FESTIVE MARGARITA IDEAS FOR YOUR NEXT HOLIDAY GATHERING

The holiday season tends to bring people together. Whether you’re surrounded by loved ones such as family, friends, or neighbors, sharing a festive drink can make the season feel so cheerful. What better way to toast the holidays than with a festive margarita made with El Rey Tequila? Let’s look at a few recipe ideas for your next gathering: 

SPICED APPLE MARGARITA 

The sweet aromas of apples and spices can be so nostalgic. You know what time of year it is once you see the seasonal flavors and scents on the shelves. If you want to enjoy a spin-off of apple cider, try out this spiced apple margarita recipe to make your guests pleasantly surprised! 

Recipe yields 1 serving: 

• 2 ounces of El Rey Reposado Tequila 

• 1 ½ to 2 ounces apple juice or cider, preferably organic 

• 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice (about 1 medium lime, juiced) 

• 1 teaspoon honey simple syrup made with ¼ cup honey and ¼ cup water or ¾ teaspoon agave nectar 

• Dash of ground cinnamon 

• Garnish: Lime wedges, Cinnamon/sugar/salt rim blend 

MISTLETOE MARGARITA 

Is it even the holiday season if you aren’t caught under the mistletoe? Mistletoe is such a Christmas-time staple… it’s a symbol for love and friendship, so let’s spread the positivity. And, you can ring in the holiday cheer this year with a Mistletoe Margarita! Your loved ones will all want one of these, so we made the recipe below for 8 servings. 

Recipe yields 8 servings: 

• 12 ounces of El Rey Silver Tequila 1/2 cup whole cranberries 

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided 

• 2 tablespoons of kosher salt 

• 1 wedge lime, for rim 

• 2 cup cranberry juice 

• 8 ounces triple sec 

• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon lime juice, divided 

• 12 cups ice 

• Garnish: Mint 

SNOWFLAKE MARGARITA 

Commonly referred to as the Snowflake Margarita, this recipe can also be considered a White Christmas Margarita. Either way, this tasty drink is the epitome of the holidays. It’s white, creamy color fits right into the ensemble of red, green and white during this time of year. Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, this festive margarita can be enjoyed all winter long! 

Recipe yields 2 servings: 

• 4 ounces of El Rey Silver Tequila 

• 4 ounces of white cranberry juice 

• 1/4 cup lime juice 

• 1/4 cup Cointreau (you could also use Grand Marnier or Triple Sec) 

• 2+ Tablespoons agave nectar 

• 2 Tablespoons coconut cream 

• 1/4 cup coconut rum (optional) 

• Garnish: coconut flakes, coarse salt, lime slices 

Some holidays might be celebrated with large amounts of eggnog, but if you want to do it right this year, make sure to bring a bottle of El Rey Tequila to the festivities. It truly will not disappoint, and is the perfect ingredient for your festive holiday drinks — Cheers! 

Tips for Throwing a Tequila-Tasting Party This Winter Season

Tequila is usually associated with two things: margaritas and binge-drinking. There’s no denying that tequila is an excellent spirit to use in cocktails, and most of us have memories of shooting tequila at least once.

Despite its associations, there’s a lot more to tequila than meets the eye. Tequilas can have wildly different flavor profiles from one brand to the next, and tequila tasting parties are becoming more and more popular.

A tequila tasting party can be an excellent way to introduce yourself and/or your friends to this south of the border spirit. If you’d like to throw one of your own, consider the following tips to help you get started.

Choose Your Tequilas

The first (and most important) step is to decide which tequilas to taste. Tequila is generally classified by age, with the youngest being blanco or silver, while extra añejo would be the oldest. For a general taste test, you should probably include one silver or blanco, one reposado, one añejo, and one extra añejo. That being said, if there’s a certain age you like the best, choosing several different brands that are all the same age is fine, too.

Set Up for Success

If your tasting party is more “party’ and less “tasting,” you can probably skip the spit bucket. However, if you’re focusing more on the taste of the tequilas and less on the buzz, you’ll want to provide your guests with something to spit the tequila in after they taste it.

Go Youngest to Oldest

You’ll want to taste your youngest tequila first, the second youngest second, ect. As you experience older bottles, you can show your guests how increased time in a barrel can affect the flavor of the end product.

Don’t Set Food Out

Parties are synonymous with food, and there’s nothing wrong with providing your guests with something tasty. Unless you’re specifically looking to pair a tequila with something to eat, you should save the food for later. It’s best to allow your guests to keep their palates clean while the tequilas are being tasted. Once the presentation is over, feel free to dig in!

