Today, July 24th, is considered National Tequila Day in the United States. I don't mind telling you that with the way the first half of 2020 has been going, it might just be a perfect time for this "holiday" to take place. If you're going to celebrate this special occasion, there are a few things that you should know in order to celebrate properly...
- Tequila can only truly be called "tequila" when it comes from Jalisco, Mexico. It's the birthplace of the iconic drink, where indigenous Mexicans would ferment the juice of the blue agave before it became the staple it is now. And it has to be the blue agave cactus. Why?
- Mezcal and tequila are both made from agave, but tequila can be made only from the blue agave plant. The flavor profiles can be a little different, with mezcal being a little smokier.
- If you're going to celebrate this holiday, remember that you gotta be 21 to drink in the U.S. and please drink it responsibly.
A lot of people don't know this, but several big music and movie stars have their own line of tequila including George Strait and his Codigo 1530 brand:
And for those that don't know, The Rock has his own brand of tequila called Teremana Tequila that just started recently. Check out the video below from Mr. Dwayne Johnson as he shares the recipe for what he calls a Strawberry Mana-rita
And last but not least, check this out!
The recipe for Outback Steakhouse's Gold Coast 'Rita (big thanks to Outback for sharing the recipe with me!)
- 1.5oz tequila
- 2oz fresh lime juice
- 2oz fresh orange juice
- 1oz simple syrup
- 1 cup of ice
- kosher salt
To prepare it, just run the lime around the rim of the glass, and then dip the rim of the glass in the salt. Pour the liquid ingredients and ice in a mason jar or shaker, shake well, then pour into the glass. Serve with a lime wedge on the rim!