TEQUILA

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OUR TEQUILA

One of the best tequila selections in the country!

We have one of the best tequila selections in the country here at Southside. Yes, one of the best tequila selections in the country... in Withington! The tequilas we have in stock change on a weekly basis cos you lot keep drinking them but some of the brands you can expect to find include:

We aim to keep the 3/4 main expressions of each brand in stock at all times with a number of special bottles thrown in for good measure. You can't go wrong with our house tequilas from our good friends at OCHO but we encourage you to explore our selection and find your own personal favourites.

Salud!

WHAT IS TEQUILA?

The Spirit of Mexico

Tequila is a Mexican spirit that comes from the Agave, the Blue Weber Agave to be specific. It can only be produced in 5 areas of Mexico: the state of Jalisco as well as municipalities in Guanajuanto, Michoacan, Tamaulipas and Nayarit. So, in that way it's very much the Champagne of Mexico.

It's produced by harvesting the agave once it's ripe, about 7/8 years, and then cooking, milling (sometimes still with the help of a mule), fermenting, distilling and then finally, for certain types, ageing it in barrels.

The main types of tequila are:

Blanco aka silver, plata, white

Blanco tequilas are generally unaged but can be aged for up to 59 days. As a result, they are agave-forward in flavour with notes of citrus and pepper. Often described as vivid, young and fiery.

Reposado aka rested, aged

Reposado tequilas are aged for a minimum of 2 months, most commonly in ex bourbon barrels. Complex flavours from the barrels are added to the sweetness of the agave, with notes of vanilla. As it ages, reposado tequila mellows and takes on an amber hue. Reposados are the most popular type of tequila in Mexico.

Añejo aka aged, vintage

Añejo tequilas are aged for a minimum of 1 year in barrels no larger than 600 litres. This additional ageing and restricted barrel size allows the tequila to take on even more of the character from the oak barrels. It also means the tequila develops a darker colour and adds to the richness of the taste. Notes of caramel and toffee start to come through. If you're a whiskey drinker have a sip on some of these.

Extra Añejo aka extra aged

Extra Añejo tequilas are aged for a minimum of 3 years in barrels no larger than 600 litres. These are by far the rarest and most expensive tequilas. All the same flavours come through but with an added creaminess. Extra Añejo Tequilas are often compared to well-aged scotches or fine French brandies.

Cristalino aka claro

Cristalino is a newer type of tequila. It is basically Añejo tequila that has been filtered using activated charcoal in order to remove the colouring it has picked up from the aging process. The result is a tequila with the complexity and character of an Añejo but with the crisp and bright notes of a Blanco. It is the fastest growing type of tequila in Mexico.

Joven aka gold, oro

This refers to mixto tequila that tries to emulate reposados and añejos with the use of additives. If you're in a bar that serves it, best jump in an Uber to Southside and drink the proper stuff.

TEQUILA PRODUCTION

Growing

The Blue Weber Agave takes around 7/8 years to reach maturity, allowing them to really soak up their environment.

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Fermenting

During fermentation, yeast is added to the agave juice. The yeast then 'eats' the sugars and multiplies itself converting them into alcohol.

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Harvesting

When ripe, the agaves are harvested by Jimadors using their trusty coas to shave off the leaves. It's hot, hard and highly skilled work.

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Distilling

Mexican law dictates that tequila must be distilled at least twice. Distillation purifies the tequila and raises the concentration of the flavours.

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Cooking

Once back at the distillery the agaves are split and then steam cooked, either in brick or autoclave (stainless steel) ovens.

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Ageing

The ageing process is what dictates which class a tequila falls into. Most brands use ‘used American whiskey barrels’ to age their tequila.

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Milling

After cooking, the agaves are shredded to make it easier to extract the juices. Traditionally, milling is done with tahonas and the help of mules.

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Bottling

The tequila is then ready for bottling. Brands such as OCHO label them by hand and Clase Azul's bottles are hand sculpted and individually painted!

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Single Estate

TEQUILA OCHO

Our house tequila is OCHO. OCHO is the result of a partnership between Tomas Estes and the Camarena family.

Tomas is credited with doing as much as anyone for the promotion of tequila and agave spirits around the world, a fact that was officially recognised when he was named as Europe’s Tequila Ambassador. His book, The Tequila Ambassador, remains the seminal book on Tequila and, if you are lucky enough to find one, fetches over £200 online!

The Camarena family have been making tequila since 1937 and are now in the third generation, with the fourth already working in the business and looking set to carry on the tradition. They are behind some of the best, and most revered, tequilas including El Tesoro, Tapatio, G4 and Villa Lobos.

OCHO is made by Master Distiller Carlos Camarena at the La Alteña distillery in Jalisco with agaves sourced from the Camarena’s family fields. It is produced by slow and artisanal means that remain true to the agave flavour. When ageing OCHO they use ‘exhausted’ barrels and age the tequilas at the lower end of the legal classifications in order to limit the influence of the wood and again ensure the tequila remains agave led. OCHO are also the driving force behind applying the concept of terroir to tequila. Indeed, OCHO was the first tequila to designate both the year and the exact field, or ‘rancho’, from which the agaves were sourced on the bottles.

OCHO means “eight” in English and the number has a lot of significance to the founders. OCHO is made from the eighth sample created by the Camarenas for Tomas Estes. It takes an average of eight years for the agaves to ripen before being harvested. It takes about eight kilograms of agave to make one litre of OCHO tequila – very high versus industry average. It takes eight days from when the agaves reach the patio at the distillery until it becomes blanco (unaged) tequila. Carlos Camarena has eight brothers and sisters. The Camarenas are in their eighth decade of producing tequila. OCHO Reposado is aged for 8 weeks and 8 days.

TEQUILA COCKTAILS

Tequila is a simply awesome base spirit for cocktails. These are some of our favourite classic tequila cocktails:

Margarita

Can you say tequila without thinking of a margarita?

Blanco | Triple Sec | Lime | Salt Rim

Tommy's Margarita

Created by Julio Bermejo at Tommy's Mexican Restaurant in San Francisco. Swaps the triple sec for agave syrup to stay truer to the agave. Can't be beaten.

Reposado | Agave Syrup | Lime

Paloma

One of those cocktails no one knows the real story of. What we do know though, is that it's delicious. All the usual suspects with grapefruit soda.

Blanco | Lime | Grapefruit Soda | Salt Rim

Batanga

Don't let the coke put you off, this is a super refreshing drink and a true tequila classic. Created by the legend that was Don Javier (seen here with co-owner Lyndon)

Blanco | Lime | Coca-Cola | Salt

El Diablo

Ginger beer in anything is great, right?

Reposado | Creme de Cassis | Lime | Ginger Beer

TEQUILA VS MEZCAL

Mezcal is the name given for a distilled spirit made from the Agave plant. So, technically Tequila is a Mezcal, but not all Mezcals are Tequila. Mezcal can be produced in nine Mexican States and can be made from more varieties of the Agave plant, of which there are hundreds. Arguably the biggest difference between Tequila and Mezcal, however, is in its preparation. For Mezcal, the agave piñas are traditionally baked in earthen pits which imparts a noticeable smoky flavour, similar to the scotch whiskeys from Islay.

Other types of agave spirits, all of which are technically Mezcals but each with their own attributes and production methods, include Pulque, Sotol, Raicilla, and Baconara.

Interested but don't fancy a shot? Why not ask for a Mezcal Margarita. You won't be disappointed.