Nick, Author at First Pour Cocktails

Bluecoat American Dry Gin

Posted on May 13, 2022May 10, 2022 by Nick

Traveling is one of the best ways to experience the changes in the landscape of distillers and new spirits. Our friend Nick traveled to Philly in the past few years, and as a gin aficionado, decided to test out Bluecoat American Dry Gin. A product of the Philadelphia Distillery, this modern style focuses on citrus forward notes, putting juniper on the backburner. There’s a heavy amount of competition in this segment, so is it worth the price?

Bluecoat American Dry Gin

Sight: It’s clear.

Smell: The nose is clearly contemporary with plenty of lemon and orange peel and the sweet woodsy smell of angelica. Juniper lingers in the background with a bit of spice.

Sip: The woodsy notes lead things off with a vanillan like character and plenty of dried citrus notes. The flavor of coriander gradually grows and gets laced through the citrus. Juniper is more of a background player here.

Savor: The ending carries on their botanical and citrus finish. It leans towards a mélange of oranges as it lingers.

Bluecoat American Dry Gin is soft, aromatic, and citrusy. The flavor is really gentle and easy going, but entirely what a classical gin lover would expect of a London dry. Even as contemporary gins go, the citrus notes are relatively dominant, along with the rolling woodsy-ness and slight vanilla character. The subtle spicing is pleasant as well.

In Cocktails

In a Martini, the woodsy nature of the angelica shines in the opening. It gives it a richness that blends against the alpine herb notes of the vermouth. The citrus kind of gradually creeps in and then takes over the drink. The juniper and coriander kind of get lost here, and the orange runs the ending over. It’s kind of a conflicting Martini, because it starts off quite nice, and the ending is clean and not unpleasant. Only during heavy scrutiny does it seem to get too citrusy.

In Review – Bluecoat American Dry Gin

Bluecoat American Dry Gin is gentle and lets juniper play the roll of an understudy. The stars here are citrus and angelica and it tastes like it. The flavors therefore lead to cocktail friendly gin that might occasionally get lost or show off any bright / citrusy counterparts it encounters. With a price tag around $25, this is a decent competitor to other contemporary gins like Aviation. While it isn’t a starter gin, fans of lighter contemporary gins and those that dislike juniper should consider Bluecoat.

The Classics: Clover Club

Posted on May 9, 2022May 4, 2022 by Nick

Despite the modern appearance, the Clover Club actually predates prohibition. The cocktail originated in Philadelphia as early as the late 1800’s. While it was popular, it was nearly lost to history during prohibition and the following period. One of the many cocktails that owes it’s re-emergence to Reagan’s Joy of Mixology, the Clover Club is a beautiful, rich, and elegant cocktail that deserves your attention and time to make.

Clover Club

1 ½ oz

Gin

½ oz

Dry Vermouth

½ oz

Lemon Juice

½ oz

Raspberry Syrup

½ oz

Egg White

Combine all ingredients in a shaker vessel. Dry shake for 30 seconds. Unseal the container and add ice. Shake until chilled. Double strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with fresh raspberries (and dried powdered raspberries if desired).

The Clover Club is smooth, gentle, fruity, and balanced. The herbal notes of the gin combine with the alpine notes of the dry vermouth to give a subtle herbal complexity to the background. The fruitiness lays over the top as various bright wine notes mingle with fresh raspberry and pops of citrus. The creaminess of the egg whites binds everything together, and makes the drink feel rich. The formula works and makes the Clover Club a must try classic.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The hardest part of our Clover Club is preparing the raspberry syrup. Our raspberry syrup is a significantly gentler, less aggressive syrup, and is lighter in color. Most of the other ingredients will be fairly standard.

Gin – This recipe can use London Dry or Plymouth Gin. Given the egg white’s nature to gentle the gin, we’d even suggest that contemporary gins like Aviator will work well here. In ours, we used Plymouth, which featured a nice smoothness.
Dry Vermouth – We used our standard Dolin Dry Vermouth here, and it works very well. As the dry vermouth is working as an accent, feel free to switch it up and see how it adjusts the drink.
Lemon Juice – For best results, use fresh squeezed.
Egg White – The recipe here calls for ½ oz of Egg White. For a large egg, this works out to about half an egg white. If you’re opposed to eggs, consider using Aquafaba (chickpea water from the can) at approximately 20g. You can also use cocktail foamer or pasteurized egg white.
Raspberry Syrup – See below for instructions.

