ON TREND Tequila-Forward Cocktails

BY LINDA GARSON PHOTOS BY DONG KIM

Over the last few years tequila’s popularity has been steadily growing, making it the spirit of choice for many of our bartenders across the province. It is even rumoured that in the next five years, tequila could overtake vodka and whisky to become the most popular spirit for cocktails.

We’re seeing this ourselves in bars and restaurants, so we asked John Fairholm, Bar Manager at Milpa, a contemporary Mexican restaurant in Calgary’s beltline district, for his thoughts on tequila cocktails and why they are becoming so popular.

“Tequila is not what it was 10-15 years ago; there are over 140 distillers and over 1,400 brands of tequila, it's so dynamic now,” he says. “We have access to so many different distillers and expressions that allow us to develop a vast range of cocktails that can be heavily changed by simply swapping a base blanco tequila for another blanco tequila, or deeper into the aged classes of tequila.”

Distilleries are changing how they produce their tequila, with different cook times, fermentation and distillation techniques, and resting times. “It's the unique blends and techniques that allow for so many different interpretations of cocktails, classic and modern,” he adds. “A good tequila cocktail will highlight the subtle nuances that are found in the specific tequila used.”

The two most popular tequila cocktails are the Margarita: light and refreshing, with a touch of salt – perfect for a hot day - and the Paloma: a tall tequila and grapefruit soda, on its way to being one of the most ordered cocktails in the world. However, Fairholm says the biggest trend of 2023, was the Ranch Water - 2 oz blanco or silver tequila with ¼ oz lime juice, topped with soda water.

And for those looking for a stiffer drink, he says that the Oaxaca Old Fashioned is the newest tequila classic. “A booze- forward mix of tequila and mezcal that showcases the nuances of both spirits - stir together 1½ oz blanco or reposado tequila, ½ oz mezcal, 1 bar spoon agave syrup, and 2 dashes of angostura bitters.”

We asked if he could use his skill, knowledge, and experience to create some tasty tequila cocktails that we could easily make at home without having to buy a fridgeful of special ingredients. Many thanks to John Fairholm for generously sharing three of his recipes here – using a blanco tequila, a reposado tequila, and an anejo or extra-anejo tequila.

Happy sipping!

Juanchito Fernández

This is the kitchen's nickname for me. Our sous chef, Kevin Gulien, made us name a cocktail after me when we opened!

2 oz blanco tequila

¾ oz lime juice

¾ oz simple syrup

¾ oz egg whites

4 cucumber wedges

4 cilantro leaves

Add all ingredients to a shaker tin, and lightly muddle (if you don't have a muddler just shake really hard). Dry shake (without ice) for 10 seconds. Add ice to tin and shake. Double strain into a rocks glass, no ice.

Repo Espresso Martini

A reposado tequila espresso martini is an elevated espresso martini. If you don’t have espresso at home, cold brew or a few pinches of instant coffee in a shaker tin can have the same flavour profile.

1¼ oz reposado tequila

¾ oz coffee liqueur

1 oz espresso

¼ oz simple syrup

A few dashes of bitters or ¼ oz of your favourite amaro

Pinch of salt

Add all ingredients to a shaker tin, add ice and shake. Double strain into a coup glass, or your glass of choice.

Anejo Old Fashioned

This drink will work with an anejo tequila but will work even better with an extra anejo! Anejo and extra anejo tequilas also lend themselves well to negronis and manhattans.

2 oz anejo or extra anejo tequila

4 dashes Angostura bitters

1 bar spoon (5 mL) agave syrup or honey (add to desired sweetness) 1 slice orange peel

Combine all ingredients in a glass. Add ice and stir. Zest an orange peel over the glass.

For these cocktails you will need: Shaker tin, Hawthorn strainer, Tea strainer/double strainer, Muddler