We’re deep into the holiday shopping season and by now you’ve probably already picked up gifts for the gym rat, the world traveler, and big nerd in your family or friend circle. Now it’s time to pick up that gift for that person in your life who prefers to end the day with a nice slow sip of the good stuff.
Particularly, in this case, tequila or mezcal.
If you follow the world of spirits closely, you’re probably aware that the two agave-based spirits are having a bit of a moment right now and that’s because there have never been more great brands and labels producing mezcal and tequila as there are right now. So don’t beat yourself up if your last trip to the spirits aisle left you scratching your head about all these brands you’ve never heard of. Instead, let us help you out by pointing you toward some seriously great bottles that are sure to make great gifts plus a few tequila/mezcal-specific bar accessories that’ll up anyone’s mixologist game.
If you’re looking for other spirits outside of the agave-based as well as other kits and gear that the alcohol aficionado in your life would love, be sure to hit up our Ultimate Spirits Gift Guide for 2022. For now, let’s dive into 2022’s most gift-worthy bottles and accessories.
Part One: The Accessories
Riedel — Tequila Glass Set
Price: $40
If you’re not a hardcore tequila drinker, you’re probably totally unaware that tequila has its very own glass designed specifically to enhance the experience of slow sipping expensive aged expressions. Tequila glasses resemble champagne flutes and are designed to deliver the tequila evenly across the palate while allowing for the aromas to tantalize the nose giving a tasting experience that a shot glass just can’t match.
This two-glass set by Riedel is made from machine-blown crystal and carries just over six ounces. The tequila drinker in your life can now share a sip of the good stuff with their favorite person, which will hopefully be you!
Glassique Cadeau — Mezcal Copitas
Price: $49.99
Just like tequila has a specialty glass for slow sipping, so does mezcal — it’s known as the copita. Like the tequila glass, the copita is engineered with the aroma of the spirit in mind with a wide shape that helps to aerate the spirit and open up its flavors and scent. This four-glass set by Glassique Cadeau is made from hand-blown glass, which might not be traditional (copitas are traditionally made of clay) but allow the liquid to show through and come packaged together in a reusable storage box, making each pour feel like an event when you bring the set out alongside a great bottle.
Geiserailie Wood Margarita Salt Rimmer
Price: $16.49
A dedicated salt rimmer is the sort of bar tool that most people won’t be willing to shell out cash for but is insanely useful. Generally, a plate covered in salt will get you by, but a proper salt rimmer features a circular shape that will allow for a better and less wasteful distribution of salt. You can generally pick these up at any big box liquor store but what makes this one by Geiseralie special is that it’s equal parts function and fashion.
Featuring a solid wood build, this rimmer features precision grooves made for trapping liquid to keep it from spreading and making a mess and sports a removable lid that also acts as a cutting board for limes. It’s the tool the drinker in your life needs, even if he or she doesn’t know it yet.
EDITOR’S PICK: Artisan Citrus Juicer — Large
Price:$150
This juicer is easier than a hand juicer and can handle bigger citrus. Sure, a hand juicer might do the trick with limes, but if your giftee loves tequila they probably really love palomas. And the best palomas come from hand juicing the grapefruit — that’s just not up for debate.
I personally own this juicer and it’s just so… easy: to squeeze, to clean, and to look at. Yes, there are slightly more compact products out there, but this one looks the coolest. And in the world of bar-based gifts, that certainly counts for something. – Steve Bramucci, Editor
Part One: The Bottles
Tequila — Fortaleza Reposado
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $60
The Tequila:
Hailing from the famed Tequila Los Abuelos distillery (NOM 1493) Fortaleza is a near-perfect reposado tequila and will have even the most snobbish tequila sippers in your life wide-eyed with excitement about taking that first sip. Fortaleza uses traditional stone and brick ovens to roast their pinas before stone-crushing them the old-fashioned way.
Each lot is then individually aged in American Oak for seven months for a smooth and mellow texture and flavor.
Tasting Notes:
Well balanced between the bright and herbaceous characteristics of agave and the sweetened round qualities of American oak barrel aging, Fortaleza’s Reposado features an ever-shifting bouquet of flavors. On the onset, you get a vanilla smoothness with a hint of stone fruit and citrus with a subtle spicy earthy cinnamon spike on the aftertaste.
The Bottom Line:
Simply one of the finest reposado tequilas you and your loved ones will ever drink. A shocking value for the price.