In terms of technique, you’re going to need to dry shake. One recommendation for making dry shaking more effective is to add a cocktail spring or ice cube to add a point to disrupt the proteins. Shake for 30 seconds, remove the spring (the ice cube will have fully melted by this point) and then add ice. Shake until chilled (8-12 seconds), and then double strain to eliminate any stray egg proteins.

Raspberry Syrup

120 g sugar
120 g water
40 g raspberries

Combine water, sugar, and raspberries in a small mason jar or sous vide bag. If using a mason jar, you may gently muddle the raspberries with the sugar for added color and flavor. Seal, and heat for 2 hours @ 135. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and coffee filter. If desired, add a neutral grain spirit at 5-10% of the finished weight as a preservative. Refrigerate. Dispose of if any clouding or mold develops.

Maker’s Mark

Posted on May 6, 2022May 6, 2022 by Nick

Among bourbon’s featuring wheat, there are few as readily available and recognized as Maker’s Mark. Made with soft red wheat, the intention of Maker’s is to be easy to drink without the bite of rye. This recipe is rumored to have at one point in its history share roots with Pappy Van Winkle’s Old Fitzgerald recipe. Factor in a couple of Beam boys and their yeast, and you have a recipe with more than a couple twists and turns. Figure that distilleries have sold, distillers have been replaced, and that recipes have been tweaked for modern palates; and you basically have the wax on the bottle as the best guess as to what to think.

So let’s throw all the history and tater baiting out the window, and start with a much more basic question. Is Maker’s Mark good bourbon?

Maker’s Mark

Sight: Between deep copper and burnished.

Smell: Chocolate, almonds, and cherries lead things off. Cocoa powder and touch of spice join in. Oak and a hint of ethanol finish things off.

Sip: Smooth and mild to start, with a medium body, Maker’s Mark is invitingly easy. Cherry, tobacco, oak lead, and hints of chocolate, spice, red licorice, and a brown sugars come into give a layer of complexity.

Savor: On the finish, oak leads and has touches of bing cherries with a slightly tannic nature and a bit of heat

Maker’s Mark is simple, well rounded, and built upon smooth, inviting flavors. While the body and the flavor profile isn’t the most complex, the texture makes up for it, and the wheat influence and fruity character makes it enjoyable and reasonably priced. As a result, it’s managed to find its way into most bars and is widely available. As a sipper, it’s perfectly fine on ice, but nothing to make you write home.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan Maker’s Mark opens with maraschino cherries and touches of orange marmalade. Notes of almond and pecan come in, and there’s a good amount of clove and spice. Just prior to the finish, there’s a pop of dark brown sugar and caramelized stone fruit that then gets connected to an oaky finish.

In Review – Maker’s Mark

Maker’s Mark is a widely available wheated bourbon. The flavors are clear, clean, and strong. It provides good hints of nuts, spice, chocolate, and cherries, while not requiring a wait in line or bartering your left kidney. It’s well made and enjoyable, as well as well rounded. From this perspective, and around the mid $20 price point, there’s nothing here that’s not worth the time to experience. Maker’s is a foundation whiskey with good reason, and reportedly can trace it’s origins to Weller-Stitzel. We recommend you try it to see if you enjoy it, and potentially even keep it around your bar.

Tip Top Margarita

Posted on May 4, 2022 by Nick

We recently got a chance to get out of town, and found ourselves flying Delta. Their inflight menu had a lot of the usual choices for inflight beer, wine, and liquor – like Woodford Reserve and Jack Daniels. Hidden away in a different menu was the pre-packaged cocktails – which included an intriguing giraffe with a top hat and monocle. The giraffe convinced us to kick off our vacation right, and so we tried Tip Top Margarita.

