Tequila Gifts for Every Kind of Relationship This Valentine’s Day
A tequila lover knows Valentine’s Day is the day to share your love of agave (not chocolates, roses, and wine) with your one true love. Tequila – just like partnerships – require hard work and passion. Making tequila is a labor of love requiring attention to detail at every stage. As every relationship is different, we have put together a list to make shopping for your valentine easier this year. Trust us, they’ll like this more than the giant teddy bear and chocolate box you’ve been eyeing.
For the significant other that loves wine almost as much as their girls’ nights out with tequila
Inspiro Rosa Reposado. This is a proud additive-free tequila that won’t leave you with a hangover but tastes so good you may finish the bottle. Inspiro Rosa is aged in French rose wine barrels and finished in pinot noir wine barrels. Don’t let the pink hue fool you though, this tequila has lots of fresh roasted agave and almond notes and finishes with sweet berry notes.
For the partner that drives you up a wall (but you are also crazy in love)
There is a tequila that packs a punch of agave but with a complex barrel aging that imparts light whiskey notes. La Gritona Reposado is produced by the incredible master distiller, Melly Barajas. This reposado is cooked in brick ovens for 1-2 days and aged in used American white oak barrels for 8 months before bottling. Additionally, the bottles are hand blown with recycled Mexican glass and the agave fibers after production are taken to local farms for cattle feed. It is an all-around feel-good and tasty tequila.
A gift to your loved one who you’re trying to convert to tequila from whiskey
You should ease them in with Casa Verde Añejo. Aged for 1.5 years in Heaven Hill Bourbon barrels, this tequila has enough baking spice and toffee notes to give your whiskey lover the comfort of a good whiskey. However, it has equal flavors of roasted agave to show them what they are missing in good quality tequila. Casa Verde is made in Los Valles or the valley of the tequila region adding some complex earthiness and minerality to the flavor profile as well. Fair warning though, once you share this tequila, your former whiskey lover might be coming after more options on your tequila shelf.
For the art lover in your life
San Matias Rey Sol Extra Añejo is a must. This 6-year french oak aged tequila is distilled by Carmen Villarreal Treviño and the bottle is designed by the famous Mexican artist Sergio Bustamante. Sergio Bustamante is known for much of the artwork in Tlaquepaque, an artisan area within the Guadalajara metroplex where his family workshop is also based. The sun image is a symbol of strength, beauty, and the spirit of Mexico. With notes of cooked agave, dark chocolate, caramel, and butterscotch, this tequila is a piece of art in itself.
To the partner that loves cocktails as much as they like sipping it neat
You have to give this person a reasonably priced and well-made tequila. Lalo Blanco is from the highlands or Los Altos of Jalisco cooked in ovens for 1-2 days and distilled in traditional copper stills. The flavors and aromas sing of Mexican highland tradition. Lalo is made by the grandson of Don Julio Gonzalez, the founder of Don Julio Tequila (before it was bought by a series of corporations starting in 1999.) This Mexican-owned and newer tequila on the market still has limited distribution across the US, but can be ordered online.
To the one who is always down to explore and try something different
Atanasio Blanco. Some distilleries say they are ‘small batch’ and others actually are. Atanasio is the epitome of small-batch excellence. Made in the valley of the tequila region, this blanco was masterfully engineered in every way at a humble distillery. The team cooked the mature agaves in a low-pressure autoclave giving a very clean and forward-roasted agave flavor. Additional tasting notes include grapefruit peel, lemon juice, and a light herbal note. This tequila is a tribute to the agave.
Tequila can be enjoyed in many ways however, most of the ones in this list are best sipped neat. A room-temperature tequila in a tequila-tasting flute is the ideal way for tequila to open up its flavors and aromas. Ultimately, tequila is about enjoying the company and sharing stories making it the perfect valentine’s day gift this year.