Don’t Shoot Tequila

My last post before Christmas covered the fun you can have with gin… Now with the new year it’s the turn of one of the sister events from the Drinking Classes, Don’t Shoot Tequila.

Most of us know tequila as slammers, the flavour of which tends to be washed away with salt and lime while we shudder quietly. Don’t Shoot Tequila is about showing you that it isn’t just to shoot, you can enjoy it to sip or to enhance cocktails.

 

 

Our venue for the event was to be the Bar Wizards Lounge in Littleborough. A quick (and cheap) hop from the city, it ridiculously easy to find, their shelves are exceedingly well stocked and the staff are, to be quite honest, lovely. 

 

 

My date for the day, Keeley and I arrived a little early and with no cocktail menu (an absolute plus in our book) available, Neil asked us about our favourite drinks. Keeley’s reply of Chambord was rewarded with a terribly pretty (and tasty) Bramble. I had spotted the saffron gin and asked for that, receiving a fabulous Martini in response. Perfectly setting us up for an afternoon of learning, tasting and cocktails.

Our host for the afternoon, John, begins with what exactly tequila is, taking you through tequila’s history, it’s creation and the differences that location (terroir), method and ageing can make to an individual batch of spirit.

 

 

But much as I’d love to dwell on it, enough of the geekery, let’s talk cocktails.

First up, fellow taster Jen was invited to behind the bar to work on a set of margaritas, using the four spirits we were tasting – mezcal (tequila has Appellation of Origin status and so mezcal is made all over Mexico, not just in Jalisco and can be made from any type of agave), a tequila blanco (unaged, rested in tanks for up to 2 weeks), a tequila reposado (aged in barrels or casks for up to 1 year) and a tequila anejo (aged in barrels or casks for up to 3 years).

 

 

The difference was marked. Where the blanco had sweet citrussy notes to it, the mezcal was deeper and smoky. The reposado had more honey and toffee and the anejo was all rich caramel. With agave syrup as the sugar base, the flavour of the spirits was more pronounced than I’d experienced it before.

Next it was Keeley’s turn to take on one of my favourites, the Old Fashioned. Using the anejo and the mezcal for comparison, both used the traditional bitters, but the anejo was made using Golden Syrup and the mezcal using the agave syrup. With the ubiquitous orange peel scenting the drink and the glass, it was a great comparison to make. The anejo was sweet, with a hint of caramelised oranges, but for me, the mezcal stole the show. A new version of a Smoky Old Fashioned for me, it’s going on my list of favourites.

 

 

All in all, an afternoon spent in fantastic company, with great drinks, a little geekery and a bar that I’ll be back to for a visit anyway. What’s not to like?