Tequila — Jose Cuervo Reserva Da Familia Platino
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $61.99
The Tequila:
Jose Cuervo gets a lot of justified criticism, their baseline of tequilas is straight-up gross but the Reserva De la Familia line is something else entirely. This top-of-the-line series of expressions from Jose Cuervo follows the handcrafted techniques of the brand’s original master distiller and is produced from hand-harvested agave planted on the Cuervo estate’s richest volcanic soil.
Each bottle is numbered, dated, and wax sealed, also by hand. It’s a craft tequila in every step of its process, and the un-aged Platino is the perfect introduction to this underrated subset of the brand.
Tasting Notes:
Incredibly bright and vegetal as it first hits the palette but it almost immediately settles into a supremely smooth and oily mouthfeel. Notes of pineapple, pear and bell pepper tickle the taste buds before finishing with a bright citrus finish. It’s the perfect tequila for the agave fan who loves cocktails.
The Bottom Line:
Bright and floral, Jose Cuervo’s Reserva de la Familia will elevate any cocktail from great to astounding.
Tequila — Mijenta Reposado
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $69.99
The Tequila:
Aside from its absolutely beautiful bottle, Mijenta’s reposado is a multi-award winning tequila, scoring a 99 at Tasting Panel, the Master Award at the 2022 Tequila and Mezcal Masters, and a gold medal from Tequila aficionado in 2021. This small batch spirit is aged for six months in American white oak, French oak, and French acacia casks via specifications from the famed tequila maestro Ana Maria Romero, resulting in an ultra-smooth and flavorful reposado that is among the best in this price range.
Tasting Notes:
Vanilla and honey dominate the nose and pull you in for a sip that takes your palette on a journey through roasted agave, floral honey, and a fruity medley of flavors that seems to shift with every drink. Mijenta never gets boring and you’ll find yourself reaching for another drink just to pin down the flavors until your glass is empty and you’re reaching for another pour.
The Bottom Line:
A small batch tequila with a bottle and liquid that is as beautiful to look at as it is to drink.
Siempre Exclusivo Vivo
ABV: 47.5%
Price: $129.99
The Tequila:
Siempre’s entire line of expressions is pretty solid but this special Exclusivo Vivo bottle is on a whole other level of craft. Made from 100% Blue Weber agave from Arandas Jalisco, this plata tequila is made from agave cooked in stone brick ovens and goes through an open-air fermentation process following a traditional Peruvian method of distillation that utilizes fermented aguamiel (agave sap) with living yeast. The liquid is limited to just 9,000 bottles and was made in partnership with Master Tequileros Sergio Cruz and Adam Fodor.
Tasting Notes:
Noticeably peppery with a heavy cracked peppercorn flavor with hints of fresh citrus, apple skin, and mango. For a plata is goes down incredibly smooth with a supple buttery mouthfeel.
The Bottom Line:
Siempre’s finest tequila by a mile. A lot of care and craft goes into this bottle and it’s something that seasoned tequila drinkers will be able to pick up on at first sip.
Tequila — Eight Reserve
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $199.99
The Tequila:
Kendall Jenner’s 818 tequila was already raising the bar for celebrity-owned tequila brands, but with Eight Reserve they’ve proven they are amongst the best of tequila brands, period, celebrity or otherwise. Not only is Eight Reserve a premium blend of añejo and extra añejo tequila, but it comes in a conversation-starting unique bottle shape that might not win you over visually but certainly will once you give it that first pour.
Tasting Notes:
Dangerously easy to drink, Eight Reserve is a wince-free ultra smooth aged tequila that has all the complexity sought after by tequila snobs without anything that would push away more casual drinkers. The initial taste brings together vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate, and cardamom in near equal balance before introducing subtle notes of fresh orange rind, butterscotch, and crushed raspberries.
The Bottom Line:
Simply the finest celebrity tequila brand in the business, Eight Reserve will appeal to the Kardashian/Jenner-obsessed people in your family and friend circle, as well as the hardcore tequila snobs.
Tequila — Herradura Selección Suprema Extra Añejo
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $399
The Tequila:
In truth, you could just buy a bottle of Herradura’s regular Extra Añejo expression and still make the tequila drinker in your life happy, but you might as well go all out and reach for the Selección Suprema line, which kicks things up a considerable degree, from great to astounding.
