“A favorite of mine is Avion Reposado. The bottle looks a lot more “craft” than its price tag suggests, and its well-rounded flavor profile promises to hold up in any number of tequila cocktails.

Grading system: It is also important to remember the basic grading system for tequilas. Average price: $21. Tequila is one of the most widely consumed liquors in the world, and even the 10 best cheap tequilas for margaritas under $50 get attention due to the sheer demand for the drink.

The portfolio follows the basic grading system for tequilas, which is standard for most brands and includes a blanco, reposado, and añejo tequila. This tequila has one of the bolder flavor profiles you will find, yet it retains the smoothness that defines great tequilas. Average price: $23. Reposado tequilas are aged for three to nine months, so they’re gently rested and pick up a perfect amount of oak flavors. My bottle of choice for a mezcal margarita tends to be Del Maguey Vida. Cuervo also comes through with a premium pre made margarita … 10 Best Tequilas for Margaritas and Shots in 2020. We gathered six cheap well-rated and popular tequilas that won't set you back if you need to buy them in bulk -- they're all under $25, with one costing as little as $12.99. But the fact that Espolòn Tequila Reposado comes in at less than $25 is noteworthy and cause for celebration. ", "A crisp, clean tequila to stock regularly in the bar. Bottles of Tequila Corazón hold some of the smoothest, richest tequilas you’ll find. M ove over Applebee's, your $1 margarita deal is pretty impressive, but we think we can make some better margaritas at home. It won't get lost in the most flavorful cocktails and works particularly well with fresh lime juice in a margarita. ", "The aged tequila you won’t want to miss because it makes superior margaritas. You definitely won't mind shooting or mixing this one! The aromas of Cazadores Blanco mix sweet baking ingredients, like brown sugar and vanilla, with gentle black pepper spice. Olmeca Tezòn Reposado Tequila, 10 Memorable Margaritas and Daiquiri Recipes, 12 Tequila Shots That Will Rock Your World, Why 1800 Tequila Is a Great Choice for Any Bar, Cranberry Margarita With Apple-Cinnamon Tequila, Danny Ocean Cocktail With the Smooth Taste of Casamigos Tequila. It is everything you would hope to find in a great tequila. Lead bartender Lauren Mathews of Urbana in Washington, D.C. tells us that “One of my favorite tequilas to put in a margarita is Casa Noble Blanco. While all of the tequilas are very enjoyable, the brand’s reposado is superb. Añejo tequila receives 1-3 years of aging in oak barrels, and it’s commonly considered a “sipping” tequila rather than a cocktail spirit. Typically, every tequila brand's portfolio will offer a blanco, reposado, and añejo tequila. As our name implies, we offer a suite of expert guides on a wide range of topics, including fashion, food, drink, travel, and grooming.

Take this bottle to a dinner party full of cocktail enthusiasts and you won’t disappoint.

", "Old-school techniques create an exceptionally smooth reposado tequila. It offers a delightfully smooth flavor with a pleasant hint of sweetness. While both brands are famous for their cheap gold tequilas, Sauza’s 100% blue Weber agave silver tequila is a smoother option for tequila shots when you want to save money. Perhaps …

Herradura Silver Tequila, Best Top-Shelf: 14 Things You Should Know About Herradura, 5 Great Online Wine Retailers That Deliver to Your Door, Castello Banfi ‘San Angelo’ Pinot Grigio Toscana 2019, Tuscany, Italy, The Best Cheap Tequilas Under $25 Right Now | VinePair, https://vinepair.com/buy-this-booze/best-cheap-tequila-brands-ranked/, wbs_cat Spirit, wbs_type Tequila, wbs_brand Arrete, wbs_brand Cazadores, wbs_brand Espolon, wbs_brand Jose Cuervo, wbs_brand Lunazul, wbs_brand Milagro, wbs_brand Olmeca Altos, wbs_brand Tequila Bribón, best tequila, buy this booze, cheap, tequila, We Asked 10 Beverage Pros: What’s the Best Irish Whiskey for St. Patrick’s Day? Enjoy ice cold with lime and soda in the summer, or mix up a Paloma with fresh grapefruit juice. If you are looking to mix up some of the best tequila drinks you can afford, it’s the tequila to keep in your bar. Or by sipping it neat to experience the spirit’s compelling character. We’ve also found the best margarita mixes and cheap tequila to fuel your margarita dreams. | VinePair, https://vinepair.com/articles/10-best-irish-whiskey-brands-st-patricks/, wbs_cat Spirit, wbs_type Irish Whiskey, wbs_brand Green Spot, wbs_brand Jameson, wbs_brand Powers, wbs_brand Proper No. You might even recognize it as the brand co-founded by George Clooney. This last component is by far the most important, and luckily, we are awash in options. It’s perfect for a margarita because [it has a] balance of fresh agave like you would get in a blanco, but also brings roundness and complexity from the wood aging. It makes a nice margarita as … ", "The budget-friendly, easy-to-find tequila for easy drinking shots and enjoyable frozen margaritas. Without barrel aging, there’s no extra flavor to disguise a poorly crafted liquor, so it’s important to choose wisely. It may not be as smooth as top-shelf tequilas, but it is one of the best affordable options, and it’s in nearly every liquor store. There are excellent tequilas from brands using traditional methods as well as distilleries using modern technology like diffusers. The result is an exceptionally smooth, gently aged tequila with a nicely balanced flavor that falls perfectly between the brand’s blanco and añejo tequilas. It’s a great addition to a margarita!”, Co-bar director Othón Nolasco of Hermanito in Los Angeles opts for Tequila Tromba Blanco when making his bar’s signature margs, explaining that “the Hermanito Margarita features Tromba Blanco as its lush tropical flavors burst with a viscosity that cuts through citrus and lingers with a smooth finish.

