National Tequila Day is July 24. With so many celebrities entering the tequila (or alcohol) game in recent years, it seems like the market is all backed up by someone in Hollywood. George Clooney was the most well-known A-lister to launch Casamigos with Mike Meldman and Rande Gerber back in 2013. With tequila’s rise in popularity in 2018, sales surged 10.2% to $3 billion, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.
Types of Tequila
There are five different types of tequila: blanco, reposado, añejo, extra añejo, and cristalino. Blanco, or silver tequila, can be aged in a barrel for up to 60 days, but in most cases, it goes from the still to a stainless steel tank to the bottle. Blanco tequilas are usually the go-to for cocktails like margaritas, Mexican mules, and palomas. Reposados (“rested) age in a barrel for 2–11 months and is the most popular consumed in Mexico. Añejo (“old”) is aged for much longer — one to three years in an oak barrel, traditionally. Añejos often carry vanilla and brown sugar flavors and are meant to be sipped neat.
Extra añejo is aged for a minimum of three years and has the strongest aromas and richest amber color. This type of tequila is considered ultra-premium, and the pricing reflects that. Cristalino is a new type that’s risen in popularity in the VIP club scene. The process filters aged tequila through charcoal to remove tannins (the element that makes red wines dry and astringent). It removes the amber color and turns an aged tequila back to transparent like a blanco.
Take a look below at which celebrities have their own tequila brand.