No Tasting is Complete without Tequila El Rey

If you want to make sure your tequila tasting party is a success, you need good tequilas, and that means you need The King. Tequila El Rey took us years to perfect, and its smooth, nuanced taste is the product of the rich soil from which we harvest our blue agave. Our offerings include a silver, reposado, and añejo for the traditionally-minded connoisseur. However, for those who prefer a little flavor in their tequila, our strawberry, hibiscus, and pineapple coconut tequilas are sure to please. If you don’t believe us, order a bottle and see for yourself.

Here's the Difference Between Tequila and Mezcal

Ever since Americans found out that mezcal exists, and that it’s different from tequila, it has become increasingly popular in American bars and restaurants. While all tequilas are mezcals, not all mezcals are tequilas. If this seems a little confusing, read on to find out what makes them different.

Tequila vs. Mezcal

Tequila is a type of mezcal in the same way that bourbon is a kind of whiskey. The definition of mezcal is any type of agave-based liquor. Tequila is made only in certain regions of Mexico from blue agave.

Types of Agave

You can make mescal from 30 different types of agave, though about 90% of mezcals are made from the espadín variety. It can only count as tequila if it is made from 100% blue agave. Therefore, a tequila can be a mezcal (it’s made from the agave plant) but a mezcal can’t be a tequila (it’s made from another type of agave than blue agave).

Location, Location, Location

Tequila and non-tequila mezcals are made in different regions of Mexico. Tequila is generally produced in Michoacán, Guanajuato, Nayarit, Tamaulipas, and Jalisco. Jalisco is the place where the town of Tequila is located, and from where the spirit gets its name. Mezcal, on the other hand, is produced in Durango, Guanajuato, Gurrero, San Luis Potosi, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Michoacán, Puebla, and Oaxaca.

Different Distilling Processes

Tequila is usually produced by steaming the agave inside of large industrial ovens before being distilled two or three times in copper pots. Mescal is cooked inside earthen pits lined with lava rocks and filled with wood and charcoal. It is then distilled in clay pots.

They Have Different Labels

After the distilling process is complete, both tequila and mezcal are aged inside of oak barrels. The different aging categories of the two spirits are defined a bit differently. The three varieties of tequila include blanco (silver or plato, aged for up to two months), reposado (aged for two to twelve months), and añejo (aged one to three years). Mezcal is also grouped into three age brackets, including joven (blanco or abacado, up to two months), reposado (two to twelve months), and añejo (at least a year).

Tequila El Rey – The King

Our tequila begins with pure Blue Weber agave grown in Jalisco’s Valley of the Tequilas, imparting a unique, signature smoothness and spice. We take great pride in the flavor and quality of all of our tequilas. We take every painstaking step to ensure that a tequila stamped with El Rey is worthy of its name in both flavor and quality.

Now that you know the difference between tequila and mezcal, it’s up to you to understand the subtle nuance in flavors that each can provide. Share a bottle or two of our tequila with some friends and find out how quality tequila tastes.

El Rey Black Magic Margarita

Our friends over at Hot Mixology have created a signature cocktail for the Halloween season! Check it out!

Long Island Lou Approves - El Rey is a Top Tequila Under $40

Back in December our friend Long Island Lou reviewed our award winning Silver Tequila in his “Tequila in 90 Seconds or Less” series and had lovely things to say:

“It’s got such a taste and smell. Its filled with anise, you know licorice. It’s filled with sweet, natural sugar from the agave. It’s got fruit. It’s earthy and herbal. I love the smoke though, I really do—It’s a little cool in the mouth which is nice, and that smoke and anise really comes through. That sweetness is unbelievable. I love it. I really do”

This month we’re featured again in Lou’s “Top 12 Sipping Blanco’s under $40”.

From a man that really knows his tequila, we’re honored to be featured on this list. Thanks Lou!

El Rey in Tasting Panel, All Expressions in the 90's

In Tasting Panel’s most recent Agave Report El Rey received a rating of over 90 for each expression! :

El Rey Silver Tequila ($34) Citrus-fresh and potent lime and agave aromas pave the way for vibrant flavors of strawberry, grapefruit zest, and salted earth. 95 —Meridith May

El Rey Reposado Tequila ($35) A subdued perfume of butterscotch and chamomile leads to a palate that’s soft and delicate. Piquant notes of agave and garden herbs are layered, with salted citrus bridging the gap for a mineral quality on the finish. 93 —M.M.

