Farm, Southern Comfort, peppermint schnapps, etc.

We all gotta grow up sometime! Have you tasted Cuervo straight lately? That's nasty stuff!

I haven't tried very many Tequilas but Casadores is my favorite for drinking straight (and it's not too expensive). For mixing Hornitos is fine.

Ah yes, Southern Comfort. I spent a month there one night! The official enemy of Stentiki.

Seriously, we recently received a gift of 100% Agave Tequila and I was wondering if anyone has experience with this. I hear it's good stuff and will be sampling it this weekend. Any mixology recommendations?

If it's anejo, then sip it neat. If it's reposado, then make a really good margarita with it. By really good, I mean fresh limes.

There's a lot of schools of thought on the proper margarita recipe. I've experimented a bit, and I still haven't settled on anything definite. I know I do like to add a little simple syrup, I like salt, and definitely on the rocks, and not blended. Cointreau is good in there as well. Try it with fresh made sweet & sour as well.

Here's a recipe that was just published in the local paper a few weeks ago. Haven't tried it yet, but it's intriguing:

INGREDIENTS
Lemon or lime wedges

Kosher salt (optional)

2 1/2 ounces of 100% agave tequila

2 ounces Cointreau, or Triple Sec or other orange-flavored liqueur

2 1/2 ounces fresh lime juice

1 ounce Meyer Lemon Simple Syrup (see recipe)

Ice cubes

INSTRUCTIONS
Rub the lemon wedge around the rims of 2 margarita or martini glasses. Dip the rims in salt, if desired.
Measure the tequila, Cointreau, lime juice and syrup into a 16-ounce cocktail shaker half filled with ice cubes. Secure top of shaker. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Strain into the glasses.

Serves 2

Meyer Lemon Simple Syrup: Simmer 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar for about 5 minutes, or until clear. Remove from heat. Squeeze the juice of 1 large Meyer lemon and strain into the hot syrup. Stir to blend. May be stored for a couple of weeks in a glass bottle in the refrigerator.

-martin

A Tiki-rita?

Tequila is REALLY expensive compared to Rums. A great rum need only cost you $15 or $20 a bottle, a great Tequila will cost you $55-100 and more, like great scotch.

I really like Tequila, but I can't afford Patron, so I get the next best thing - Sauza Hornitos and Sauza Commemorativo. At $25/bottle for 100% Agave and smooth expensive tast, they're the perfect compromise.

On 2003-05-23 12:30, stentiki wrote:
Ah yes, Southern Comfort. I spent a month there one night! The official enemy of Stentiki.

Seriously, we recently received a gift of 100% Agave Tequila and I was wondering if anyone has experience with this. I hear it's good stuff and will be sampling it this weekend. Any mixology recommendations?

I once drank so much Southern Comfort on the way home on my Lambretta I was falling over at stop lights. Luckily my friends were with me.

I recommend tasting the tequila straight first to see how you like it. Sip it slowly - shooting it straight down you don't get a chance to taste it. If the label says "Reposado" it's "rested" - aged briefly in barrels, and if it says "Anejo" it's aged for a longer time.

Pick up some triple sec or Cointreau and some fresh limes and make up a few margaritas on the rocks (salt optional). Use 1 part triple sec to 3 parts tequila, the juice of one-half to one lime, and add sugar to taste.

On 2003-05-23 13:10, kahukini wrote:

I really like Tequila, but I can't afford Patron, so I get the next best thing - Sauza Hornitos and Sauza Commemorativo. At $25/bottle for 100% Agave and smooth expensive tast, they're the perfect compromise.

Interestingly, I just noticed recently that Comemerativo isn't actually 100% blue agave. Only Hornitos and Tres Generaciones from Sauza. Back in the day, Hornitos was much cheaper than Commemerativo, but they caught on to us.

Also, due to incredible spike in demand for premium tequilas in the last decade, the blue agave plant has been terribly overfarmed, so that's why premium tequila costs so much lately. It takes 8-12 years for a plant to reach maturity, and you have to kill the whole plant to make it. Expect that prices will continue to go up for the next few years before settling down again.

