Tequila's image has come a long way since its humble origins as a cringe-inducing party shot. In 2021, tequila surpassed whiskey retail sales as the second best-selling spirit behind vodka, and with the proliferation of premium tequila companies, craft cocktail trends, and brands with celebrity endorsements steadily on the rise, tequila's popularity is poised to keep on growing.

Similar to Champagne, tequila has appellation of origin, a classification which denotes a set of legal restrictions related to geography, style, and production methods. Intended to ensure the authenticity and quality of the Mexican spirit, for the consumer, these standards point to the symbiotic relationship between terroir, Mexican culture, and the bottled end result. While these factors may not be important to the average frozen margarita drinker, for those looking for a premium tequila for smooth sipping, it all begins in the world-class tequila-making region of Jalisco, Mexico.

With an overwhelming amount of store bought tequila brands to choose from, for imbibers who are specifically looking for a luxury bottle that's worth a big splurge, I scoured the premium tequila marketplace in search of the brands that stand a cut above the rest. Focusing solely on tequilas over $100 per 750 milliliter, I did a deep dive beyond brands' mission statements, researching their production techniques and aging processes instead. To supplement my knowledge of spirits gleaned from two decades as a mixologist, I perused several industry award rankings, review sites, and travel blogs to augment my expertise and help inform my selection.

“Casa Dragones is a small-batch tequila company on a mission. Beyond the pursuit of perfecting the sipping tequila, CEO, co-founder, and maestra tequilera Bertha González Nieves is shaping the future of the tequila industry through a commitment to innovative and sustainable production methods. The first woman to be certified by the Mexican Academy of Tequila Tasters, Nieves produces a small collection of premium tequilas — each boasting an ultra-smooth finish and luxurious character.

Sourcing agave from a high-elevation estate in Tequila, Jalisco, only the sweetest piñas are harvested by hand, which allows for a more harmonious embrace of each yearly harvest while ensuring the signature taste of Casa Dragones. In an effort to reduce its carbon footprint, the company opts out of traditional cooking methods in favor of using an industrial diffuser and keeps to a small-batch philosophy, never producing more than 500 cases at a time.

While Casa Dagrones Blanco retails for under $100, making for a luxurious margarita, the cleanest and most refined sipping spirit from the Casa Dragones line is sure to be Joven. A masterful blend of white tequila with a five-year-old, extra-aged tequila, at $359 per bottle, it's an expensive, yet exceptional choice.”

Read full article here