El Rey Añejo Tequila ($37) Scents of pears, apricots, and cashews are graceful. This is an elegant aged expression, with candied pineapple seducing more savory notes of cigar leaf and peppered cocoa. It’s dizzyingly sensuous. 95 —M.M.

El Rey Silver Hibiscus ($38) Heady notes of sweet flowers are redolent of spring. The lovely pink- and purple-petaled flavors are pleasantly aromatic and authentic, with no cloying sweetness. Side notes of blueberry and vanilla round them out on the finish. 93 —M.M.

El Rey Silver Pineapple Coconut ($38) Soft notes of coconut are accented by jasmine with an echo of ripe pineapple. The downpillow buoyancy on the palate further enhances the mellow flavored tequila. 93 —M.M.

El Rey Silver Strawberry ($38) Aromas of candied strawberry, a hint of mint, and a dollop of coconut are pleasant for red-fruit fans. The mouthfeel is sumptuous and enticing. Vanilla and mint linger on the finish. 92 —M.M.

The annual agave report highlights several exceptional tequilas among the “wealth of options, all fermented and distilled from the core of the agave plant—that is, from “the heart”.

Check out their online mag to read more!

Empire Records at the 19th Annual Latin Grammys in Las Vegas

Last week thousands descended on Las Vegas for the 19th Annual Latin Grammys at the MGM grand. The annual awards show recognizes the achievements of musicians around the world in 49 categories dedicated to Spanish- or Portuguese-language recordings, as voted on by Latin Recording Academy members from over 40 countries worldwide. Notable acts like J Balvin, Luis Miguel, Jorge Drexler, Maluma, Rosalía and many other took home awards.

Days prior to the Grammys, Las Vegas swarms with energy and excitement for the event with parties popping up in suites in all of the best hotels. For the second year in a row, El Rey has partnered with Empire Latino for their official party hosted on the top floor of the Bellagio. This year Empires own COASTCITY was nominated for Best Urban Album. Congratulations fellas!

We aren't going anywhere.

The Award winners of the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and now proud to announce, Gold medal winners for our Reposado and Silver tequila in the Monterey Bay Tequila & Cuisine Competition. It is safe to say that we have no intentions of going anywhere anytime soon. With our award winning lineup and being one of the first to introduce natural flavored tequilas we take great pride in where we come from.

Headquartered in Oakland, California we stay true to our roots and take pride in being a part of such a diverse and robust community. However, that does not stop us from embracing where we come from. The rich land of El Arenal Jalisco, Mexico is where our Cascahuín distillery is located.  A small, specialty distillery, Cascahuín honors the legacy of tequila by following traditional methods of production established centuries ago.

Founded in 1904 by Salvador Rosales Briseño, the distillery was instrumental in the development of tequila production standards. Their commitment to quality is fueled by the drive to position tequila as a sophisticated spirit deserving of international acclaim. We appreciate the culture, history and taste of tequilas which is why we strive as a team to provide quality tequilas for all to enjoy and appreciate. So far we can say, it looks like its working.

Tequila El Rey's Recap on Nightclub and Bar Show

Tequila El Rey had the pleasure to be in attendance of this year's Las Vegas Nightclub and Bar show which is the nation’s most influential gathering of bar and nightlife professionals. The convention has been around for 30 plus years and exhibits around 36,000 professionals from around the world to learn, network and grow the industry. The 2018 show hosted around 600 exhibitors who come from different backgrounds and different companies in hope of networking and building connections with other leading professionals within the industry. 

We were fortunate enough to have our very own director of operations Eric Loya and sales director Ralph Farias lead our team in Vegas where they successfully teamed up to network with many leading professionals within the industry and helped our team deliver an enjoyable experience for everyone who stopped by our booth to ask questions or to taste El Rey’s traditional and flavored tequilas.

We would like to thank everyone who stopped by our booth and the nightclub and bar convention for having us there to enjoy the expo hall, conference program and all the nightlife events Vegas presents. We hope to see many of you at the 2019 Nightclub and Bar show convention as it is nothing less of a good time.  #Reignsupreme

Read more here.