Aged for 49 months in American White oak barrels, this extra añejo expression has scored 25 different gold spirit tasting awards across various respected competitions, and for good reason. It is simply one of the finest aged tequilas on the market right now.
Tasting Notes:
Floral honey greets you and quickly shifts to heavy notes of cooked agave, caramelized butterscotch, and earthy molasses with a luxurious oaky finish that stains the palette in the best way. It’s so good you can still taste it after you exhale.
The Bottom Line:
A super smooth luxurious premium aged tequila for the biggest agave snob in your life.
Mezcal — Montelobos Espadín
ABV: 43.2%
Average Price: $42.49
The Mezcal:
Great, gift-worthy Mezcal is generally pretty pricey, which is what makes Montelobos Espadín so special, it’s great mezcal at a budget price. Made from organic espadín agave from Oaxaca, Montelobos is born from organic agave roasted in underground fire pits and small batch distilled.
Tasting Notes:
A distinct chocolate flavor dominates this mezcal with a mouthwatering savory aftertaste and a smokey finish that burns in the best way.
The Bottom Line:
An affordable bottle that punches well above its weight and serves as a great introduction to mezcal.
Mezcal — La Luna Espandincillo
ABV: 48.51%
Average Price: $60
The Mezcal:
Made strictly from espandincillo agave from Michoacán, La Luna recently took home awards from the SF Spirits Competition for best Mezcal. La Luna puts this particular expression through a slow roasting clay pot distilled process that keeps the flavors bright, present, and a bit fiery,
Tasting Notes:
Citrus-y with a dark edge to it, this Espandincillo mixes heavy smokey almost charcoal-esque notes with a blood orange flavors with a roasted agave finish.
The Bottom Line:
Not for the faint of heart, La Luna’s Espandincillo is perfect for people who love the smokier qualities of mezcal.
Mezcal — Amarás Cupreata
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $55.99
The Mezcal:
One of my favorite mezcals of the year, Amarás Cupreata is made from wild cupreata agave from Tixtla Guerrero grown to 13 years of maturity. Cupreata is a rarer form of agave, so if you’re buying for a seasoned mezcal drinker they’ll definitely appreciate the more unique aspects of this highly floral mezcal.
Last year the mezcal took home the best in show at San Francisco’s World Spirits Competition.
Tasting Notes:
The most fragrant mezcal you’ll ever come across, this cupreata features a balance of vanilla and roasted agave notes with some hints of mango and banana leaf with a smooth cocoa finish.
The Bottom Line:
A truly unique mezcal for the drinker who thinks they’ve tasted it all.
Mezcal — Dos Hombres Espadín
ABV: 43.2%
Average Price: $56.99
The Mezcal:
Just as we shouted out the best celebrity-owned tequila brand, we have to give flowers to the best celebrity-owned mezcal brand out there, Dos Hombres, the perfect bottle for the Breaking Bad nerd in your life. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul’s mezcal brand is made from a blend of espadín agave hand-selected from the Oaxacan hillsides before being roasted in earthen pits in a four-day baking process.
Walter White and Jesse Pinkman made some of the most artisanal meth ever and thankfully that attention to craft has translated into the real world as this legal drug.
Tasting Notes:
Sweet and inviting on the nose with a people-pleasing blend of mango, apple, and caramel on the palate with a distinct burning finish.
The Bottom Line:
The perfect bottle for the Breaking Bad and Mezcal nerd in your life. For the right person, it’s like a two-in-one gift!
Mezcal — Agua Mágica
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $59.99
The Mezcal:
While all of the bottles we’ve chosen for this list are truly gift-worthy in the flavor department, Agua Mágica is the only one with a bottle that looks the part. Made from a mix of espadín and the rarer tobalá agave sourced from Oaxaca, Agua Mágica sports a sweet people-pleasing flavor that has enough complexity to wow seasoned mezcal drinkers but is inviting enough for beginners dipping their toes in the spirit for the first time.
Tasting Notes:
Herbaceous and grassy, this mezcal has notes of cherry and almond with a luxurious mouthfeel and a sweet finish. If you like your mezcal to burn, look elsewhere, this comes across as much more buttery, floral, and mouthwatering than your typical bottle of mezcal.
The Bottom Line:
Sweet, smooth, and bright, this is the best choice for drinkers who love mezcal but aren’t completely sold on the smokey attributes.
