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Discover a smooth, sweet sipper, or an indulgently smoky spiritBecky Paskin/The StandardIf the thought of tequila brings back wild memories of vomit-inducing shots with salt and lime, it’s time for a wake-up call: you’ve been drinking this delicious agave spirit all wrong, and quite frankly, you’re missing out.
Nowadays, most tequila is of the 100 per cent agave variety – a far cry from the budget mixto bottles poured in nightclubs back in the day. The very best brands available work with local agave farmers (jimadors) and distillers (maestro tequileros or mezcaleros) to produce high-quality, delicious spirits that are full-flavoured and artisanal in their approach, making them perfect for an elevated slow-sipping experience.
With National Tequila Day upon us (24th July), now’s a perfect time to give Tequila another go, or should I say, shot? But where to start?
As a drinks expert of more than two decades, here’s my personal selection of the best 100 per cent agave bottles you can buy, whether you’re looking for a smooth, sweet sipper, an indulgently smoky spirit or the perfect pour to liven up your Margaritas.
Best tequila and mexcal at a glance
Best overall – Madre Blanco Tequila: £59, Masterofmalt.com
Best for margarita cocktails – Olmeca Altos Plata: £22.50, Waitrosecellar.com
Best for tequila connoisseurs – Fortaleza Blanco: £79, Masterofmalt.com
Best for gifting – Mezcal Reina Ensamble Espadín Tobasiche Mezcal: £70.55, Tesco.com
And because tequila is a type of mezcal, I’ve also included a handful of my favourites to broaden your repertoire. Salud, and happy sipping!
What is the difference between tequila and mezcal?
The difference comes down to the location and species of agave each spirit uses.
Tequila is a highly regulated spirit that’s produced exclusively from a minimum of 51 per cent blue Weber agave in five Mexican states, although most Tequila nowadays is made from 100 per cent agave.
Mezcal, on the other hand, can be produced from more than 30 agave varieties in nine Mexican states and is often identified by a smoky character from the slow subterranean cooking of the agave piñas.
Tequila, a style of mezcal, tends to have fresh, clean and bright flavours, while mezcal is often more rustic in character.
How I taste-tested
Find the perfect pour to liven up your MargaritasBecky Paskin/The Standard I approached tasting each spirit as I would in any blind tasting competition. The samples were poured in order of style and strength (lightest to strongest), and assessed for the complexity and character of their aroma, flavour and finish. I prefer to assess wines and spirits first thing in the morning, before food, with only sips of water between samples to cleanse the palate.
Madre Blanco Tequila
Becky Paskin/The Standard ★★★★☆
Best: Tequila for mezcal lovers
What we love: Made by a family-owned, single-estate distillery, additive-free, and cute 200ml flask editions
Take note: It has a funkier taste than most mainstream Tequila
Madre is well known for its range of mezcal, produced in partnership with local families. Their tequila, made using 100 per cent blue Weber agave harvested from a single estate in Jalisco, could well be mistaken for a traditional mezcal. It has all the hallmarks of a rural, artisanal spirit – funky, savoury, buttery and sweet.
Cooked agave flavours verge on fresh grass while jalapeños give it a slightly earthy, ashy edge. It has a superbly silky mouthfeel, even at 48 per cent ABV and despite being additive-free (there’s no glycerin added to smooth out the texture). Definitely one to try – it also comes in an adorable 20cl flask.
- Classification: Blanco Tequila
- Produced in: Los Altos, Mexico
- ABV: 48%
- Size: 70cl
Olmeca Altos Plata
Becky Paskin/The Standard ★★★★☆
Best: For margarita lovers
What we love: It’s bright, fresh and zesty, perfect for cocktails, and one of the best budget tequilas around
Take note: May be too simple for those looking for a sipping tequila
Crafted from 100 per cent agave in the highlands of Jalisco, Olmeca Altos Plata is known as the bartender’s tequila: not only is it founded by bartenders, it’s voted time and again as the world’s best for making margaritas.
It’s no wonder, either – Altos Plata is a bright, citrus-forward and herbaceous tequila that’s perfectly balanced with lingering notes of cooked agave and a touch of black pepper, making it a must-have for citrus-forward cocktails.
