The holiday season is here and with it comes myriad social gatherings, parties, get-togethers, and work functions. While the highlight of many of these events is heavy, savory food and indulgent, sweet desserts, you’d be remiss if you didn’t pair these heavy feasts and social engagements with a glass or two of a well-made, warming spirit. And while whiskey seems to get all of the love during the winter months, we believe another spirit deserves a chance to shine.
We’re talking of course about tequila. Whether it’s a flavorful blanco, a sweeter reposado, a nuanced añejo, or a complex, mellow extra añejo, tequila is a great choice during the holiday season. Not only it is a nice respite from the usual single malt whiskies, bourbons, and rye whiskeys but the roasted agave flavors and vanilla, oak, caramel, and spices of the aged expressions make it a great complement to seasonal fare.
To find some of the best sipping tequilas currently available, we turned to the professionals for help. We asked a handful of well-known bartenders, mixologists, and beverage directors to tell us their choices for the best sipping tequilas for the holiday season. Keep scrolling to see all of their agave-centric choices.
Codigo 1530 Origen Extra Añejo
Jennifer Donegan, bar manager at Bar Pendry in Washington DC
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $330
The Tequila:
I love a good reposado or añejo, personally. I got started on sipping whiskey, so it was an easy jump for me to aged tequila. if I want something smooth and mellow, I’ll go for Codigo Extra Añejo. Agave spirits have this naturally full mouthfeel when aged, and there is always something earthy on the nose.
Tasting Notes:
You get strong baking spices and caramel or a light cocoa. Even cinnamon ice cream because of some strong vanilla influence.
La Gritona Reposado
Alex Barbatsis, bar director at The Whistler in Chicago
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $38
The Tequila:
I love La Gritona, specifically its reposado tequila. When drinking tequila neat, I like one a little barrel-aged to round out the bright agave notes, and La Gritona is rested for eight months in ex-bourbon barrels. This company exclusively makes reposado tequila harvested from eight to ten-year-old agave plants, so you know the quality is always going to be on point.
Tasting Notes:
This sipping tequila is known for its roasted agave, vanilla, earthy, memorable flavor profile. It’s sweet, refined, and flavorful.
Fortaleza Reposado
Ricardo Flores, bar manager at Hot Tin in New Orleans
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $58
The Tequila:
My personal favorite is Fortaleza Reposado Tequila. Fortaleza Tequila is known for its exceptional quality and craftsmanship, making it a great choice to drink neat. Crafted from 100% blue Weber agave, it boasts a smooth and rich flavor profile. The tequila is produced using traditional methods, such as stone ovens and copper pot stills, which add to its unique character. When you drink it neat, you can fully savor the intricate layers of flavors. It’s worth giving it a try if you enjoy savoring the pure essence of tequila.
Tasting Notes:
Fortaleza Tequila is known for its rich and velvety profile, featuring hints of caramelized agave, toasted oak, and a touch of citrus. These elements harmonize to craft an enjoyable and well-balanced experience.
Quintaliza Reposado
Alli Torres, operating partner and head bartender at Freehold in Miami
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $79
The Tequila:
What’s the best tequila to drink neat and why? I’ve always been a big advocate of reposado expressions for a neat tasting. It shows how the tequila opens up and what it’s capable of evolving into when aged further. For this, Quintaliza Reposado Tequila has been top of my list with its multi-dimensional journey of soft coffee notes, to hints of more peppery boldness on the backend.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you definitely pull out a bit of those bolder tones mentioned – pepper, leather, and fireplace vibes. On first sip, it’s smoother than you’d anticipate revealing hints of chocolate and coffee. As you allow that sip to settle, a bit bolder flavors coat the back of your mouth and that’s the pop of pepper I touched on earlier. It truly makes such a well-rounded cocktail with this profile combination.
El Tequileno Platinum
Ena Kitanovikj, bartender at La Grande Boucherie in New York City
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $44
The Tequila:
El Tequileno Platinum is my pick. El Tequileno Platino is made from 100% estate-grown agave in the Highland of Jalisco. It is left to mellow in American oak for a minimum of fourteen days before it is bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Aromas of cooked agave, herbal, delicate nuances of anise and black pepper. There is slight spiciness on the palate.
Gran Patron Burdeos Añejo
Tracy Javier, lead mixologist at VUE Rooftop at Hotel Washington in Washington DC
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $599
The Tequila:
The delicate spirit of Gran Patron Burdeos Añejo is a taste from the gods. It’s aged in a combination of French Limousin and new American oak barrels for four years.
Tasting Notes:
It’s a rich mahogany color and tastes sweet yet has a complexity of cooked agave, vanilla, and earth. The nose is fruity with black pepper and charred oak. I love to sip this slowly and neat feeling the flavors change in my mouth.
Don Julio 1942 Añejo
Richie Barrow, general manager and food and beverage at Tribe Hotels Group in Nairobi, Kenya
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $155
The Tequila:
The tequila category has so many new and old tequilas to pick from. Unfortunately, here in Kenya, we do not get as many of these newer or smaller batch tequilas. As for Don Julio 1942 Añejo, I will slip this into the category of tequilas to try for those new to the category. Overall, a very easy drinking and sippable tequila.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, rich caramel, chocolate, roasted cashew nuts and warm spices. The palate is the notable spiciness of tequila, white pepper, dark chocolate, and caramel, with a semi-sweet finish with woody notes.
El Tequileño Gran Reserva
Matthew Thurber, general manager at Sandbox in San Antonio
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $50
The Tequila:
When I am drinking tequila neat, I prefer quality. El Tequileño Gran Reserva is by far the best-tasting and most accessible. The Grand Reserva is hard to beat for its price point and its nice blend of tequilas.
Tasting Notes:
There is no fake taste, and you get the true taste of vanilla, caramel, salinity, and citrus. Competition tastes like extract, while this is derived from its time spent in oak casks. Due to it being a blend, you do get the best of all the ages.
Don Fulano Añejo
Diego Livera, bartender at The Cabinet in New York City
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $110
The Tequila:
When sipping on tequila neat, I reach for Don Fulano Añejo tequila, with its 100% agave all-natural fermentation process from a 5th generation family-owned distillery.
Tasting Notes:
Aged in French Limousine Oak casks with no sugar/color added, it finishes nice and dry without any harsh tequila notes. It has a nice spice character, with notes of baked banana, roasted coffee, light chocolate, and a bit of a floral nose.
G4 Reposado
Sean Yeats, USBG bartender at Porco Lounge and Tiki Room in Cleveland
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $49
The Tequila:
I love most tequilas that are unaged with no additives. Get me as close to the still as I can get. For this, I tend to love the old family-owned brands that still make these things in traditional ways like G4. G4 stands for 4 generations of family distilling and makes some of the best tequila out there.
Tasting Notes:
It’s exceptionally smooth and brings out that cooked agave, pepper, and minerality that you tend to expect in an exceptional tequila.