07/01/96 TEQUILA TO SAVOR LIKE COGNAC

TEQUILA TO SAVOR LIKE COGNAC

True or false? Tequila tastes like firewater, induces hallucinations, and must be guzzled in shots or mixed in a candy-sweet drink to disguise its flavor. An intoxicated little worm has settled to the bottom of every bottle. And, oh yes, this Mexican moonshine is a decidedly downscale beverage.
Fine tequila is none of these things. In fact, while the spirit evokes memories of frat house parties--and hangover hell--``super premium'' tequila is fast gaining acceptance as a classy liquor that can be sipped in the manner of cognac, says Lucinda Hutson, author of Tequila!, Cooking with the Spirit of Mexico, ($16.95, Ten Speed Press). No wonder spirits-maker Sauza has been running advertisements with the tag line: ``Life is harsh. Your tequila shouldn't be.'' Better tequilas also lead to superior margaritas, which remain the drink of choice for most tequila lovers. ``It is important that people understand how versatile a spirit it is,'' says Hutson.
MACHO. All tequila is extracted from the heart of the blue agave plant, which flourishes in the Mexican state of Jalisco. Although it has spiny, razor-sharp pencas that make it resemble a pineapple, the blue agave is a member of the lily family. (Fiery mezcal, which often does have a worm in the bottle, is derived from another type of agave.) To be considered tequila, the Mexican government requires that at least 51% of fermentable sugars come from the blue agave.
Even though definitions are fuzzy, tequila dubbed super premium is often made with 100% blue agave and bottled in Mexico. It is generally the most expensive, with prices of $30 a bottle on up. Despite its macho reputation, at 80 proof, tequila has no more alcohol than standard gin, vodka, or rum.
The Mexican government established four distinct styles of tequila. Tequila blanco or plata (white or silver) most often comes fresh from the still and is clear, though some may ``rest'' in wood or steel tanks for up to 45 days. It can be pleasant by itself, or as part of a mixed drink. At Tapika, a Manhattan restaurant featuring Southwestern cuisine, a friend and I liked El Tesoro de Don Felipe Silver (about $33 a bottle at retail), a very smooth brand with a hint of black pepper and spice. We preferred it to the silver Chinaco ($35), which, like El Tesoro, is distributed by Robert Denton & Co. But unlike the two we sampled, some silver tequilas are coarse and may remind you of petroleum.
Gold tequila is essentially silver tequila that has been colored with caramel or other flavorings. At Tapika, we tried Jose Cuervo Especial, commonly known as Cuervo Gold, the best-selling tequila brand in the U.S. I found it way too rough to drink straight up, which is why it often resides in a margarita. As my friend put it: ``There's a reason people down shots of this.''
``MEDICINAL.'' Many super premium tequilas fall into the other two classifications. Those that have ``rested'' in oak tanks or barrels for two months to a year receive the reposado designation. Mexicans favor this young tequila taste, which works well as a shooter or sipping spirit, but one BUSINESS WEEK tester found the silver Patron ``medicinal and harsh.'' I'm partial to the anejos, which have been aged in oak for a year or more and are best savored in a snifter. In Mexico, good anejos are drunk straight up in tiny shot glasses, and almost never wasted in a margarita. Aging helps the tequila smooth over its harsher edges. Chinaco, El Tesoro, Herradura, and Patron all have strong entries in this category.
Some pricey tequilas are exceptional. The 100% blue agave, 3-year-old Reserva de la Familia Jose Cuervo was introduced in a limited edition (4,000 bottles) to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Cuervo brand. It costs $75 for a standard 750 ml corked and wax-sealed bottle--roughly double what top-quality anejos typically command. The oily-smooth spirit compares favorably with cognac, and was a big winner among BUSINESS WEEK testers.
Many of us also enjoyed the $34 Sauza Tres Generaciones, another cognac-like tequila with a butterscotch finish that is aged up to eight years in oak barrels. The aroma reminded one taster of ``the hot wood of a sauna,'' and another of a ``smooth summer breeze.'' But best of all, by drinking only top-flight tequilas, no one had to extinguish any fires.

TYPES OF TEQUILA

WHITE OR SILVER: At its best, this crystal-clear spirit can be sipped alone, especially when ice cold.

GOLD: Often flavored with caramel, gold tequilas are popular for shooters, margaritas, and mixed drinks.

REPOSADO (RESTED): Oak aging for less than a year tempers the harshness of the flavor, which is excellent for sipping and mixed drinks.

ANEJO (AGED): Aged at least a year in oak barrels, fine anejos are similar to premium cognacs.

DATA: TEQUILA!, BY LUCINDA HUTSON
EDITED BY AMY DUNKIN By Edward Baig