- Classification: Blanco Tequila
- Produced in: Los Altos, Mexico
- ABV: 38%
- Size: 70cl
Fortaleza Blanco
Becky Paskin/The Standard ★★★★★
Best: For tequila connoisseurs
What we love: Acres of flavour and complexity, unique, handcrafted agave-shaped bottle stopper
Take note: It’s a premium Tequila with a premium price to match
This high-end, small-batch tequila relies on 150 years of family distilling expertise, using traditional techniques to craft an earthy, savoury, and full-bodied Tequila.
Notes of stewed fruits, cooked agave and olives combine with an almost buttery texture with a black pepper kick. The bottles are hand-blown in Mexico and topped with a cute carved agave stopper. This is true artisan tequila making, and one of the best blancos you can buy.
- Classification: Blanco Tequila
- Produced in: Tequila, Mexico
- ABV: 40%
- Size: 70cl
Código 1530 Rosa
Becky Paskin/The Standard ★★★★☆
Best: For red wine lovers
What we love: Beautiful, unique colour, subtle notes of red wine, and additive-free
Take note: Lower alcohol strength than many other tequilas
While technically a blanco Tequila, Código has rested its spirit in Napa Valley Cabernet wine barrels for one month, giving it a slight pinky hue and subtle notes of redcurrants and blackberries.
Additive-free and produced at a single lowlands distillery in Amatitán, this is a gentle sipping Tequila that also makes a wonderful spritz with rosé vermouth and tonic.
- Classification: Blanco Tequila
- Produced in: Amatitán, Mexico
- ABV: 35%
- Size: 70cl
Mi Campo Reposado
Becky Paskin/The Standard ★★★☆☆
Best: For those with a sweet tooth
What we love: Juicy tropical fruit flavours, easy-sipping and smooth
Take note: Certainly on the sweet side
Perhaps it’s the fermentation in open-air tanks amid fragrant citrus trees that gives Mi Campo’s reposado notes of tropical fruits and Starburst sweets. Maybe it’s the maturation for up to 12 months in Napa Valley Pinot Noir and Cabernet wine casks imparting strawberries and cream to this otherwise herbaceous spirit.
In any case, this is a Tequila that’s very much on the sweeter side – it’s viscous in texture with buckets of vanilla cream and fruit juice that almost overwhelm any agave character. One for those starting their tequila-sipping journey.
- Classification: Reposado Tequila
- Produced in: Jalisco, Mexico
- ABV: 40%
- Size: 70cl
Ocho Reposado
Becky Paskin/The Standard ★★★★★
Best: For Agave aficionados
What we love: Beautifully balanced oak and agave characters, Ocho is the first single estate tequila, and excellent value for money
Take note: Only available in smaller-than-usual 500ml bottles
Look at the label of any bottle of Ocho Tequila, and you’ll see each batch is slightly different, depending on the year it was produced and the precise field the agave was harvested from. This artisanal approach is what defines Ocho as one of the world’s most respected tequila brands.
Its reposado expression is gently rested for exactly eight weeks and eight days in ex-American whiskey barrels before bottling, allowing the pure agave character to shine through. With herbaceous notes of grass and fresh mint, leading to stone fruits like plums and apricots via a subtle marzipan caress, this is a true sipping Tequila that deserves to be enjoyed slowly.
- Classification: Reposado Tequila
- Produced in: Jalisco, Mexico
- ABV: 40%
- Size: 50cl
Tapatio Anejo
Becky Paskin/The Standard ★★★☆☆
Best: Tequila Old Fashioned’s
What we love: Orchard fruits and stewed agave flavours, not overly sweet for an añejo Tequila
Take note: Watch out for the new bottle design, which is only available in smaller-than-usual 500ml bottles
Tapatio is a brand of Tequila you’re likely to see gracing the shelves of quality cocktail bars all over the world. Produced at the La Alteña distillery in Arandas, their añejo expression is regarded as one of the finest aged sipping Tequilas.
