Of course it doesn’t matter how you drink it, as long as you enjoy it. But drinking tequila as a shot with a lemon slice and salt or an orange slice and cinnamon really hurts the Mexican soul! High end tequila is meant to be enjoyed slowly, sip by sip, and shared with the people you love.

Padre Azul is made from 100% blue agave. We let our agaves grow between 8 and 10 years. After the harvest, we steam them for 24 to 48 hours in “mamposterías”, traditional Mexican ovens made of masonry, followed by 72 to 96 hours of fermentation. Our fermentation is strictly spontaneous. That means we do not use artificial yeasts of any kind. After the double distillation, our Blanco is bottled straight away, while our Reposado is aged in hand-selected bourbon oak barrels for at least 8 months, and our Añejo for a minimum of 18 months. Still curious? You’ll find more about our tequila production here.

Yes! Tequila is a protected designation of origin product. It’s like the French Champagne or Cognac: It can only be produced traditionally and within a specific region. According to Mexican law, tequila can be produced exclusively in the state of Jalisco and a few other Mexican municipalities. The name “tequila” actually comes from the Mexican town Santiago de Tequila in Jalisco. There you can visit the National Museum of Tequila – very interesting!

If the agave has enough time to grow, it achieves very high fructose levels. That’s why agaves are also used to produce agave nectar, the popular sweetener. We let our blue agaves grow between 8 and 10 years. That means they have tons of time to produce valuable sugars for the natural fermentation. It is indeed the natural sweetness of the agaves that gives our high end tequila its sweet finish. On top of that, our Añejo and Reposado tequila are aged in used oak bourbon barrels, which adds even more natural sweetness.

Our tequila reposado and tequila añejo are aged in American oak barrels. The smoky oak wood adds wonderful tertiary aromas and gives our tequila its characteristic flavors. American oak barrels are known for adding a slight vanilla aroma. If we would use French oak, for example, our tequila would probably have a toasty flavor.

The cooking is done in mamposterías, traditional Mexican ovens made of masonry. First, the agaves are steamed for 24 to 48 hours. Then we make use of the residual heat and add 24 hours more. An autoclave can do this process in 5 or 6 hours, however the slow cooking of our agave provides much more flavor to our high end tequila. It’s like using a clay pot on a slow fire instead of a pressure cooker – the clay pot will always produce better results. You see, the most important ingredient for our premium tequila truly is time.

Well, that one is easy: Padre Azul of course! However, if you are not sure whether you should opt for Padre Azul Blanco (Silver in US), Reposado or Añejo, why don’t you try our Padre Mini Tasting Box?

Our bottle design is a reference to the Mexican culture and heritage. In other cultures, the skull may be considered scary, but in Mexico it stands for eternal friendship. By and large, spending TIME with family and friends is what matters most in life, isn’t it? The unique Padre Azul bottle design is supposed to remind you of that, and our high end sipping tequila is just perfect to make your shared quality time even more special.

We recommend Padre Azul Blanco as a sparkling mix with soda and lemon, while our tequila Añejo pairs exceptionally well with a fine cigar or dark chocolate. Apart from that, Padre tequila is great for fancy cocktails: It is whispered that our Reposado is the best high end tequila for margaritas! Try Tommy’s Margarita with our tequila Reposado, or the refreshing Padrecito with tequila Blanco. But the best combination is still: you and your favorite people.

Tequila is typically produced by steaming the agave inside ovens before being distilled two times in copper pots. Mezcal, on the other hand, is cooked inside earthen pits that are lined with lava rocks and filled with wood and charcoal before being distilled in clay pots. Furthermore, tequila is only made from blue agave and within a denominated protected region, whereas mezcal is made from other types of agave.

No, tequila is not supposed to have a worm inside! This myth was created as part of a marketing strategy by some mezcal brands in the 1950s, who claimed that the worm had magical powers or that it could be used as an aphrodisiac. Were they right? Who knows! But what we know is that high quality tequila or mezcal usually doesn’t come with a worm in the bottle.

For our sipping tequila, we recommend our Riedel sipping tequila glassware:

The glass plays a crucial role in the tequila drinking experience. With the right glassware, you will get the full flavor of your high end tequila. For Añejo you can also use a classic whiskey tumbler or, the easiest option, just use a white wine glass.