How to Drink Good Tequila: A 6-Step Guide

Shots, shots, shots. That is the soundtrack many American drinkers associate with tequila, and it is the fastest way to taste almost none of what is in the glass.

Good tequila is closer to wine than to a five-second booze disappearing act.

The aromas and flavors shift dramatically depending on where the agave was grown, how old it was at harvest, the sugar level in the piña, the production method at the distillery, and the way the juice was fermented. 

Agave from the Highlands of Jalisco tends to read sweeter and more floral. Agave from the Valley tends to be perceived as earthier, more vegetal, more mineral. Most drinkers, once they slow down enough to notice the difference, develop a clear preference for one side or the other.

The six steps below are built for that kind of attention. None of them are complicated. All of them are skipped by people doing shots or even unfocused sip sessions.

Drink what you like, but know what you are drinking. The first rule is simple: look for 100% blue agave on the label. Anything labeled "tequila" without that line is a mixto, cut with up to 49% other sugars, and it is the source of most bad tequila memories.

From there, pick the category that fits the moment.

blanco: unaged or rested briefly. Bright, citrus or vegetal, peppery, agave-forward.

reposado: aged two or more months in oak. Cinnamon, light oak, and softened agave notes.

añejo: aged 12 or more months in oak. Deeper oak notes, caramel,  baking spice, and a longer finish.

extra anejo: aged three or more years in oak. More char, vanilla, tobacco notes.

A blanco shows the agave and the land and the process. An añejo or extra añejo demonstrates prowess will barrels and blending. A reposado sits in the middle, and is the fastest-growing tequila expression.

A wide rocks glass is built for whiskey and ice, not for tequila aromatics. The opening is too broad, and the volatile compounds that carry the agave character escape before they reach the nose.

The best options:

Copita: a small, rounded cup with a slightly tapered top. The standard tasting glass in Jalisco.

Jarrito: a round, wider-bottomed glass that narrows at the top. Funnels aromas toward the nose.

Flute: a tulip or champagne flute concentrates aromatics for blancos in particular.

Shot glass: NOPE. Straight-sided shot glasses don’t funnel aromas well, and the aperture is usually too small to really get your nose in there to evaluate.

For more, see our article on tequila glassware.

If a rocks glass is the only option in the cabinet, keep the pour small, around 0.75 oz, so the aromas have a chance to gather instead of dispersing across the surface.

Cold mutes flavor. Anyone who has tasted a wine straight from the refrigerator already knows what that does to a Pinot Noir. The same physics apply to tequila.

Room temperature, or just slightly below, is the right serving range for any 100% agave tequila worth opening. Skip the freezer. Skip the ice, too. Remember, compared to most whiskeys and bourbons, tequila has more water added to it before bottling. It’s not built to be watered down with ice. 

A different rule applies once the tequila moves into a cocktail. A tequila old fashioned, margarita, paloma, or ranch water are all delicious drinks. But they work best if you use an overproof or high proof tequila, as the dilution from the ice will still keep the tequila at around 40% ABV (80 proof). 

Swirl the glass lightly, once or twice, to aerate the pour. Then bring the glass to the nose with the mouth slightly open. That open-mouth detail matters. It lets the volatile alcohol vapor pass without numbing the receptors, and you’ll be amazed how much more scent detail you can pick up mouth open vs. mouth closed.

Use small sniffs. Not one long snort.

Move around the rim of the glass the way a clock face moves. Six o'clock, 12, three, and nine. Each position releases a slightly different aromatic signature, and the drinker who works the full circle will pull out more than the drinker who sticks to one spot.

What to look for:

The amount of information available in a careful aromatic evaluation is the part most drinkers miss entirely.

Initially you want “just the tip,” all jokes aside.

The tongue needs to be prepared for what is coming. A 40% ABV spirit hitting unprepared taste buds will mostly sense heat first and flavor second. The fix is a two-pass tasting.

First pass: the kiss. A small taste, barely more than a wet lip. Rest it on the tip of the tongue. Let the surface acclimate.

Second pass: the sip. A slightly larger taste. Let it coat the full tongue. Swallow, then exhale slowly through the nose. That nasal exhale is where the finish comes alive.

In a blanco, that second pass reveals the cooked agave and the terroir: citrus, vegetal character, mineral, and the earthiness of the land where the agave was grown. In a reposado or añejo, the same pass reveals the barrel: baking spice, mineral, oak, vanilla, and the way those notes either showcase or overwhelm the cooked agave underneath.

Food pairing is optional. A great tequila does not need a plate next to it. But the right small bite can sharpen the experience. The wrong one will steamroll the spirit.

Classic pairings, by expression:

Keep water nearby. Pace the pours. The goal is not volume. It is attention.

Salud!