Distilled to bottling strength with no added water, it’s rested for around 18 months in first-fill ex-Bourbon barrels. You can expect notes of stewed agave, red apples and rhubarb with a warming spiced honey and vanilla sweetness. A very moreish tequila that makes a perfect nightcap.
- Classification: Añejo Tequila
- Produced in: Los Altos, Mexico
- ABV: 38%
- Size: 50cl
Mezcal Reina Ensamble Espadín Tobasiche Mezcal
Becky Paskin/The Standard ★★★★★
Best: For gifting
What we love: A subtly smoky mezcal and ancestral production methods
Take note: One of the pricier mezcals
Female-founded Mezcal Reina is dedicated to sourcing exquisite mezcals from across Mexico, bringing them to global audiences for the first time. Their range focuses on different agave varietals, with their Espadin/Tobasiche blend the multi-award-winning feather in their cap.
Both wild and cultivated agaves endemic to Oaxaca are traditionally cooked in earthen pits, naturally fermented in wooden vats, and double distilled in handmade clay pots. The resulting mezcal is nothing short of spectacular – silky sweet with juicy tropical fruits that build into grilled asparagus and rocket leaves, leaving a zesty, spicy and herbaceous finish. It’s a literal bottling of the Mexican landscape.
- Classification: Mezcal Ancestral (Joven)
- Produced in: Oaxaca, Mexico
- ABV: 48%
- Size: 70cl
Quiquiriqui Matatlan Espadin Mezcal
Becky Paskin/The Standard Best: For making smoky, herbaceous Negronis
★★★★★
What we love: Incredible complexity, ancestral production, and fantastic value
Take note: Try it in cocktails for an elevated experience
This multi-award-winning house pour from Mezcal producer Quiquiriqui is just out of this world. Handmade by the Sanchez family in Oaxaca, where the Espadin agaves take up to 15 years to reach full maturity before harvesting, this mezcal is a distinctive example of the ancestral style. Earthy, gently smoky and herbaceous with notes of menthol, liquorice and stewed orchard fruits, finishing with a waft of wood smoke and cardamom, it’s a delight to sip neat or mixed into a Negroni instead of gin.
- Classification: Mezcal Ancestral (Joven)
- Produced in: Oaxaca, Mexico
- ABV: 45%
- Size: 70cl
Los Siete Misterios Doba-Yej
Becky Paskin/The Standard ★★★★☆
Best: For peated Scotch lovers
What we love: Robust smoky flavours and versatility in cocktails
Take note: The smoke can be overwhelming for some
Crafted especially for cocktails, Los Siete Misterios Doba-Yej is one of the richest, smokiest mezcals available in the UK. Produced using 100 per cent roasted Espadin agave that’s double distilled in copper pot stills, Doba-Yej has an almost meaty, savoury character that’s softened by sticky figs, dates, tamarind and gentle spice. It’s a killer in short cocktails like Old Fashioneds and Negronis, but try it neat at your next BBQ – you won’t regret it.
- Classification: Mezcal Artisanal (Joven)
- Produced in: Oaxaca, Mexico
- ABV: 44%
- Size: 70cl
What are the best tequilas and mezcals?
There is so much variety in tequila that the best buy really is down to your personal taste. If you love raw, unfiltered agave character that’s herbaceous, fruity and fresh, aim for a blanco, but if you love the vanilla sweetness some oak maturation provides, head towards the reposados and añejos.
Whichever you choose, the very best tequilas and mezcals are those that truly represent the artisanal craftsmanship of both the jimadors and mezcaleros. In this list, that honour goes to Madre Blanco Tequila, a buttery, complex and funky spirit with buckets of complexity and flavour that’s representative of ancestral techniques and ridiculous value for money to boot.
It’s also incredibly versatile, suited to both neat sipping and mixing into cocktails. A perfect jumping-off point if you’re keen to explore the worlds of both Tequila and mezcal further.
Why trust me
Becky Paskin is an award-winning drinks writer and presenter, with 20 years of experience tasting, judging and speaking about all things booze – particularly whisky. The only journalist in the world with a distilling qualification, she’s a regular lead judge for spirit competitions.
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