The first thing to read on the label isn't the brand. It's whether it says 100% agave. If it doesn't, up to half the sugars came from somewhere else, and that half is what gives people the headache they blame on tequila.
Blanco is the margarita bottle, no argument
It never goes in a barrel, so it tastes of agave, citrus and black pepper. That's exactly what a margarita needs - the lime has to push against agave, not against vanilla from oak. For cocktails, blanco every time.
Reposado is two months to a year in wood
The barrel lays vanilla and warm spice over the top without burying the agave. It's the one to pour for somebody who says tequila bites, because the rest takes the edge off. It's also the best match for anything off a grill.
How to trade up without spending more
Espolon is the best ratio on our shelf: 100% agave, from the highlands of Jalisco, at roughly half what the famous labels cost. If you buy the same bottle out of habit, this is the one worth putting beside it.
And the bottle that goes on the table
Don Julio and Casamigos are what you pour when there's company. Drink them neat, at room temperature, in a proper glass rather than a shot glass. Putting either in a margarita is throwing away what you paid for.
The size arithmetic
A 750 gives sixteen drinks. A 1.75 litre gives thirty-nine and costs meaningfully less per drink. If you're making margaritas for a party, the big bottle isn't excess, it's the correct sum.
Beverage World Package Store
6731 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, Doraville, GA 30360. (770) 441-0001. Open 10am to 9pm Monday to Wednesday, 10am to 11pm Thursday to Saturday, and 11am to 9pm Sunday. Delivery from $4.99.
On our shelf right now
Prices and stock read from our own inventory when this page was built.