Tip Top Margarita

Tip Top Margarita comes in a 100 ml can. It features a cute giraffe logo that suckered us in. According to the label, it’s made with Tequila, Lime, and Orange Liqueur. It does not specify blanco or reposado tequila, or 100% agave or mixto tequila. The are made by Tip Top in Atlanta.

Please bear in mind this was evaluated on a plane, at about 10 pm. Lighting was difficult to evaluate.

Sight: Light green.

Smell: All the right notes of a margarita are present here, with touches of grassy tequila, lime, orange, and a hint of sweetness and salinity. There’s not quite a clear line between whether the tequila used is a reposado or a blanco, but there aren’t any obvious notes of neutral spirits on the nose. There is a bit of a flatness to the lime.

Sip: Things start off with a decent pop of acidity but become somewhat flat in the mid palate. The lime flavor seems to be the culprit here, possibly from the process of canning or elsewise to stave off effects of oxidation (which are not present – but are difficult to mitigate when using fresh lime juice). The palate has a nice tequila grassy flavor with a hint of caramelized sweetness and the orange does make it’s present known.

Savor: The ending picks up more orange and lime notes before giving a little breathing room to tequila.

Overall, Tip Top Margarita is clearly a Margarita and not a terrible one. It is however quite muddled giving clarity to neither the citrus nor the tequila. The unusual flatness plays a role in this as well, possibly to avoid the metallic taste oxidize limes present. In all, it is pleasant but uninteresting, and likely sub-par if you compared it to a fresh one you made yourself.

In Review – Tip Top Margarita

The problem that exists for evaluating Tip Top Margarita is the consideration of application and how the end product does. In a home setting, making a Margarita isn’t a particularly complex operation, and the end results are significantly better than Tip Top’s canned product. However, you’re unlikely to be bringing your shaking tin and limes on a plane with you, and in this sense, it takes what would be a somewhat difficult process, and makes a passable, consistent, and somewhat tasty product that you can serve on a plane.

But What About The Price?

The only significant downside here is cost. I paid $12 for one on a recent Delta flight, and it’s pushing the limits at that price considering a full beer, wine, or even an equivalent mini-bottle of liquor is $9-10 (and generally the flight attendant gives you the whole mixer with it). Priced on the ground, you can buy 8 of these for about $40 (or about $5 each) before shipping from their website. This isn’t bad for convenience, but consider the cost of a premium, high end margarita:

A good bottle of 100% agave blanco tequila can be had for $30
The standard premium orange Cointreau is $35
Limes (which are currently expensive) are somewhere near $0.75.
This places the cost of a premium margarita around $4.20, and you know exactly what went in it, and it’s fresh.

So how could you make this profitable? Theoretically use mixto tequila which has no where near the flavor for $10 a bottle. Throw in some cheap, artificially flavored triple sec at $10 a handle, and get commercial lime concentrate. Boom – cheap margarita (perhaps around $1.90 before canning and packaging – cost that could be reduced with bulk industrial purchasing). Please be aware, there’s little to no information on how Tip Top is making these. I am not saying this is how they do it – but I am providing one potential path to how canned margaritas could be profitable at that price.

In all, Tip Top Margaritas are fine in certain settings where access to real tequila and limes wouldn’t be practical. Just don’t expect the world from it, and you won’t be disappointed. If you have the opportunity, means, and time, make your own Margarita (recipe here). It’s cheaper and they taste better for just a little more effort!

The Classics: Mint Julep

Posted on May 2, 2022April 28, 2022 by Nick

The Kentucky Derby is almost upon us once again. The ‘most exciting two minutes in sports’ is the first leg of the triple crown and home to some amazing hats and more than a little bourbon. One of the most associated classic drinks with the race is the Mint Julep. So grab some pellet ice, a bottle of bourbon, some fresh minute, and we’ll explain how to make this classic for your Kentucky Derby celebration!

Mint Julep

Algonquin

2 ½ oz

Bourbon

½ oz

Simple Syrup

Mint

Leaves

In a chilled julep cup, combine a couple mint leaves and the simple syrup. Gently muddle. Add bourbon and top with people ice. Gently stir or swizzle to melt the pebble ice until the ice dilutes and the outside of the cup becomes frosty. Add people ice on top, and garnish with a mint bouquet. For added mint fragrance, slap the outside of the julep tin with the mint as well.

