Tequila Mockingbird

September 28, 2010 6:52 PM

What do I do with all this tequila?

Around four years ago I got a taste for expensive tequila. In response, my brother bought a bottle of high-quality tequila for every Christmas for the next four years. I have one bottle of Corzo Silver, a bottle of Milagro Blanco, some 1800 Silver, and a bottle of Don Eduardo Silver. What do I do with this? I have to be in a mood to drink tequila straight these days and I hate margaritas.

posted by mkb to food & drink (23 answers total)

Host a party? Perhaps your friends like margaritas.
posted by halogen at 6:55 PM on September 28, 2010

I can send you my address if you would like.

Those are pretty good tequilas. If you aren't a cook, have a dinner catered and have it based around the tequilas.
posted by TheBones at 6:59 PM on September 28, 2010

Host a tasting party for friends? Ask if anyone wants to trade/barter?
posted by cestmoi15 at 7:00 PM on September 28, 2010

save it till you are in the mood for something to savor
posted by isopropyl at 7:01 PM on September 28, 2010

I'm a scotch drinker myself, but like you I need to be in the mood and I don't really drink at home much at all. So my solution is to bring the bottle/a flask to parties where I would normally have a drink or two, get to drink what I like, and slowly chip away at whatever bottle it is I'm nursing. This might not work if you don't go to super-casual house parties as often as I do, though.
posted by restless_nomad at 7:03 PM on September 28, 2010

Can I call you Matt? Anyone with a stash of good tequila is a friend of mine. Sunday morning brunch? Bloody Jose. Tomato juice, lemon juice, Tabasco and of course, tequila. Saturday morning pick me up? Tequila screwdriver. Watching a game on a Friday? Tequila and Sprite. Hot summer day? Tequila and watermelon juice. Bad day at the office? Iced shot of tequila. Got to stay up late with a bunch of relatives you don't like? Coffee with a shot of tequila.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 7:05 PM on September 28, 2010 [5 favorites]

What is it that you hate about margaritas? That might help us figure out what you'll like.

If you had to get rid of lots of cheap tequila I'd suggest Polomas, the ultimate summer tequila drink. Though it's based on a soda it's not as sweet as you might expect.

Into a tall glass filled half way with ice, juice half a lime, add 1.5 oz tequila, and top off with a grapefruit soda like Jaritos (or squirt, if you don't have access to Mexican brands). Stir to combine.

Otherwise, maybe consider hosting a bottle exchange with some friends?
posted by fontophilic at 7:28 PM on September 28, 2010

Give it away as presents?
posted by InterestedInKnowing at 7:31 PM on September 28, 2010

If Polomas is too sweet for you, a tequila and tonic is darn refreshing.
posted by padraigin at 7:39 PM on September 28, 2010

Tequila & orange juice over ice in a salted glass. Refreshing and healthy... ish.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 7:45 PM on September 28, 2010

As padraigin says, tequila and tonic is very refreshing. I personally love 1800 Silver and tonic: Delightfully refreshing, incredibly smooth.
posted by james.nvc at 7:52 PM on September 28, 2010

Just to play devil's advocate for a moment- have you ever gotten into making your own margaritas? If saying "I don't like margaritas" means you don't like the frozen slop, or even the semi-shitty on-the-rocks ones you'd get at a good Mexican restaurant, you owe it to yourself (and your friends!) to experiment a little bit.

Although I've had decent margaritas at good bars when I've been very specific about my order, I've never had one as good the ones I make for myself.

You can play around with all of the variables to taste, but here is my basic recipe:
1 part fresh lime juice
1-2 parts triple sec (cointreau is, of course, much better if you're feeling flush; 1 part
triple sec, 1 part good fresh oj is another difference maker if you've
the gumption to do the extra squeezing)
3 parts good tequila (silver's are the prototypical margarita tequila, but I often prefer a
reposado to give the whole thing a little more complexity; anejo's, in
general, will take the barrel flavor a little too far for my taste)
.5 part simple syrup (sugar boiled until dissolved in an equal amount of water; this is the first variable you'll want to play around with- individual tastes on
sweetness tend to vary quite a bit)

Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with 3-4 ice cubes and shake the hell out of it (This is super important- the drink will be far too strong if you don't follow this step). Run a lime wedge around the rim of your glass, dip it in coarse salt, give a shake, and pour your drink, ice cubes and all.

For parties I often make a pitcher of the basic mix, and then shake out individual cocktails or pairs of them as need arises.

Even if you don't get into them yourself, this is an excellent recipe to have in your arsenal if you are looking to get people shitfaced at a party, fyi, as they are boozy, salty, and disappear quickly. Obversely, it may also be a good idea to 'run out' of them early into the evening if you are not inclined to run the risk of people vomiting in your backyard, passing out on your bathroom floor, or hijacking your amazing green jumpsuit and tearing it like a fucking jackass (If these examples strike you as so painfully specific that they seem almost certain to come from personal experience- yup).
posted by jimmysmits at 8:00 PM on September 28, 2010 [6 favorites]

Make up batches of margaritas every time you have a party! You'll get through it by this time next year. I assure you of this. I will do my part as well. After, uh, I have this baby.
posted by kpht at 8:09 PM on September 28, 2010

I had a cocktail a while ago that was made with tequila...

tequilla
lime juice
hot chiles
thyme

delcious!
posted by chicago2penn at 8:46 PM on September 28, 2010

Sorority girls. Problem solved.
posted by elder18 at 10:00 PM on September 28, 2010

I used to make a White Peach or Plum Sangria w/ fruit, white wine, sugar, triple sec, and some tequila... but it is hard to remember now.... people used to phone us after parties because they were lost on the way home.... I purposely misplaced the recipe because it was sooo delicious and would get EVERYBODY into trouble in no time... wait... what was the question....?
posted by jbenben at 11:33 PM on September 28, 2010

Grapefruit juice, splash of triple sec, tequila.

