Mana. Gratitude. Tequila. with Teremana
When I heard that Dwayne Johnson was coming out with his own tequila I was immediately interested. That man doesn’t ever do things half ass so I had a feeling it was going to be good. There are a few things that stood out to me about the tequila immediately. One, it is sustainably made. As you guys know, that’s a biggie for me. Teremana takes 100% of the left over agave fibers from production and turns them into natural compost that is used as an organic fertilizer for the agave fields. They also use a water filtration system that cleans the waste water to use over again. Two, Dwayne Johnson worked with a small Mexican family-owned distillery to create tequila in small batches…by hand. I will take family owned over large corporations ANY DAY.
When I went to Total Wine & More to pick up a bottle, the gentleman working in the tequila section gave me a bit of an “Eh” when I asked him how the taste was. My first reaction was ugh…disappointing…how could this be?!
BUT, I am glad to report that the tequila man was WRONG. I mean really really wrong. Let me put it this way, my house is on our second bottle already. The tequila now has a 9.2/10 rating, which is pretty darn great as tequila’s go.
We’ve stuck with the Reposado so far, but I can tell you it is smooth. It even passed my mom’s test (who is someone of a tequila connoisseur). At $33 a bottle and only 96 calories per 1.5 oz (with zero sugar) it really is a great choice for crisp summer drinks or margaritas by the pool. I’ve tried in both in a margarita and straight up on the rocks with lime and truly enjoyed it both ways.
Now for a little Tequila-cation. Teremana comes in two varieties, Blanco and Reposado. Blanco tequila is un-aged, although it can be kept in stainless steel tanks a few weeks before bottling. The flavor is typically pretty bright and usually agave forward. Reposado tequila is aged between 60 and 364 days (less than one year). The most commonly used barrels for aging tequila are American and French Oak, but I was extremely happy to find out that Teremana Reposado tequila is aged in bourbon barrels. You KNOW I love my bourbon. That’s what gives the tequila that nice golden color.
Overall, I HIGHLY recommend giving Dwayne Johnsons tequila a try. It won’t break the bank and it will leave you with that summertime feeling. Due to COVID they have decided to slowly roll out the tequila. so you might want to check here before you run to the store.
Margarita Recipe
Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces Teremana tequila
1 ounce orange liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier or Triple Sec)
3/4 ounce freshly-squeezed lime juice.
OR if using a mix
1 1/2 ounces of Teremana tequila
3 ounces of Mix (I recommend fresh squeezed from Central Market or Tres Agaves Organic mix)
1/2 of a freshly squeezed lime
Prep your glasses: If you would like to salt the rim of your glass, run a juicy lime wedge around the rim, then dip the rim in coarse salt, and set aside. The lime juice gives you that tart quick when you take a sip vs. getting straight up salt.
Combine your ingredients then give it a shake or a stir: Combine your tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur, or mix and a few ice cubes in a cocktail shaker. You can also just stir the ingredients together in a tall glass with ice.
Taste and add sweetener, if desired: Give the marg a taste, and if you think it needs extra sweetener, add in a teaspoon or two of agave (or simple syrup) at a time, until it reaches your desired level of sweetness.
Strain and serve on the rocks. Garnished with a slice of lime or squeeze it and drop it in the drink like I like to do. I typically serve my margaritas with a large ice cube in a glass so the ice melts slower and doesn’t water down the drink.
You can also add things like jalapeño or serrano peppers to give your drink a kick.
Enjoy!
