So, there I was at a house party last night. As a parting toast, the host served everyone a shot of Patron vodka, which is apparently $100 a bottle (liquor store price tag) and something absurd if you buy a bottle at a nightclub ($500 or so). Shots of Patron at a club are also quite expensive (about 10 bucks).
So, uh, “what’s this lime for”, I ask. Apparently you’re supposed to bite down into it as a chaser. So I knock that shot back. The sensation is approximately the same as trying to swallow a slug of that rubbing alcohol you put onto wounds. This horrible, burning sensation. If the alcohol had a taste, I couldn’t tell. The lime is needed for stopping the burning.
So, what’s the deal, you? That was the good stuff. What was good about it? Why are people willing to pay so much for what appears to be ethanol and water and some additives you can’t possibly taste as the burning from the alcohol masks everything else. Why would I want to do this again in the future?
Vodka all tastes the same to me; I’ve never liked it. Gin has different aromatics, which is far more interesting to me, and the difference between cheap and expensive whiskey/bourbon/tequila is huge.
The difference between bad and good tequila is undrinkable vs drinkable. The better tequilas are going to be 100% agave, with various longer aging times.
If you don’t like it, fine. No point ragging on people who do, though.
The difference between tequila and vodka is rather night and day. Nothing personal, but if you can’t tell the difference just from the smell from a foot away, you have no business drinking either spirit. Or anything else, for that matter.
You don’t even know the difference between vodka and tequila. So you’re not going to know the difference between bad tequila and good tequila.
When I was a kid, I drank poor-quality vodka all the time. It made me grit my teeth when I drank it, but it was a cheap, quick drunk, and that’s all I really wanted. And then one day I get offered some really premium vodka–some kind of limited edition Polish vodka that only the high Communist officials could get. And it really was wonderful–sweet, smooth, went down like silk.
So that’s my advice: If you want to really know the difference between the bad stuff and the good stuff (whether it be tequila, vodka, whiskey, or whatever), drink lots of the poor quality stuff first. Then the good quality stuff will be a noticeable improvement.
Of course if you’re not a regular alcohol drinker, then it’s all kind of a moot point. You’ll never have enough exposure to really train your taste buds to notice the difference.
Habeed, I apologize for jumping your shit. The Dodgers just got robbed and I’m feeling a bit irked.
But really, the difference between cheap vodka and decent vodka is quite distinct. After that things get fuzzy, because the difference between decent and top-shelf is mostly imaginary. Things are quite different with tequila. It just keeps getting better as you move up the price range. Once you get into 100% blue agave, you’re into the good stuff. Once you start sipping the anejos and reposados, you’re into the really good stuff.
ps - Anybody who gives you a lime with good tequila is a poser. Shun them.
Yeah, good tequila is like good whiskey - you’re supposed to savor it.
Vodka, OTOH, comes in three types: bad, good and overpriced. The proponents of overpriced vodka will go on about filters and stuff like that; ignore them like you would other believers in homeopathy.
Habeed,
It appears that you are not experienced in alcohols yet, and may choose not to be. Seriously, if you don’t like the flavor, than just skip it. It will save you money and hangovers in the end.
I find Patron delicious enough to make my own margarita with it (no premade margarita mix either, that would be a waste). But it is not really a party tequila.
If you do choose to continue drinking alcohol, try a new one. Perhaps gin will be more to your liking. And to help avoid sickness, drink only that alcohol of choice that day. Don’t mix alcohols and don’t do shots yet. This will teach you more about the taste of various alcohols. If you drink several different alcohols in one evening, how will you remember which one you liked best (or disliked most)? Don’t forget wine and beer; the can vary greatly by brand and even by season. But go careful to learn what you like.
Or skip it and get into gourmet pizza instead. It’s what you like that counts.
I generally don’t care for tequila, but I can drink Patron. It’s definitely waaaaaaay smoother than the cheap stuff, although I personally think Don Julio is better.
We had a big gift certificate at a nice restaurant so I splurged on a shot of Don Julio 42. Very nice. Corzo is a good tequila too. Some experts say it’s a little on the uncomplicated side but I like it.
I don’t drink tequila often but I just can’t drink the blanco/silver anymore unless it’s in a marguerita.
Our go-to tequila around the house is Herradura Reposado. Good enough to sip if you want, but cheap enough that my angina doesn’t flare up if it goes into a margarita.
Heed carnut’s words - Margarita mix is for camping and frats. If you have the will to make one at home, make one from scratch from quality ingredients.
I don’t think so, but there are a few recipes out there. Mine, I think I picked up reading Martha Stewart, and it’s 3-2-1: Tequila, Fresh squeezed Lime juice, orange-flavored spirit. I like Cointreau. Mix with ice, serve over ice cubes in rocks glass. No salt for me, but others like it. No muddling or syrup making required. Edit: As to the tequila used, I like Silvers and Reposados. I thought El Jimador was nice, and I like Milagro’s too. I might alter the Margarita recipe to use Grand Marnier instead of Cointreau if I’m using Reposado. Anejos are for sipping, IMHO, but Silvers and Reposados are interesting to sip straight too.
Margaritas from a machine are different, but have their place too, IMHO. I’m partial to drinking the ones from Chuy’s, while I wait for a Chuychanga or their fajitas.
Hate the machine-made ones. Our local Mexican hang-out makes killer Margaritas on the rocks, using good tequila and Grand Marnier. GG has the basic recipe down: 3-2-1. I too prefer mine sans salt.
According to a promo sheet at the liquor store I work at:
Patron is not sold domestically within Mexico
They use a stainless steel autoclave method (the bastards!)
They have never won any awards
They spend a shitload on marketing
Don Julio claims to be the real deal and doesn’t mess around with that stainless steel autoclave bullshit. Mileage varies of course. But most of my customers just go for the Cuervo because it’s cheap and after the third shot you don’t know what it tastes like anyway.
Uh…for the same reason I can tell the difference between a ribeye and a chicken parmesan. They just taste different.
This. Like many American drinkers, I started in high school and college drinking whatever we could scrounge/afford. The thing about bad vodka or tequila is that not only does it taste awful (regardless of what you put in it), it also tends to give you a massive hangover. When you end up tasting the high-end stuff, it tastes as lot smoother.
I can’t really tell if it makes a difference in martinis and other mixed drinks. But some people feel a need to specify Grey Goose or Kettle One or whatever it is they are into.
Patron costs $20 to $50 a bottle depending on what type you get.
When you purchase a bottle of anything in a nightclub (typically $400 - $500), you also get a bunch of mixers (juices, etc) and a private area for you and your friends to sit at. It’s still overpriced, but “bottle service” typically means some level of “VIP” treatment.
