When might you use añejo in a cocktail? A drink called the Nouveau Carre provides a clue. This cocktail is a modification of a New Orleans classic, the Vieux Carre. The original calls for a mix of rye and cognac as the base spirits. Since you want the richness of a well-aged spirit, it makes perfect sense to use añejo in the tequila variant.
Agave Controversy
Tequila is not the only agave-based spirit made in Mexico. Mezcal, of course, has been made there for centuries (and I’ll cover mezcal separately, in a future post), but there are yet other liquors made from the plant. Recently, legislation was proposed in Mexico to limit who can use the word agave to describe a spirit. If the regulation passes, the only way a distiller can use agave is to describe tequila, mezcal, or a lesser-known spirit called bacanora. Makers of spirits such as raicilla would have to call them “agavacea aguardiente” or “distilled agavacea.” Cumbersome.
