Welcome back to FTW’s Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey.
I’m coming around on tequila.
The spirit that once induced nausea from a single whiff — thanks, Pepe Lopez! — has turned me back to its side thanks to my slow, ongoing introduction to brands that aren’t best used for stripping varnish off old shipwreck wood. A smattering of canned cocktails slowly began changing my mind. Then, earlier this spring, 818’s premium offering showcased how lush tequila can be.
This is all very good timing; 2023 has been a big year for the spirit. Like peach flavoring, it’s been a focus of the ever-shifting booze landscape as brands launch into their summer fun phase (a departure from the “it’s winter, let’s stay inside and drink” phase that follows). So I’m gonna lean in and roll with the drink that’s the word-association partner of “tequila.”
This week, we’re hitting margaritas in three different, but low effort, forms. Premade in a bottle without tequila, premade in a fancy kit with tequila, and made at home with a ready-to-go mix and a couple solid, mid-tier bottles. How’d they stack up? Let’s find out.