How to drink tequila: 6 ways

Tequila is a traditional Mexican alcoholic beverage of increased strength, and if you drink it, you can’t do simple “poured-drank-snack”, if you need knowledge and experience, then certain rules are needed, otherwise you will not only not appreciate the taste and properties drunk, but you can also cause some harm to yourself. Not to mention the fact that you will form a completely misconception about tequila as an alcoholic drink.

Tequila: what is it and how is it made

First of all, it should be noted that the name of the drink received from the name of the town, in which the manufacture of tequila became widespread. This is the Mexican town of Tequila, which is located fifty kilometers from Guadalajara, a large city, the state capital. It is here that blue agave grows, from which the core is subsequently removed to undergo fermentation, distillation and become the main component of tequila.

Depending on the percentage of blue agave juice, the drink is divided into two categories:

1. Premium tequila, which is 100% juice; such a product is made only at home, it is bottled and put on sale there, as a rule, its quantity is limited, and the cost hits the wallet of an average person.
2. Tequila "standard" is a kind of mix of sugars, of which, according to Mexican law, at least 51% is allocated to blue agave juice; in addition to it, corn syrup or cane sugar is added to the drink (most often), however, they can be replaced with other sugar-containing products at the discretion of the manufacturer.

To top it off, tequila (its value and, consequently, its cost) differ even depending on the exposure time after production: the inscriptions “plata” and “blanca” indicate that the product was manufactured no more than two months ago; "Joven" is a very young drink, without aging; "Reposado" has an aging of about a year, "añejo" - up to three years, "extra añejo" - more than three years.

How to drink tequila

After manufacturing, tequila, in its original form, has a strength of about 55 degrees, which is significantly higher than the percentage of alcohol that is found in traditional Russian vodka. Therefore, before use, it is always diluted to 38-40 degrees and slightly cooled.

For the use of tequila, there are special small narrow tall glasses with a bottom bay, experts call them "horses". And the process itself needs to be stretched, for this there are different ways how to drink tequila. Mexicans explain this by the fact that it takes a lot of time to make it, and every drop of the drink is worth it to taste properly.

Method one
It implies the use of tequila in almost pure form, without a snack, only diluted to an acceptable strength.

Second way
Before you drink tequila (again, in one gulp, trying to do it in one sip), you need to eat a little chili pepper.

Third way
This is the traditional and most common option, which is based on three basic principles - lick, drink and have a bite. To implement this plan in such a way, you need a saucer with salt, a glass of tequila and a quarter of lime, its bitter taste with a slight acidity perfectly sets off and enriches the taste of the drink itself. Lick the skin between the index finger and the thumb of the non-working hand, pour a little salt and squeeze a few drops of lime juice on top. Slime it all off and drink the tequila in one gulp, then bite with the remaining citrus pulp.

For lack of lime, you can limit yourself to a lemon - the difference in taste and perception of the drink will be, but not so significant. In addition, instead of sprinkling salt on your hands, you can sprinkle the edges of the glass with it (moisten a little and “dip” in a saucer with salt).

The fourth way
Also implies the presence in the arsenal of lemon and salt. Cut the lemon in half and take out the pulp to make an impromptu glass. Salt the edges, “dipping” them in a saucer with salt, and fill with already chilled tequila or add half an ice cube. Often, such an aperitif is treated to newcomers at home parties.

Fifth way
This method has several names - Mexicans call it "rapid", which translates as "fast", and to us it is better known as "tequila boom". Its essence is that a glass of tequila is served along with a tonic. The glass is covered with a palm, after which it must be sharply (but not too strong so as not to break), tap on the countertop or knee, and then gulp the seething contents. This option is also very popular in domestic bars and clubs.

Sixth way
For this option, you will need a little more preparation - in a shallow saucer you need to mix sugar and cinnamon, and in the resulting mixture roll a slice of orange. Thus, you get an original, with a specific taste, an appetizer for alcohol.

Tequila cocktails

Some cocktails can only be prepared by professional bartenders who have the knowledge and a certain knack, but there are also those who learn to cook on their own is not so difficult. Especially if you have a powerful motivational incentive - for example, to amaze your friends at the upcoming party.

Submarino or Ruff
In fact, the domestic "Ruff" is slightly different from the traditional Mexican cocktail, but they have one essence. The Mexicans even determined the exact proportions - it is necessary to take 0.33 ml of tequila and 330 ml of beer. An empty tequila glass is dropped into a beer mug and gradually filled with a drink; a heavy bottom pulls it down, and both drinks are thus evenly mixed. Often tequila is replaced with ordinary vodka.

Margarita
A very popular alcoholic cocktail, which became the progenitor of many similar mixtures that appeared later. The name was invented for a reason - the author of such a successful alcohol mix is ​​Margarita Saims. To make it, you need to mix tequila, Cointreau liquor and lime juice in a 3: 1: 1 ratio in a shaker and add ice to your liking.

Bartenders are not tired of coming up with more and more types of cocktails - among them are options in great demand with fruit fillers (usually strawberries or pineapple) as additional ingredients. An interesting recipe with caramel - after adding it and thoroughly mixing the drink gets a golden hue and a sweetish flavor. Sometimes, components are replaced at all, except for tequila, which creates the base.

Remember that tequila is one of the strongest alcoholic drinks in the whole world, therefore you should not rush into the pool for the first time - what good, you can burn your throat. To get started, get acquainted with its taste, drink a couple of glasses not in order to impress everyone with your skills, but in order to try and adjust to your taste. And try not to keep the drink poured into glasses for a long time - it starts to warm and loses its taste. In this case, keep an ice bucket on hand. Better just drink right away.

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