Tequila El Rey - Light and Easy

Tequila Connoisseur Lou Agave was able to get a taste of our 6-bottle's starting with the three traditional bottles such as Añejo, Reposado and blanco and then moved on to our flavors Strawberry, Pineapple/coconut and Hibiscus. Lou Breaks down the tradition of our well-respected distillery named Cascahuín and gives a background story of how the tequila is made and our goals with establishing Tequila El Rey. Lou was a big fan our Silver/Blanco tequila and depicts the different taste each tequila delivers. Lou describes Tequila El Rey as a tequila suitable for everyone as it is very tasteful and enjoyable for all tequila tasting fans. 

"Tequila El Rey is a brand produced at the legendary Tequila Cascahuín Distillery in the valle region of Jalisco at NOM 1123.The distillery is owned by Salvador Rosales Torres and is run by Salvador and his son Salvador Rosales Trejo - (SEE BELOW). They produce Cascahuín Tequila, Revolucion, Siembra Valles, Siembra Valles Ancestral, Trianon, and Tequila El Rey among others. Trust me.... that is an impressive lineup. Cascahuín- meaning "hill of light" in the pre-Hispanic language of Náhuatl, refers to the hill in El Arenal where the distillery is located (Mount Cascahuín). The distillery was founded in 1904 by Salvador Rosales Briseno, and Salvador Torres and his son are the Master distillers of all the brands there. It's a good thing if your tequila is made here with these guys controlling things, and I'm sure someone like David Suro wouldn't trust his products here, if it wasn't one of the best distilleries. Tequila El Rey is owned by Steve Navarro, who is a business owner in the San Francisco Bay area, and along with his son Nick, manage the brand. Traditional methods are followed here, and according to the master distillers there are no additives, other than caramel coloring to balance the anejo color only, and that the brand is designed to be "soft and easy to drink."

Read more here.

Oakland's El Rey Launches a series of tequila's.

Oakland Magazine writes about El Rey's history as well as a brief description of what future plans we hope to achieve with our line of tequila.  

"We've had our sights set on a line of tequila with natural flavor from our inception. Ultimately, our goal was to introduce tequila to a wider audience who prefer fruitier-tasting drinks or think that they don't like tequila due to the the stigma it can tend to have."

Read more here.

When in doubt go with tequila.

Just some fun facts about tequila, agave and it's health benefits. 

"Is there such a thing as 'healthy alcohol'? If certain individual studies on the effects of tequila are to be believed, then there sure is! The Mexican alcoholic drink is touted to be healthier than other drinks like whiskey or vodka because of some supposed health benefits that it has."

"Tequila is made from the blue variety of Agave tequilana plant that is native to Mexico and is also used to produce natural sweetener called the agave nectar as substitutes for sugar. Although the agave nectar is supposed to have a lot of health benefits and hence, is widely consumed across the world, tequila can hardly be considered a health drink! However, there are people who believe in the health benefits of having a shot of tequila every day. Why is that so?..."

Read more here.

A time of year to reflect.

Christmas is the time of year when in the Mexican culture many can relate to what is known as tamale season. All Mexican families have their own traditions during this time of year but you can count that it all revolves around cooking specialty dishes such as pozole, mole or the well known tamales. The possibility is endless of the amount of traditional food you should expect to see served as it is a time of year when many families come together surrounded by drinks, food and great company as they reflect on the year altogether. 

"In Mexican-American culture, there is a time each holiday season, beginning around Thanksgiving, when all foods except tamales recede. We eat them fresh at home, one after another, until their corn-husk wrappers are piled high on the table. We pack two or three for lunch at the office, futilely hoping that the microwave doesn’t leave them a soggy mess. We bring tamales by the bagful to holidays gatherings, trading them like baseball cards with friends and cousins—I’ll give you some of my Tía Meme’s pineapple tamales if you hook me up with the potato ones from your Guatemalan sister-in-law. And, once we’ve put on the pounds (the Freshman Fifteen has nothing on the Tamale Ten) and sworn to reform our ways in the new year, we freeze what’s left to extend the holiday cheer."

Read more here.

As we remember La Virgen De Guadalupe.

La Virgen De Guadalupe is an Icon that is well known through out the western hemisphere as you can almost see her image anywhere you go. La Virgin De Guadalupe is the patron saint of Mexico. La Virgen is depicted with brown skin, an angel and moon at her feet and the rays of sunlight that encircle her. Her image has been used throughout Mexican history, not only as a religious icon but also as a sign of patriotism. Miguel Hidalgo used her image when he launched his revolt against the Spanish back in 1810. She could be seen on the rebels’ banners and their battle cry was “Long Live Our Lady of Guadalupe.”

