Espolón Tequila

Tequila: the Drink of Champions

Happy post Thanksgiving, everyone! I know it's been far too long since my last post, but I got hit with a crazy flu right after Hurricane Sandy, and it knocked the wind out of my sales. I've never been more appreciative of Thanksgiving and the restorative days off it provided.

I was even looking forward to the three flight transfers it takes me to get to my parents place in New Mexico, because it meant additional acceptable resting time. Still, by the time I was on the last leg, waiting in O'hare airport in the interim between my second and third flight transfer, I lost my patience.

Did you know that O'hare is the world's second busiest airport? Did you also know it is the world's most difficult airport in which to find electrical outlets to charge your phone? (This last statement is hyperbole).

Since I had a four hour layover and then a three hour flight before I landed in New Mexico, this outlet situation was not good. I used my last few minute of charge to google electrical outlet locations in O'hare —turns out I'm not alone in my frustration— and I ended up two terminals away with no success. As I turned, ready to give up in dispair, I saw my salvation. Like rain in a desert, there in front of me was a bar, making margaritas on the rocks with my favorite, obsession worthy Tequila: Espolón.

 And get this. Not only was there this oasis of fantastic alcohol, but underneath the lip of the bar were outlets —tons of them.

It ended up being a fantastic layover and I boarded my next flight buzzing with the after-effects of my margarita.

If you haven't yet tried Espolón tequila, Let me tell you why I like it so much.

First of all, this bottle wins on aesthetics alone.

This is cool looking.

The labels, illustrated by Steven Nobel, use traditional Mexican imagery to tell the story of Mexico's independence. Inspired by Jose Gaudalupe Pesado's 19th century engravings of skeleton people often associated with Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) imagery, each bottle's label depicts a different scene telling the story of Mexico's independence using the characters of Guadalupe, Rosarita and the proud rooster, Ramón (The Mexican national symbol of pride). On the Blanco label we see Guadalupe and Rosarita fighting for Mexican independence from Spain, and on the Reposado label we see them trying to infuse traditional elements of Aztec culture throughout Mexico City marketplaces.

Aside from the awesome design, there's the fact that it taste really good, for a fraction of the price of comparable tasting tequilas.  The blanco, my drink of choice, has a smooth feel with peppery notes. Espolón roasts the agave for 18-20  hours versus the standard 12, and also distills the alcohol for longer, which creates a rich, smooth flavor. At $25 a bottle it's a huge steal.

I'm not a reposado drinker, but do know that Espolón ages theirs six months in barrels, almost twice the industry standard, which should lead to a really rich flavor. Drinkhacker says: "Definitely a kissing cousin of the blanco, this expression is smoothed out, and has the agave knocked down a few pegs, letting vanilla and some caramel notes come to the surface. Nice, easy finish. An incredible bargain."

If I haven't made it clear, I highly recommend this tequila, and I highly recommend you drink it in margarita form.

My favorite way to make a margarita is:

Salt to rim the glass (essential)
1 ounce fresh lime juice
1.5 ounces Espolón tequila blanco
1/2 ounce Cointreau

Pour over ice, stir till chilled.

I recommend this drink all year round. It's traditionally a summertime kind of beverage, but I sipped it  at an airport bar in mid-November and loved ever minute of it. 

Check out Espolón's website here.
Read about the creative process behind the bottle at Landor (the creative team behind it) here.