It’s important to head into the Mint Julep with an understanding that it tastes like mint. If you’re not a fan of mint, then, in all likelihood, you won’t find the Mint Julep to be enjoyable as it is mint forward. The nice thing is that as the drink continues to dilute with the pebble ice, you will see various expressions of both the mint and bourbon. While bourbon will add fruitiness and spice, the cool mint will add refreshing herbal notes. For these reasons it’s a delightfully refreshing and spring like drink.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

Mint Juleps are easy to make and in a similar vein to an Old Fashioned but with a key focus on dilution. Using proper ice consistency is critical here, more than any other part of this drink, so we’re doing to start with that.

Ice – In most cocktails, we think about ice as a way to introduce dilution slowly. Since this is a function of surface area, bigger ice means slower dilution and more chilling. Mint Juleps require the opposite, fast and plentiful dilution. For this purpose, you want small ice. There are a few ways to do this:
- Your Fridge’s Ice Crusher – This will work but has some drawbacks. You’ll get inconsistent sized pieces of ice but they will complete the desired effect.
- Using a Lewis Bag & Mallet – This will work better, and provide you with small if somewhat inconsistent and possibly snowed ice. It’s not perfect, but it gives you more control through more elbow grease.
- Pellet Ice – Pellet Ice is normally awful, but it’s perfect for juleps. You could buy a pellet ice maker, but that’s expensive. Go to Sonic or Chick-Fil-A and they will sell you a whole bag on the cheap.
Bourbon – We used Buffalo Trace here for some of the cherry and oak notes, but use whatever you find most enjoyable. As the bourbon plays a prominent role, you can use better quality, just look out for the influence of mint which could amplify rye or overpower subtler notes. For more ideas, check out our Bourbon Rankings.
Simple Syrup – We specify ½ oz here, but feel free to tweak between ¼ oz and ½ oz to find what works best for you. You can also adjust the bourbon down to 2 oz here for this purpose.
Mint – Obviously fresh mint is important. Mint is introduced in 2 – 3 key ways in this drink. First, by muddling you impart the oils and flavors into the syrup. Second, you impart the aroma with the bouquet. The third optional way, is to smack the outside of the mug with mint, which will impart aroma and faint oils on the outside of the cup. This can be done for another layer of depth to the drink.

Siete Leguas Reposado

Posted on April 29, 2022April 21, 2022 by Nick

We love Siete Leguas Blanco in spite of the complete lack of information available online. We’ve previously covered this issue, while the box claims it’s Sazerac Company, they list no mention of Siete Leguas on their site. There’s also no English version of their site readily available, complicating matters further. That said, we love their blanco enough that their reposado was a must try. So is it worth it?

Siete Leguas Reposado

Sight: Extremely light white wine, almost pinot grigio like.

Smell: The nose starts off expressive and tangy with a mix of bright fino sherry and fresh agave. There are prickles of chili peppers, touches of vanilla, and fresh black pepper. Tropical fruits waft out like pineapple, grilled banana, and a mix of wet herbs and minerality. The nose has other hits of spice as well with just a pop of heat.

Sip: The body is like a smack of black pepper and artichokes with a bunch of oak right off the bat. Things starts to smooth out with more agave and grapefruit notes coming through. The tropical fruit flits around the edges and more of the agave notes come forward with more toasted flavors. A hint of cherry or banana also seems present with a little brine. The body has a nice weight and is smooth.

Savor: The finish is smooth with an emphasis on grilled vegetables, black pepper, and hints of oak, spice, and brine.

Siete Leguas Reposado’s nose does not quite match it’s taste, but the entire ride is delightfully complex. The nose implies this fruity, spicy, almost bright wine experience, but the body comes through with roasted vegetable and oak notes, with just hints of fruit. The finish adds a bit of spice and brine to tie the whole ending together. It’s an interesting sip, and keeps bringing me back to try it again.