"As the National Museum of Mexican Art describes, "Her name and image have become synonymous with Mexicanidad (Mexican-ness) as she embodies the central theme to which any study of Mexican identity must inevitably return."

Read more here.

The lost art from Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera

Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, some of the most iconic artist known to come out of Mexico in the twentieth century, demonstrate their love through their own artwork. Take a look!

"He was the older, celebrated master of frescoes who helped revive an ancient Mayan mural tradition, and gave a vivid visual voice to indigenous Mexican labourers seeking social equality after centuries of colonial oppression. She was the younger, self-mythologising dreamer, who magically wove from piercing introspection and chronic physical pain paintings of a severe and mysterious beauty...."

Read more here.

"Painted in Mexico"

Los Angeles county museum of art introduces new paintings that depict the 18th century art work from many great artist from Mexico such as Juan Rodríguez Juárez, Nicolás Enríquez and José de Ibarra. The Museums new exhibition displays many historical paintings that have never been seen before as they were designed for churches or other religious settings. A must-see museum if you're in the area!

"It was organized by LACMA curator Ilona Katzew and three co-curators: Jaime Cuadriello and Paula Mues Orts in Mexico City and Luisa Elena Alcalá in Madrid. More than 100 paintings are at LACMA, ranging from small oils on copper medallions worn as nuns’ habit décor to a monumental oval altarpiece 13 feet tall and 10 feet wide."

Read more here.

"the blind leap of faith"

Joel Salcido, a photgrapher and writer from Texas who was born in Juarez, Mexico, takes a journey back to Mexico where he rediscovers the love of the rich culture, music and hard working people. Joel travels throughout different parts of Mexico in hope to reconnect with his mestizo-Native American roots. In doing so he also experienced the amount of heavy duty work the jimadores must engage in day after day in order to produce tequila. Joel goes on to write about his whole experience in his new book "The Spirit of Tequila."

“When I took on this project, which was strictly a personal project, I deliberately went out both to document this world of tequila, but also to see if I could relive my childhood memories, if I could find those special places that were unique and special to my childhood,” Salcido says. “As I dug into these beautiful towns in the state of Jalisco, I realized that it was all still there. This richness of culture, this richness of colors, and these beautiful people.”

Read more here. 

Mariachi revolutionized music.

Mariachi, a coveted musical art form that has helped craft much of the music we know to this day. Mariachi was originated in Jalisco, Mexico in the 19th century and is now known throughout Mexico and many parts of the United States. The musical art form is known to have many classic songs that have great meanings and tend to be played at celebrations such as weddings, birthday parties and baptisms. Mariachi first came to Los Angeles in the 1940's and from then on became a key part of culture which has helped revolutionize the music industry and even go on to help create one of Blondie's biggest hits.

"There is no music of Los Angeles without mariachi and banda and son jarocho, without bossa nova and samba, without mambo and cha cha cha and salsa, without Latin jazz helping West Coast jazz find its sound, without R&B and rock tuning "south of the border" or "South American Way." Or to musicalize the question from artist Rubén Ortiz-Torres, how could we listen to L.A. (Los Angeles) without the music of L.A. (Latin America)? How could we listen to Latin America without the music of Los Angeles? The city's distinctive musical urbanism is unthinkable without Latin American migrant sounds and migrant musicians. "Boom in Latin rhythms bigger than ever in L.A.," jazz magazine Down Beatdeclared in 1954, but truth is the boom was always booming, the tide was always high."

Read more here.

'Coco' takes center stage!

Coco, a movie about a young boy named Miguel Rivera who chooses to follow his dream of playing his guitar despite the push back of his family. The movie is centered around a Dia de Los Muertos theme that depicts Mexican music, culture and folklore. 

"We hope that our audience and those communities feel like we got it right," says co-director Lee Unkrich. He says the filmmakers went to great lengths to make sure the depictions were culturally authentic and respectful. He and his crew of artists at Pixar spent six years travelling to Mexico for inspiration, going into people's homes, visiting plazas and mercados, and attending Day of the Dead festivities. But as they were kicking around ideas for a title, parent company Disney got in a lot of heat for filing to trademark the phrase "Dia de los Muertos."

Read more here.

25 key words to add to your terminolgy

Ever read over a bottle of Tequila or Mezcal and wonder what some of the terms mean? Here's a list of 25 key words to help every tequila/mezcal drinker understand the essentials that go into every bottle. 

Read more here.