This Cinco De Mayo, Choose Your Tequila Wisely

You're probably not thinking about sugar content when you order a margarita. But maybe you should be... Harvested from agave, long used as a table sweetener, a tequila's richness is impacted by the height of its sugar content. A succulent perennial, agave does best when it's not suffering any generational turnover. In translation — the best tequilas come from the same agave plants, harvested over and over again but preserved for years and years. Moreover, the agave that is at the heart of a great tequila is grown from the richest soil, and in just the right climate.

So when you pick your tequila, choose wisely. Most big name brands aren't using the kind of agave described above, but one relative newcomer certainly is —Riazul Premium Tequila.

Using plants grown in the highlands of western Mexico, Riazul harvests and processes its agave in a region defined by its high elevation, extreme climate changes, and red volcanic soil, or “tierra roja,” rich in mineral content.

“The extreme temperatures, cold especially, put the plants in survival mode to defend themselves. This effectively turns water into starches, producing the high range of sugar content,” noted Inaki Orozco, “El Capitan” of Riazul Premium Tequila.

Riazul’s agave fields sit on 250 acres that were handed down from generation to generation for nearly 200 years following the Mexican War of Independence until Iñaki Orozco decided to introduce his own brand of tequila.

While “silky, smooth, sweet” are not terms commonly used to describe tequila, Riazul has quickly gained a reputation for appealing to tequila aficionados and novices alike. The boutique Texan label recently earned the top ranking according to Tequila.net* in a blind taste test of over 140 tequilas.