In Cocktails

In a Margarita Siete Leguas Reposado adds black pepper and lets the citrus shine over a backdrop of smooth agave and gentle vanilla. That artichoke flavor is present with a very caramelized artichoke heart note, but the citrus really checks it. A slight bite of chili and tropical fruits joins in from time to time with a bit of minerality.. Overall, it keeps evolving in the glass, similar to how the tequila works on it’s own.

In Review – Siete Leguas Reposado

Siete Leguas Reposado is both complex and subtle. The flavors of roasted vegetables and pepper are more prevalent than in some over oaked examples of reposado. The fruity notes on the nose and the citrus notes offset this adding complexity and intrigue. At $50, this is heading toward the more expensive side of reposado, but still represents decent value.

The Classics: Paloma

Posted on April 25, 2022April 21, 2022 by Nick

Cinco de Mayo is well known for tequila and the logical thought is that it should be celebrated with Margaritas. You would think this might be especially true in Mexico as well. However, outside of one particular area of Mexico, Cinco de Mayo isn’t really celebrated, and Margaritas aren’t nearly as popular as Palomas. The Paloma is originally a mixture of grapefruit soda, lime, and tequila, although more modern interpretations bring in actual grapefruit juice. Compared to the margarita the list of ingredients make it even easier to build, so why not try one out.

Paloma

2 oz

Tequila

4 oz

Grapefruit Soda

½ oz

Lime Juice

Salt

Rim (Optional)

If using a salted rim, cut the lime and run it around the outside of the edge or a Collins or double rocks glass. On a flat surface, spread salt, and roll the rim of the glass through it. Build the drink in the glass with the ingredients above. Add ice and garnish with a grapefruit wedge.

The Paloma delivers a refreshing mix of sweet, sour, and agave notes with a hint of grapefruit. The start of the drink is tinged with hints of grapefruit from the garnish that give way to a sweetened version via the soda. The tequila then kicks up, in this case adding notes of spice and other citrus, as well as cooked agave flavor. The tequila elements linger on the finish, while the lime, bubbles, and grapefruit notes keep things refreshing.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The Paloma is a refreshing and engaging cocktail that serves a vessel for the tequila. Modern interpretations tilt this toward the grapefruit by adding in fresh grapefruit juice and soda in place of grapefruit soda. The result is a much more citrus forward drink, that belies the original grapefruit soda and tequila formal, but feels more natural and bitter.

Tequila – Tequila can make or break this cocktail. In our testing we worked with Siete Leguas Blanco, Pasote Blanco, and Olmeca Altos Blanco. Due to the high percentage compared with the soda and lime, the flavors of the tequila will directly drive the drink. If you see a pattern there, it’s due to the refreshing nature of blanco tequila. Don’t let that limit you though, reposado can work here as well.
Grapefruit Soda – The most commonly available grapefruit sodas are Ting, Squirt, and Jarritos. All of which can be hit and miss to find in your region and have different flavor profiles. We recommend using what you can find, and trying multiple sodas to determine what you like best. In our area, we’ve only been able to find Jarritos, which we find enjoyable if not captivating.
Lime Juice – Always use fresh squeezed for best results.

Pasote Blanco Tequila

Posted on April 22, 2022April 21, 2022 by Nick

Pasote Blanco Tequila is one of those products that if you went to the website and tried to learn more about it, you’d end up concluding it was just another tequila. The webpage informs you that they craft their tequila with rain water, blue agave tequila grown in the highlands, and (also) spring water. The bottle is guarded by guerreros (a reference to aztec warriors that isn’t clearly explained). Does any of that make you want to buy a bottle for $42?

Fortunately, there’s a good number of enthusiasts in online communities who’ve had favorable things to say about tequila, so how does it shake out?

Pasote Blanco Tequila

Sight: Clear

Smell: Cinnamon apples and hibiscus flowers pop out immediately. Notes of roasted agave and lime follow, with a slight smokiness and a grapefruit zest character. There’s also an almost brown sugar like note with plenty of tropical fruit backing it up.

