Access to a good bottle of reposado tequila presents a happy dilemma: Should you sip it straight, or mix it into cocktails? Luckily, it works beautifully either way.
Reposado or “rested” tequila—aged in oak barrels from two months to one year—offers a balanced blend of sprightly pepper and citrus notes tempered by mellow, toasty vanilla.
Those in the sipping camp may wonder, where do all those complex flavors come from? The sun-baked agave plant is the critical ingredient of tequila, yielding honey and piquant peppery notes, yet the barrels are a key component, too.
Tequila makers are paying close attention to the tastes of American consumers—after all, the U.S. is the single largest export market for tequila. And while tequila sales continue to show strong growth in the U.S., they continue to lag behind whiskey.
With such a widening range of flavors available, bartenders are taking advantage and mixing reposados into cocktails that go far beyond the usual Margarita.
Quick Facts
Also known as: aged or rested tequila
Aged: between two months and one year
Reposado translates to “rested,” and this versatile expression indeed spends between two months and one year resting in oak or steel, most typically oak barrels that once held American whiskey. This time in the barrel imparts a light straw color and notes that reflect the type of wood used, such as vanilla and caramel.
Reposado is a bartender favorite thanks to the sweet spot it hits between the brightness of blanco tequila and oak-heavy añejo tequila. Spice and sweet aromatics render it complex enough for sipping, but it is also works well in cocktails such as the Distrito Federal (Tequila Manhattan) or a Cadillac Margarita, a richer version of the classic made with reposado instead of blanco tequila.
