Your Essential Guide to the Best Tequilas

Tequila has come a long way in the last few years. Where once it was slammed with a lick of salt and a wedge of lime, it has grown up to become a sophisticated sipping drink or a top-class cocktail ingredient. The allure of this Mexican spirit is such that celebrities including George Clooney, Justin Timberlake, Kendall Jenner, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson have all started their own tequila brands, and with great success. 

Tequila-based drinks are fast becoming firm favorites with cocktail lovers. Building on the ubiquity of the flagship margarita is the paloma (traditionally tequila and grapefruit soda, but this drinks works really well with Ting, or San Pellegrino’s blood orange offering), now tequila and tonic is challenging the traditional G&T. The tequila variations pair wonderful with Mexican food, too.

Our guide pulls together some of the best brands to sip straight, as well as those for making the perfect paloma or mean margarita—¡Salud!

Be sure check out our other beverage buying guides, including our list of the best non-alcoholic beer, wine, and spirits for our favorite picks in every category.