Sip: It starts out spicy and builds with black pepper, cinnamon, clove, and roasted spice notes. The agave and citrus start to kick in, and ripe tropical fruit and slight vanilla sugar tones join them. There’s a touch of salinity and a very herbaceous character begins to build with hints of smoke.

Savor: The ending is more spice, smoke, and roasted agave notes with plenty of almost cinnamon sugar.

Pasote Blanco Tequila is a bold and somewhat spicy tequila. The flavors of spice are the dominate characterestics, but it does a have a bit of sweetness that contrasts against more of the earthy elements. The roasty agave flavors are a good foil to some of the tropical and citrus notes. The net mix is a bit sporadic in its presentation, but the flavors are overall delicious, even for sipping.

In Cocktails

Pasote Blanco Tequila passes along its spice and roasted notes along to a Paloma in a balanced but firm way. The roasted notes even give it a slight smoke character, while the fruitiness compliments the grapefruit soda. The subtle lime and salinity work well to give it a long and refreshing finish. In a margarita, the sweetness of the orange bounces off the smokiness and spice of the tequila. The result is a smooth and silky margarita that leans into a savory meaty flavor with heavy touches of caramel, vanilla, and spice. The flavor is almost earthy, and lingers.

In Review – Pasote Blanco Tequila

Pasote Blanco Tequila is versatile and bold. It plays well in both cocktails and on it’s own. The flavors are complex, if slightly less subtle than some of the other tequilas we’ve tasted. The result though is a tequila that balances notes of spice, smoke, and citrus in a way that no one element seems to show up repetitively. While it costs a bit more, the quality is strongly there at a price in the low $40 and is arguably worth paying for.

The Classics: Rosita

Posted on April 18, 2022April 17, 2022 by Nick

Meaning “little rose” in Spanish, the Rosita is a founded in the template of a Negroni made with tequila. In fact, the original recipe in the 1970s called for equal parts tequila and Campari, giving it a distinctly Negroni like character. Despite this, the Negroni wasn’t particularly popular, and disappeared for years. When it finally resurfaced, the overall character remained the same, but the drink got a decidedly stronger tequila focus. The result is a drink that channels a Negroni’s spirit, but give Tequila the space it needs to strut its stuff.

Rosita

1 ½ oz

Reposado Tequila

½ oz

Campari

½ oz

Dry Vermouth

½ oz

Sweet Vermouth

Dash

Angostura Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing vessel. Add ice and stir. Strain into a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with a lemon twist.

The Rosita combines a gentle smokiness and caramel with a bright, herbal bittersweetness. The play of the vermouth with the Campari gives it a distinctly Negroni like flavor, and fans of the bitter will find a lot to love here. The flavor of the reposado really gives an extra depth here, providing dimensions of roasted agave, caramel, and oakiness. The finish continues some of smokiness with a citrusy character.

Drink Notes & Recommendations

The Rosita highlights the sweet, roasted, gentle aging of tequila against the bright and bitter runs of tequila. The result is a drink that depends on the spirit as a backbone, but leaves room to explore itself through variation of the bitter and vermouth.

Tequila – For this recipe the lightly aged reposado is going to offer the best impact for the price. The subtle notes of oak and spice compliment the bitterness, vinous notes, and touches of herbs. The result is something that the oak influence adds a much need complexity that blanco wouldn’t provide. We used Olmeca Altos Reposado and found it worked quite well here.
Campari – While there are no direct substitutes for Campari, you can play around with another amaro – such as Aperol.
Dry Vermouth – We used our standard Dolin Dry Vermouth here, but feel free to use what you have on hand or what you enjoy most. The dry and sweet vermouths will play background here, which is important, but won’t be critical.
Sweet Vermouth – Normally we recommend the strong vanilla and spice complexity of Carpano Antica, but in this case, we suggest consider something lighter, like Cocchi di Torino or Martini & Rossi. You can certainly use Carpano, but be prepared for the vanilla to be more prevalent.
Angostura – These are the classic bitters and behave perfectly here adding clove and cinnamon plus a bit of bittering agent. Adjusting this will chance some fundamental binding elements and flavor notes. We recommend you start with Angostura, and consider adjusting if you like the start point.