-martin

I didn't see Martin's post until after I wrote mine but that looks like a good recipe to me. Except for the Myer lemon syrup, as Myer lemons give me bad heartburn compared to regular lemons. I don't know why. Anyone else have a problem with them? I'm not too fond of the flavor either - something to do with the bitterness perhaps.

An option to salt on the rim of a margarita that I read about in Playboy's drink book is to use a superfine sugar on the rim. I tried it and loved it! You may need to use less sugar in the drink though.

Who here's eaten the worm?

the worm's in mezcal, not tequila! but who wouldn't eat it in celebration of finishing a bottle?

On 2003-05-23 14:45, purple jade wrote:
Who here's eaten the worm?

I used to buy Mezcal in Tijuana. One time me and my roomate split a bottle and I got the worm. Swallowed it whole. Drove my girlfriend home on my scooter as she had a curfew at the time. We got pulled over by a cop because my scooter didn't have the proper footpegs. In San Diego the motorcycle cops were notorious for hastling scooterists. I was wasted but the cop didn't even know! He let me go with a warning. I think the worm saved me from getting a DUI!

Myth: Worms come in bottles of Mexican Tequila. Actually, worms only come in Mezcal which isn't Tequila as it's not made from blue Agave. However, Tequila is a type of Mezcal. Non-Tequila Mezcal is made from other species of Agave. The worm is actually a butterfly caterpillar. They were added to some brands of Mezcal in the 40's to boost sales. Many people eat them in Mexican cuisine. The little bag tied to the Mezcal bottle is ground up dried worm, chili powder, and salt.

More info on Mezcal worms:
http://www.mezcal.com/worms.html

Seems worth mentioning here, Food Network's travel-the-world-in-search-of-alcohol show the Thirsty Traveller did an episode on Tequila.

The shows in repeats on Fine Living now, too bad it just finished repeating that episode today. :( The next show? Jamaican Rum!

See schedule here:
http://www.fineliving.com/fine/thirsty_traveler/0,1663,FINE_10176,00.html

:drink:

mmmm... ground up dried worm......

:tiki:

Did I say there was a worm in tequila? Did I say mezcal and tequila were the same thing? I just asked about "the worm". I know the difference, and figured anyone who knew what "the worm" was did too. Did I really stray THAT far off topic? Yeesh...

And since it seems to be the thing to do, here's a correction across the board...
LOOSE - not confined or restrained
LOSE - to fail to keep, or to fail to win

When your hat, necklace, marbles, lunch gets LOOSE, you LOSE it.
As I've felt like doing every time I've seen that word spelled the other way. (Back me up here, tikivixen!)

MY 2 calabashes of unsolicited education.

Take it easy purple jade. I wasn't trying to correct you. I was just trying to discuss the topic you brought up - worms. Sorry if you thought I was being a worm.

On 2003-05-23 16:23, thejab wrote:
Take it easy...

You mean LOOSEN up? :D

Cusano Rojo! Such a benevolent little worm.

Ah, good times!

What a knowledgeable crew in the ways of drink! I can now proceed with caution and care in enjoying my Agave Tequila. I'll post the brand once I examine the bottle at home but I hear it's fine stuff!

Full report and hangover to follow!

Oh yeah, I love sippin' on a good tequila, straight up. Don Julio is the best and expensive but who cares if it's nice and smooth.

[ Edited by: jungletrader on 2003-05-23 19:56 ]

[ Edited by: badmojo 2007-03-01 11:00 ]

I like Gusano Rojo mezcal in margaritas, it has a full flavor with a distinct smokiness (Just like Lucky Strikes). I don't really want to shell out the clams for the supposedly good tequila, so I stick with Red Worm (which I first bought believing it was tequila...Several bottles later I actually read the label). I ate the worm (I think Gusano Rojo started that whole thing) and it wasn't memorable. Apparently there's better and lesser quality worms. I have no plans to find out.

