Tequila can make or break a night out, depending on what you’re drinking. The spectrum of tequila can be easily categorized by the length of time the distillate was left to age. This aging process is what alters the color of tequila. However, both blanco and cristalino are clear despite their large variance in age. Enter, the magic of filtering, the Uno reverse of aging, the Botox of aged tequila.
To be allowed to label a spirit “tequila,” you need to meet some exacting standards. The Mexican government has one crucial ratio for authentication: 51% of the distillate has to come from the blue agave plant, specifically. You’ll notice that many high-quality brands will boast on their labels when their products supersede the minimum threshold of 51%.
Which brings us to the different types of tequila. Rather than undergoing a lengthy aging process following distillation, blanco tequila will be aged for at most two months if not immediately bottled. Reposado tequila, on the other hand, will be rested anywhere between two to 12 months. Then there’s añejo, which is where we get most cristalino. This type will be rested for one to three years, with anything aged longer than three years considered an extra añejo.
Blanco as the blank slate of tequila
Blanco tequilas are, in essence, the purest form of tequila. Named for their lack of color, this type of tequila offers a clean, crisp flavor, often quite mild and with subtle citrusy and grassy notes. Sometimes you’ll see them labeled as silver (or plata) tequila or even white tequila depending on the brand, but each is still a blanco. Because blancos aren’t aged for very long, if at all, there aren’t any competing spice or caramel notes to overshadow the pure vegetal and herbaceous flavor of the blue agave plant.
Due to the fresh, clean taste, this type of tequila is perfect for making the best margaritas, bursting with tart lime juice and subtle sweetness from agave syrup and the occasional addition of orange liqueur. They can also make fabulous tequila sunrises using the original Biltmore recipe from before WWII, the pièce de résistance for this cocktail comes from floating crème de cassis liqueur on top. The drink is light, fruity, tart, and refreshing, balancing and highlighting those innate flavors in the blanco without being as sweet as the more common recipe created in the 70s with orange juice and grenadine.
While blanco tequilas are perfect for mixed drinks and margaritas, they are also great for easy sipping over ice with an orange twist or squeeze of lime. Word of caution, lemon juice is one of the many drinks you should never combine with tequila as the high amount of citric acid in lemons clashes with the spirit.
Let’s get crystal clear about cristalino
Depending on your Spanish you might be saying to yourself, if blanco is clear and cristalino means crystalline, how are they not the same? Well, even though they look identical, cristalino is filtered and has a more complex, velvety taste.
The distillation process for any spirit renders a completely clear distillate; even whiskey comes out clear. The color you see with aged spirits comes from the barrel. There are standards for the aging process, which typically occur in oak barrels (and occasionally a used bourbon barrel — yay recycling). This is where the magic of cristalino happens. Distilleries will take an aged tequila and then pass it through a charcoal filtration system that removes the amber coloring, leaving you with a flavorful tequila that is crystal clear but still contains notes of warm spices and rich caramel.
Due to that painstaking process of distilling, aging, and then filtering, cristalino tends to fetch a higher price point than its less-aged counterparts. This type of liquor is perfect for sipping. Similar to how you wouldn’t want to mix a high-priced bourbon or scotch, drinking cristalino straight prevents it from being overpowered. If you do want to use this tequila for cocktails, a good choice is an Oaxaca old-fashioned: an easy Mexican swap that embraces the nuance of the tequila. Happy drinking!