Olmeca Altos Reposado

Posted on April 15, 2022April 14, 2022 by Nick

In last year’s tequila round up, there was a conspicuously obvious lack of variety. Everything was blanco. The reason behind this was more to have an even comparison field, but also to focus on the more commonly used blanco for Margarita applications. To remedy this, we’ll be taking a look at couple of reposado’s this year, and starting with Olmeca Altos Reposado, the sibling of one of our recommended bottles for starting your home bar.

Before we get too far, a recap on Tequilas. There are both 100% agave and mixto:

100% Agave – Nothing but agave used here in the distillation. No sugars, no color, no additives.
Mixto – Require 51% agave, but the rest can use sugars and neutral grain spirits.

Never use mixto. They are inconsistent and do not provide the quality or flavor needed.

Then there are the age statements:

Blanco / Plata / Silver – Unaged to two months in stainless steel or neutral barrels.
Reposado – Two months to one year in any sized oak barrel.
Anejo – 1 – 3 years in small oak barrels.
Extra Anejo – Minimum 3 years in oak barrels.

For the vast majority of drinks, Blanco / Reposado are going to be your best bets and most cost effective.

Olmeca Altos Reposado

Olmeca Altos Reposado is 100% agave which are aged 7-8 years. They’re roasted in brick ovens and processed with a large Tohana stone. The resulting mash is used into copper stills, and in the case of reposado, aged in used bourbon barrels.

Sight: Bordering on lightly aged Chardonnay or Chablis.

Smell: The nose is a raucous mix of grapefruit zest, caramel, vanilla, and touches of roasted agave. A subtle roastiness pervades and a linger bit of pepper hang around as well with some additional citrus.

Sip: The start is smooth and slightly dusty. A gradual build of caramel, vanilla, and oak start to show up. The citrus on the nose is more subdued and pithy. The roasted agave notes also move in late with a little burnt cinnamon.

Savor: The ending has a soft wood and vanilla note with a bit of agave. There’s a bit of tannin here and some burn.

Olmeca Altos Reposado is kind of calm and gentle, if a little on the straightforward side. The subtle citrus notes and light oak influence really help to give it character that you’d expect from a reposado tequila. That said, it doesn’t scream that it wants to be sipped neat. That’s ok though, its an easy going tequila at a reasonable price point for making cocktails.

In Cocktails

In a margarita, the caramel and vanilla notes come forward with a burly hit of tannic wood. The lime pulls in shortly after, and then expands the citrus. While the ending is slightly tannic and bitter, it’s a pretty smooth margarita. In a Rosita, it really brings some beautiful vanilla and oak notes, but the place it shines is in some of those burnt spice and citrus-agave notes. These shine beautifully against the herbal notes of the vermouth and with the bittersweet notes of the tequila.

In Review – Olmeca Altos Reposado

We generally like Olmeca Altos Reposado at $25-30. It brings a good amount of tequila character without being offensive or overpowering. As an entry point, this tequila is good a starter – but doesn’t open up world of tequila in any particular way. With tempered expectations, there’s a good amount to like about Olmeca, but you don’t need to feel pressure to find a bottle.

Strawberry Margarita

Posted on April 11, 2022April 10, 2022 by Nick

One of Ann Marie’s favorite cocktails is a Margarita, but we wanted to give it a bit of a twist for the Cinco de Mayo. What better way than to give it a fresh and sweet spin with strawberries. They’re easy to find, the syrup is quick to make and useful in other cocktails we make, and give a delightful pop of color. You can even make a Strawberry Margarita with one less ingredient, as we’re forgoing Cointreau in this variation.

Strawberry Margarita

Margarita

2 oz

Blanco Tequila

1 oz

Strawberry Simple

1 oz

Lime Juice

Sugar

for Rim (optional)

Sprinkle sugar on a plate. Using the lime to rim a rocks glass, roll the edge of the glass through the salt. In a shaker, combine all ingredients. Shake with ice. Add fresh ice to the rocks glass that you have rimmed with sugar, and double strain into the rocks glass. Garnish with a fresh strawberry

Our Strawberry Margarita subtly whispers fresh strawberries while equally keeping it’s nature as a margarita. The balance between the juicy limes and fresh, juicy strawberries keeps it refreshing. The tequila balances it in terms of sweetness, adding an herbaceous and agave rich note. The nature is refreshing and bright while remaining balanced.