Milagro Select Barrel Reserve Añejo Tequila, Best Reposado: The blue agave is estate-grown and the tequila is aged for 14 to 24 months in American and French oak barrels. This tequila is very affordable and can compete with some of the most expensive tequilas. Appropriately smoky, it’s perfect for blending into cocktails without overpowering them.”. the recipe for disaster). The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Before the tequila boom of the last couple of decades, gold tequila was almost the only choice at many liquor stores. If you stick to the best cheap Blanco or Silver expression tequila, try buying one of each and hosting a blind tasting to find the crowd favorite. The most inexpensive tequila on this list (from $19.99 per 750ml) Jose Cuervo Especial Gold Tequila is no cheap tequila – it’s the most popular selling brand in the world for good reason.

It’s a bottle that you can easily share with guests and rest assured that everyone will be pleased with their drink. It’s been a rough year, and we thought it’s best we celebrate one of the most popular tequila-based drinks here in the States, the margarita!

The nose is dominated by fresh notes of green bell pepper and brined vegetables, while the palate evokes agave syrup and the prickly heat of freshly crushed peppercorns. If you want to mix up the finest possible version of this classic libation, then you’ll need to seek out a tequila (or another agave spirit) well suited to this purpose, and we’ve got 12 suggestions for you right here, offered up by a group of professional bartenders from across the United States. The grapefruit and lime in [Ocean Prime’s signature margarita] pair perfectly with the agave spirit.”, According to bar manager Cari Hah of Big Bar in Los Angeles, “balance is the key to any great cocktail. Don't let the price stop you from enjoying a nice tequila as a shooter, though! It instantly improves any cocktail it touches and really shines in a shaken margarita with fresh juice. It's great in every style of drink, from the elegant blue envy cocktail to the traditional sangrita shooter.

They are readily available, super smooth, and richly flavored with the distinct tequila flavors that make the spirit special.

We’ve also found the best margarita mixes and cheap tequila to fuel your margarita dreams. Four Tequilas for Less Than $20 It’s surprisingly smooth in comparison, and that makes shooting it a little easier. Espolòn Blanco offers that tasty, ultra-smooth 100% blue Weber agave tequila everyone seeks out, and that’s why it’s a fan-favorite. Agave plants, which provide the juice for fermentation and distillation, take seven years to reach the ideal age for production, and a total 12 years to grow to full maturity. © 2014 - 2020 VinePair Inc. — Made In NYC, Next Round Live: What's Happening in the Drinks Industry Now. This citrus-fueled potent potable brings refreshment, vibrancy, and a nice spirited kick to any happy hour, casual dinner, or backyard barbecue (or let’s be real — a margarita can make being anywhere better). Each sip is pure pleasure, and the tequila makes a fantastic margarita. Against the earthy agave flavor, this tequila holds tropical fruit and floral notes that are ideal in any margarita recipe.

“Don Diego Santa Añejo Tequila is very smooth and elegant with aromas of hazelnut, clove, and vanilla.

Tequila Herradura offers a brilliant example that should be almost anywhere you look. “My favorite tequila to make cocktails with is Suerte Blanco,  for good reason. Average price: $22.

The beautiful thing about Casamigos is that doesn’t have a bold tequila taste.

It’s also a good choice for margaritas that include strong flavors like spicy peppers. Avion Reposado has hints of peach and pear and subtle notes of oak and vanilla; all of these elements make it a great tequila to mix cocktails with,” Ramos explains. Herradura also won’t leave you cringing after a straight shot. The aromas recall pickled jalapeños and cactus, with a faint vegetal whiff of aloe vera. It has a smooth, clean finish, along with citrus notes and a subtle sweetness that lends itself to making the perfect margarita,” says bar manager Cara Frink of Comida in Denver, Colorado of her preferred margarita tequila. “This is a great new tequila that focuses on what our consumers are looking for, [which] is Certified Organic [spirits]. Casamigos Tequila is a perfect introduction to premium tequilas.

Its aromas include dark sugar, orange blossom, and cookie dough, while the palate incorporates savory vegetal notes and mild pepper spice. The brand's aged tequilas are particularly impressive and have a reputation that puts them among the best of the best. Los Altos is a region of Jalisco, Mexico that’s known for producing some amazing tequilas. If you like rye whiskey, or want to swap in an aged agave spirit into a rye-based cocktail, this tequila is ideal. They harvest 100% organic Blue Weber (Tequilana) agave plants and cook them in old brick ovens prior to their fermentation process.

Pouring a Chardonnay-esque pale gold, this tequila serves up vanilla cookies and agave notes on the nose, followed by salted caramel and black pepper on the palate. For tequila shots, you might want to stick to a bottle on the less expensive side. Since I can be a bit picky sometimes, I had to formulate a list of the best tequila for margaritas.Don't worry, these tequilas are under $30. Sauza is distilled in the town of Tequila and right across the street from Jose Cuervo. Avion is from the ‘highland’ region of Mexico, where the soil naturally produces sweeter agave, thus yielding tequilas that are more fruit-forward. Twelve, wbs_brand Redbreast, wbs_brand West Cork, wbs_brand yellow spot, Irish Whiskey, st. Patrick\'s day, we asked.

For a beautiful example of how this plays out, try Milagro Tequila’s Select Barrel Reserve Añejo Tequila. Silver (or blanco) tequilas are unaged and the most affordable of any brand’s lineup.