Despite the association with Parrot Heads and bachelorette parties I really like margaritas. They're a great summer drink to serve guests as they're easy to make and you don't have to explain them to anyone. Make them on the rocks, of course (that part may need explaining to your friends who are expecting a tequila spiked Slurpee). Use fresh lime juice. Jab's recipe is a good one for a dry drink, I actually like 'em sweeter and put in equal parts triple sec* to Gusano Rojo. That sounds too syrupy but it's not, the smokiness of the Gusano Rojo probably helps (and I make sure the margaritas are very cold). For something 10% more fun you can use blue curacao instead of triple sec and end up with a blue margarita. Use a toothpick to mix a few drops of blue food coloring (or blue curacao) into your rimming salt. Your guests will be wowed.

*I'm too tight to go with the Cointreau...I even use a triple sec syrup from a restaurant supply place. It's about a third the price of real triple sec, which has a really low alcohol content making it's mostly syrup.

On 2003-05-23 16:08, purple jade wrote:
And since it seems to be the thing to do, here's a correction across the board...
LOOSE - not confined or restrained
LOSE - to fail to keep, or to fail to win

When your hat, necklace, marbles, lunch gets LOOSE, you LOSE it.
As I've felt like doing every time I've seen that word spelled the other way. (Back me up here, tikivixen!)

MY 2 calabashes of unsolicited education.

OH thank the gods and goddesses!!

Purple Jade, you renew my faith that all is not lost! Anyone on the excessive misuse of apostrophes? Or the proliferation of the word "like" peppered into too many sentences??

Mezcal Rojo makes you hullucinate(sp?) if you have one too many!!! I saw flying lobsters once in Puerto Nuevo! (or was that a food fight!?)

Then there was this "shanty" in TJ hills that made their own Mezcal type with a 5 gal. water jug and had a freakin rattle snake in it!! They used to have a contest to see who could fling the furthest tortilla throught the hills. Lightly fried, they would almost hit the border! Ah, good "Old" Mex.

On 2003-05-24 08:54, RevBambooBen wrote:
Mezcal Rojo makes you hullucinate(sp?) if you have one too many!!! I saw flying lobsters once in Puerto Nuevo! (or was that a food fight!?)

They also say the worms are an aphrodesiac! But I just can't associate worms with sex. Ecchh! It's more likely the alchohol that's the aphrodesiac!

Is Puerto Nuevo still great? I haven't been there in 15 years. For those who haven't been there it's a fishing village south of Rosarito in Baja where about 20 restaurants all serve lobster dinners to gringoes. It used to be about $10-15 for a lobster dinner with beans, rice, and chips but I'm sure it's more expensive now. I'll be in Baja in October for a wedding and I'm looking forward to stopping there.

On 2003-05-24 08:54, RevBambooBen wrote:
Mezcal Rojo makes you hullucinate(sp?) if you have one too many!!! I saw flying lobsters once in Puerto Nuevo! (or was that a food fight!?)

Ben, are you sure you aren't having Oasis III flashbacks, with Tiki Bob playing the lobsters with APE?? :)

Buenos Dias!

We survived our Agave night with very little damage thanks to my wife's good sense in not going for that third margarita (thanks, babe!).

I made doubles from a version of thejab's recipe:

4 oz agave tequila
4 oz fresh lime juice
2 oz cointreau
1/2 oz of sugar syrup

combine with ice in a cocktail shaker
salted rim, lime wedge garnish.

Pretty tasty. The tequila was called Hacienda De Oro Anejo. Not bad neat, but I prefer a margarita on the rocks, myself. I'm looking forward to trying martin's recipe and others as well.

Jab,

You'll be happy to learn that some of the restaurants in the Puerto Nuevo Lobster Village still has awesome, inexpensive lobster for $10.95!!! Still includes chips & salsa, beans, rice, fresh tortillas and depending on where you go, one margarita or beer. We go every summer and usually dine at Ortega's Patio, second to the last restaurant on the right side as you walk toward the ocean (next to Don Pisto's liquor). You pay extra for the drink but you can't beat the ambiance there on the patio.

Ben, flying lobsters and tortillas? Didn't that happen on the OC Pubcrawl? :wink:

Beer Pong!

Adios, Amigos!

They also say the worms are an aphrodesiac! But I just can't associate worms with sex. Ecchh!

I heartily agree, because seeing a date I had once with a worm hanging out of his mouth pretty much destroyed any warm tingly thoughts I might've had towards him. El Ralfo Grande...