Drink Notes and Recommendations

We’ve spent a lot of time playing with Margarita’s and as a result we’re learned a few things. While the template is infinitely riffable, there are somethings that work out better than others.

Tequila – We’ve found 100% agave, blanco tequilas are your best bet. Don’t bother with Mixto, they are imbalanced at best. Blancos with some sweeter notes compliment well, such as Siete Legaus or Casamigos Blanco.
Strawberry Simple – This will work best when you make it with the best quality available ripe strawberries. For the full recipe, see below.
Lime Juice – Always use fresh squeezed for the best possible result.
Sugar – We recommend sugar here to pair with the fresh, vibrant strawberry flavors. If you find it overly sweet, or prefer to not enjoy sugar with every sip, skip the sugar or rim half the glass.
Ice – Unlike most situations, a bit of ongoing dilution isn’t the end of the world for a well made margarita. If you have decently sized ice cubes, feel free to use those or try a large rock. That said, on the rocks is the appropriate way to enjoy a Margarita.

Strawberry Simple Syrup:

Shared with our Chocolate Covered Strawberry Hot Chocolate mocktail and Chocolate Covered Strawberry, this syrup is both deliciously fresh and unadulterated. It’s easy to make and ends up thick, fast, and fragrant. It’s uses aren’t limited to cocktails, feel free to try it on pancakes.

250 g Strawberries, cleaned and hulled
250 g White Sugar

In a blender, combine equal weights cleaned and hulled strawberries with white sugar. Blend until smooth. Pour into a sealed container, refrigerate, and use within 1 – 2 weeks.

Cenote Blanco Tequila

Posted on April 8, 2022 by Nick

Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner, and that means it’s Tequila season! Last year we went through four tequilas, and this year we’re adding in a newcomer, Cenote Blanco Tequila. Named after the swimming holes that are created by the collapse of limestone, Cenote features reverse osmosis filtered water from an artisan well by the base of a Volcano on their property. The water is paired with 100% blue agave that are grown to a minimum age of 6 – 7 years, and distilled in both copper and stainless steel pot stills. For their blanco tequila, the resulting spirit is aged 3 weeks in American oak to help mellow it.

Cenote Blanco Tequila

Sight: Clear

Smell: Notes of black pepper, green bell pepper, agave, and citrus come together in a harmonious and bright mix. Notes of vanilla and resinous pine hide in the background with a plethora of other green vegetable hints.

Sip: Starting off smooth, it opens with lime, black pepper, and agave notes. A touch of vanilla and a bit of cedar get together, and give way to some additional spice. The citrus notes continue to evolve as it goes adding earth, char, and a touch of yeast.

Savor: The ending is more citrus and pepper and char. The length continues with a dry yeastiness and charred agave.

Cenote Blanco Tequila is definitely leaning into the drier, citrus and green vegetable side of tequila. Ultimately, the flavor profile is very balanced, and the smoothness keeps it easy to drink. The flavors aren’t super in your face either, so you can pensively explore each sip. This is a nice set of flavors for those looking to upgrade and try something more conservative.

In Cocktails

In a Margarita the Cenote boosts the lime and citrus notes to the forefront while letting the sweetness stay balanced. The agave notes play around in the background and give it a distinct flavor. Despite the sweetness that’s present on palate, it’s very dry on the finish. There’s a very pointed agave funk kind of ending with a healthy dose of black pepper. This flavor profile can make it a little challenging in cocktails, especially for those used to fruitier, less agave and vegetable forward tequilas.

In Review – Cenote Blanco Tequila

Cenote Blanco Tequila is a balanced tequila with a drier profile than other mass market offerings. The no additive nature and moderate price point makes this an attractive choice for tequila fans looking to branch out into more restrained tastes. We recommend this as an expansion bottle for your bar, but it might be a little intimidating as a starter.