cinco de mayo

The Perfect Margarita for Cinco de Mayo

Filed under: Spirits

The perfect tequila is neither too sweet nor too salty. It's made from all natural, high-quality ingredients. And, it has just the right amount of kick to accompany your guacamole. This year, celebrate Mexican heritage right on Cinco de Mayo with CORZO's Evolutionary Margarita, designed by Mixologist Jonathan Pogash.

Gone are the days of mixing margaritas with sugary Triple Sec or additive-laden tequilas. "The use of savory ingredients in this drink is one of my favorite trends that we're currently seeing a lot of at the bar," says Pogash. The Evolutionary Margarita is the prime example of fine tequila cocktails today, made from delicious fresh peppers and lightly sweet blue agave nectar. The combination perfectly complements the naturally sweet CORZO Reposado, which is made with twice the agave plants of normal tequilla as well as a triple distillation process to achieve the uniquely smooth CORZO taste. And with a green lime and red pepper garnish, colors from the Mexican flag, it's a perfect cocktail for the fifth of May.

Tags: cinco de mayo, cocktail recipes, corzo, corzo reposado, margarita, margarita recipe, tequila

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Ten Terrific Tequilas To Ring In Cinco de Mayo

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Drinking tequila if you get drawn out to the bars on Cinco de Mayo is a must. Consider the obligation akin to ordering Guinness on St. Patrick's Day.

But instead of just imbibing some mysterious "ita" drink conjured by the bartender (though some of these can be very nice), consider trying a new brand straight and chilled in order to really note the flavors.
Not a lot of Tequila gets consumed straight in the U.S. For many, they don't want to see it unless its in a traditional margarita, or otherwise tarted up with lots of fruit.

Here is my guilty pleasure when I'm not drinking it chilled and straight. Take a shot of tequila, and a 100% fruit frozen popsicle. Cut the the popsicle off the stick into a blender, add the Tequila, blend, and serve. Garnish with lime and or salt on the rim of the glass as with a standard margarita, or get jiggy with the salt. Blend the salt with orange zest, or fresh ginger, or fresh rhubarb, mint, or even basil. Be your own mixologist.

You can also use frozen fruit in a bag, but the popsicle approach makes for a perfect serving size, and friends get a kick out of it.

Gallery: Ten Terrific Tequilas for Cinco de Mayo

Tags: Casa Noble, cinco de mayo, Don Julio, Jose Cuervo, Patron, Tequila, Tequila Anejo, Tequila Blanco, Tequila Reposado

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Rosangel Hibiscus-Flavored Tequila, A Cinco de Mayo Treat

by Ann Brenoff (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Sipping a margarita made with the hibiscus-infused Gran Centenario's Rosangel's Tequila took me back several decades to when I tasted my first flavored spirit. It was a Buffalo vodka and appropriately enough, it was served to me in the former USSR on the eve of May Day.

So here on the eve of celebrating Cinco de Mayo, it seemed only appropriate to try the fanciful combination of an hibiscus-infused tequila that debuted to market about a year ago. While not a frequent tequila drinker, I was curious about the hibiscus, which as a tea drink is consumed hot or cold all over the world. In Mexico, the hibiscus is known for its mild flavor, tanginess and color.

Rosangel is made of the "finest, sweetest, highest quality" 100% Highland blue agave, and only harvested after a decade or more. The hearts of the agave are baked for up to 72 hours in traditional clay ovens to "guarantee that even the subtlest flavors of the agave remain." After the resulting spirit is fermented and distilled, it rests in new French Limousin white oak barrels for a minimum of 10 months, then blended with a small amount of older tequila reserves for balance and character and then set to rest for another two months in port barrels.

Tags: alcohol, cinco de mayo, Gran Centenario, Gran Centenario Rosangel, spirits, tequila, tequila recipes, tequila tasting

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Casa Noble Tequila

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

It's Cinco de Mayo this week and there is no better way to celebrate than with a great tequila. One of our favorites is Casa Noble. They are a small distillery based in Mexico which has a history reaching back into the 1700s. They use agave from their own fields and carefully select plants that are 12 to 14 years old. Then they cook the piñas in stone ovens for 36 hours and use natural fermentation with only yeasts from the plant itself for 72 hours in steel vats. They also triple distill the tequila. Their aged tequilas are matured in French white oak barrels. The tequila is available in Crystal, Gold, Reposado, and an Extra Aged Anejo. Casa Noble's deep agave flavor works well with light citrus like limes or lemons. The tequila has won a bunch of awards. The Anejo was recently selected as one of the best by Penthouse magazine and last year it was on the Forbes list. The Anejo is a sipping tequila but if you are craving a Cinco de Mayo margarita go with the Crystal or the Gold. The Crystal sells for around $50 and the Anejo, which is a limited edition costs around $80.

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Tags: alcohol, casa noble, cinco de mayo, spirits, tequila