It's called something but I don't know what. I just call it DELICIOUS. I think I put a pinch of sugar in it when I made it. I can't drink tequila because it turns me into a lunatic, unfortunately. I just have the memories, or lack thereof.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 3:39 AM on September 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

Tequila Cosmo: powerful and delicious!
1 part tequila
1 part triple sec
1 part lime juice
1 part cranberry juice
posted by heatvision at 6:23 AM on September 29, 2010

I was going to chime in as jimmysmits did, and suggest a good homemade margarita recipe, in case that's the reason you don't enjoy them. pre made mix's are horrible, in my experience.

In my case though, I use 3 parts lime juice, 1-2 parts cointreau, and 2-3 parts tequila (also reposada, I use 30-30). Tons of ice, good kosher salt rim and goddamn... it's a tasty beverage. Notice I skip the syrup, but I love sour, so...


I've also had good luck making a simple tequila, lime juice, coke, and maybe a bit of salt. Good change up from my regular with-coke drink, being a rye and coke.
posted by utsutsu at 7:27 AM on September 29, 2010

Try it with sangrita...yum
posted by dabug at 8:23 AM on September 29, 2010

I don't drink... but my understanding is that tequila is pretty strong. Would it be suitable for a project like this?:

Trent, at thesimpledollar made vodka into premium homemade vanilla extract.

If it's expensive, it might be a bit of a waste, however if you [or somebody you know] does a bunch of baking it could be nice, and it's an option...
posted by cheesyburgercheese at 9:48 AM on September 29, 2010

I just recently infused a half a bottle of tequila with strawberries: remove stems and chop them coarsely, soak in a bottlefull of tequila for 72 hours, strain and throw away the limp, bleached strawberry carcasses.

The end product is an aromatic, slightly sweet, beautiful pink tequila that tastes of fresh strawberries. It's called "Tequila por Mi Amante" and is amazingly good served on the rocks with a little lime juice.
posted by wzcx at 3:36 PM on September 30, 2010 [3 favorites]

one bottle of Corzo Silver, a bottle of Milagro Blanco, some 1800 Silver, and a bottle of Don Eduardo Silver

I've been meaning to make Tequila por Mi Amante. Missed my chance this year.
Palomas are a great highball. Might have missed that season too.

With a good tequila, one you might drink straight, let's play with some spirit-forward cocktails.


Here are two cocktails along the "old fashioned" model (fairly close to just drinking it straight):

assuming you have a well-stocked bar, call this a "Fanciful Tequila Cocktail"
in a mixing glass, over ice, pour
- 2oz tequila
- 1tsp sugar syrup (2:1 sugar to water)
- 1tsp Cherry Heering
- 1tsp Canton ginger liqueur
- dash grapefruit bitters (or orange bitters)
stir for 30-40sec
strain into a rocks glass over a large piece of ice
garnish with lemon peel

assuming a more modest liquor cabinet
in a mixing glass, over ice, pour
- 2oz tequila
- ½oz Benedictine
stir for 30-40sec
strain into a rocks glass over a large piece of ice
garnish with lemon peel


Two suggestions in the Manhattan mold:

something specific
in a mixing glass, over ice, pour
- 2oz tequila
- 1oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth de Chambray
- 1tsp Hangar One Qi Black or St.Germain Elderflower liqueur
stir for 30-40sec
strain into a cocktail glass
garnish with lemon twist

something a little more vague
in a mixing glass, over ice, pour
- 2oz tequila
- 1oz Amantillado sherry
- 1tsp Averna or Benedictine or Campari or Cynar
stir for 30-40sec
strain into a cocktail glass
garnish with orange twist


Here are two proper cocktails (one from a well-regarded bar, one original to me):

Count Diablo (from Ted Kilgore, the Monarch in St.Louis)
in a mixing tin, pour
- 1½oz tequila
- ½oz crème de cassis
- ¼oz Canton ginger liqueur
- ¼oz Campari
- ½oz lime juice
add ice, close tin, shake vigoursly for 5-6sec
strain into a cocktail glass
garnish with an orange twist, spraying the oils across a lit match

Blushing Daisy
in a mixing tin, pour
- 1½oz tequila
- ½oz Aperol
- ¼oz Cointreau
- ¾oz lemon juice
add ice, close tin, shake vigoursly for 5-6sec
strain into a cocktail glass
garnish with a lemon twist


I'll leave-off the Oaxaca Old Fashioned and the Carter Beats the Devil as you didn't say if your tastes have moved through tequila and into mezcal.
posted by Prince_of_Cups at 3:10 PM on October 1, 2010