Since it came out, due to my appreciation of good Tequila, I had disdain for Tequiza. A coupla months ago I finally picked some up in the supermarket and -wow- it actually tastes good. You can really taste the "blue agave nectar." It's lo-cal, and perfect to drink along with your neat sipping Tequila.
http://www.tequiza.com

Hey all

We usualy turn out RV into the Lobster Fun Bus for journeys down to Puerto Nuevo. With one sober Trustar at the wheel, the back of the bus is ablaze with the sounds of crunching chip/salsa and the whirring of the blender (yes dammit, I like mine BLENDED). Staying sober is the only way I can manuver the traffic circles down there. Unfortunately, the sounds on the way back are not quite so lively. With full bellys of lobster (almost free!) and usually waaay to much cerveza and tequila we meander our way back up norte towards home, knowing with satisfaction that we have comsumed some of the best party grindage possible. Anyone up for a trip at the end of the summer? End of September- early October is usually the best time to head south of the border for lobster. If anyone else has a moterhome we could put on our drunken Good Sam stickers and caravan to Arther Lymon.

Trustar

RV guy in a jumpsuit.

Check out La Fonda in Puerto Nuevo. A little more pricey, but huge portions of lobster.

-martin

On 2003-05-25 16:04, martiki6 wrote:
Check out La Fonda in Puerto Nuevo. A little more pricey, but huge portions of lobster.

-martin

Great place! I stayed there for a few days in the late 80s and enjoyed the older resort atmosphere. There was a band playing Spanish versions of Beatles songs in the bar. Very entertaining.

I vaguely recall a joint on the old highway south of Rosarito that had huge lobster omelettes with beans and rice and chips for around $5. It wasn't in Puerto Nuevo.

Again with Tequiza...I get a kick out of weird beer and "premium flavored malt beverage" marketing. I try the products now and then and in general they're usually pretty gross. I thought Tequiza tasted like Trix flavored Budweiser (or any lifeless yellow beer).

Never tried Tequiza. It just brings back memories of mixing beer and tequila shots all night, then having the worst hangover while panga fishingand feeding the fish for breakfast.

I sincerely believe that the malt beverages in the last few years were developed solely so that the liquor companies could advertise their products on telivision. They often have the exact same name as the liquor and the bottles even look like it. Sky is the best example. It's wretched stuff, but the advertising of those little blue bottles on NBC is really just a good way of getting out the SKY brand name.
Even though these are cynically produced products, surely every once in a while one is accidentally palatable to liquor drinkers like me. Such is Tequiza! You shouldn't be thinking of beer when you drink it, btw.

Well, that's a pretty good theory about the advertising. The big reason these things have exploded in recent years is their phenominal success in other markets. Just ask Woody about the popularity of "alcopops" in the UK. So far, only one that I know of hass failed stateside- Captain Morgan Gold.

I think people find them to be a fast cheap substitute for a mixed drink. I find them to be the apocalypse.

-martin

O.K. .....Now were in my territory. While still a rookie at the polynesian drinks.......Tequila is the Fury's thing. The long gone Long Bar in Santa Barbara served "Chinaco" tequila , heated in a snifter......smooth like the best Brandy.....Polypop you should try it. Cuervo (even their reserve) is harsh next to a good tequila. Patron is a good second. For margaritas go to Trader Joes and get their cheap but good Montezuma (smell how much smoother this cheap stuff is compared to Cuervo) They used to have the cheap but good "Puerta Vallarta" . Also for a Cointrou (30-40.00)- like "Citronage" ($14.95) that I think is bottled by the same people that do Patron. These are 80% alcohol as compared to 15 to 20% in the other triple secs. My recipe:

2 shots tequila
1 shot triple sec
2 shots sweet and sour
squeeze of fresh lime
dash of lemoncello (Italian after dinner drink)

2 cheese enchiladas with tomatillo sauce

1 shot of Chinaco

The Secrets Out
Goodnight

Edit: On the rocks....never blended! Unless it's a Mango Margarita from Old Juan's Cantina in Oceano......per Mrs. Fury.

[ Edited by: bongofury on 2003-05-28 00:07 ]