What's trending? Tequila

In honor of National Tequila Day on Friday, we revisit this story from May about the increasingly popular spirit. Here's what you need to know about it.

No longer relegated to packaged margarita mix or cheap shots in campus bars, tequila is coming into its own.

From local bartenders to beloved leading man George Clooney, the spirit from south of the border is seeing a surge in popularity.

And it's a big surge: U.S. imports of tequila have grown 92 percent since 2002, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. Last year, 13.8 million nine-liter cases were sold.

About the growth

"The cocktail revolution and the interest in craft cocktails have really driven growth of the entire spirits industry," said Alexandra Sklansky, director of public relations for DISCUS, the national trade association. In 2014, the entire distilled spirits industry grew by 2.2 percent in volume and 4 percent in revenue.

Tequila fits right into the cocktail trend.

"Tequila is a wonderful spirit to play with because it has a really interesting flavor and lends itself well to a cocktail," she said, noting the bartenders are using it for fresher versions of margaritas, the old standby, as well as other craft cocktails.

That jives with Jeff Snyder's experience. The general manager of Bakersfield's Nashville location since it opened in January, he started as bar manager at the Over-the-Rhine location when it opened in 2012 and put together its prodigious tequila list, which now numbers at about 80.

"The general resurgence of cocktail culture in the country has people branching out from gin and whiskey drinks," he said, noting that he has seen more people ordering tequila during the last three years.

"People are dabbling in it and finding out they enjoy it," said the 10-year tequila enthusiast. "It's my passion," he said.

Sklansky said most of the growth in tequila has been in the more expensive brands, with sales of high-end premium ($18-$30) up 189 percent in volume and super premium ($30-plus) up 568.1 percent since 2002.

The popularity of aged whiskeys translates to tequilas, she said, with more people drinking older (and more expensive) tequilas, she said.

Lindsay Laubenstein is a member of the drink's local fan base. She consults on cocktail menus and training programs under the name Alcohol Alchemy Hospitality and tends bar at Igby's, Downtown.

"It's probably my one true liquor love," Laubenstein, a 12-year industry veteran, said of the spirit. Her go-to drink: tequila neat.

She thinks a wider variety of tequilas – and more access to information about them – is also adding to the surge in popularity.

"We're seeing more of it coming into the states in general," she said. "People are seeing things that they've never seen before, and seeing higher quality."

And with the global economy people are becoming more connected and finding more information online, she added. You can look up any tequila and find online reviews, for example.

Plus, bartenders are getting into tequila.

"Bartenders drive the trends," Laubenstein points out. "When you see a bartender start falling in love with something, they start pushing it to their guests and creating cocktails with it."

And always ready to outdo bartenders, celebrities are also weighing in. Academy Award winner Clooney launched Casamigos tequila with partners Rande Gerber (he's Cindy Crawford's husband) and Mike Meldman in early 2013.

But what about the hangovers?

Laubenstein and other tequila lovers say that tequila often gets unfairly dismissed by drinkers who have bad memories involving the drink.

"Everyone has had that really bad experience in college where they wake up and just want to jump off a cliff because they felt so bad," Snyder said.

Those head-pounding experiences, they say, result from drinking tequila that's not 100 percent blue agave or "the good stuff," as Laubenstein calls it.

All tequilas must be 51 percent agave, by law. "It's a very simple sugar, so it's easy for your system to break down," she said.

In contrast, mixto tequilas (including the gold tequilas that are familiar to many) can be up to 49 percent non-agave sugars and can include things like caramel color. Those extra sugars "will get you hungover in the morning," Snyder said.

"Our association with those mixtos is so strong that I think people are resistant to giving it a chance," said Stuart King, one of the owners of the newly opened Sundry and Vice cocktail bar in Over-the-Rhine. He thinks that's a shame because "there are so many incredible tequilas out there."

What's your tequila type?

So here's a tequila primer to help clear up some of the misconceptions surrounding the spirit. Snyder, Laubenstein and King all advocate sticking to that 100 percent blue agave tequila. But that's not the only factor to consider when seeking out the spirit.

1) Age: Tequilas can be classified into several categories, based on how long they're aged. Blanco tequila, which is clear in color, is unaged or aged in stainless steel for less than two months. Reposado tequila is barrel-aged for 2 to 12 months. (Most tequila distilleries use American oak, bourbon or whiskey barrels, Laubenstein said.) Añejo tequila is aged 1 to 3 years. Extra Añejo tequila is aged for more than 3 years.

The aging process can make big difference in how a tequila tastes.

"It's important for people to understand that tequila is a very nuanced spirit," Snyder said. "The longer the tequila sits in oak, it takes on these oak characteristics, like a bourbon or a scotch."

"A lot of the 'bite' of the tequila is really smoothed out as a result of the extra aging," King said.

Snyder has a tip for deciding which kind to try: Match the color to whatever spirit you normally drink.

"I always ask (customers) what they drink," he said. "If they say they drink vodka or gin, I'm going to give them a blanco. If they're a fan of bourbon or rum, I'm going to find something that's aged in barrels" – a reposado or añejo.

He also might take into account the season. "If it's summertime, I like to enjoy a blanco on the rocks," he said. During colder months, he's more likely to drink a reposado or añejo, neat.

2)Origination: Beyond the aging time, where the agave is grown can also impact a tequila's taste. Highland tequilas, which use agave exposed to cooler nights and more precipitation, tend to be sweeter and fruitier/more citrusy, Laubenstein said. Lowland tequilas, made with agave grown in the valleys, tend to have more of a peppery/spicy flavor, with vegetal notes.

3) Price: Always something to consider. "You can find a lot of tequilas in the $100, $200 and $300 price range," King said, "but you can find fantastic tequilas in the $30-$40 price range."

If all of that still seems daunting, Laubenstein has a simple solution: "Don't be afraid to ask questions of people who know what they're talking about. I love turning people on to tequila."

Hope Springs Eternal

Laubenstein shares her recipe for Igby's May Cocktail of the Month, Hope Springs Eternal. It will be $5 during happy hour all month long.

1 ounce Avión Silver tequila

1/2 ounce Aperol (bittersweet orange liqueur)

11/2ounce white grapefruit juice

1/4 ounce lemon juice

2-3 sprigs of thyme

Shake all ingredients in shaker with ice and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a large rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with a sprig of thyme.

Overwhelmed by overflowing selection?

Snyder recommends a few of his favorite tequilas:

El Jimador (for mixing in margaritas or other cocktails)

Espolón blanco

El Mayor añejo

Tres Agaves añejo

Don Julio

Herradura