Blanco Vs. Reposado: Which Tequila Makes A Better Margarita?

Your choice of tequila can be a game changer for your margaritas. Blanco tequila is ideal for a margarita, but you can also use Reposado. What’s the difference?

Some prefer Reposado over Blanco in their margaritas because it provides a smoother taste, but Blanco packs a more potent punch. Here’s what tequila makes the best margarita and what you can do to up your mixologist skills .

Choice of Tequila

The tequila you choose can make or break your margarita . You want to ensure you make the best liquor choice for each drink you pour. But how do you determine the best option with so many?

Price generally reflects quality when it comes to tequila. The most expensive tequilas are typically for sipping—mixing these into a cocktail would mask their intensity and flavor. However, some Blanco and Reposado tequilas can make great sipping tequilas, with each flavor profile offering a distinct taste in cocktails.

Blanco Tequila

Blanco tequila is ideal for a margarita, but personal preference may dictate this distinction. It typically isn’t aged, so the flavor is bold and straightforward. Any aging would be minimal to elevate the smoothness of the tequila. Blanco tequila possesses a full agave flavor profile that makes it perfect for a delicious margarita.

Blanco or silver tequila is clear that will go unnoticed in the display of your beautiful mixed drinks. For example, a tequila sunrise would be bright orange with a red tint from orange juice and grenadine with Blanco tequila. Reposado would muddy the juice’s brightness and dull the color, taking away from its pretty allure.

Reposado Tequila

Reposado tequila is a rested or aged tequila that is versatile and great for sipping and mixing drinks. It is gold or brown tequila that adds a distinct taste to any drink you add it to and is aged in wooden oak barrels for two months to a year. Its smooth flavor embodies hints of oak and vanilla that can take your margarita to the next level for those that prefer a lighter taste.

Reposado tequila changes the color of your margaritas so they won’t look as clear and pristine as Blanco margaritas. It won’t offer you the most potent tasting margarita, but it can provide a smooth and nuanced appeal to your taste buds.

How to Make a Traditional Margarita

Some margaritas only include tequila, triple sec, and lime juice. The best way to make a traditional margarita is with a sweet-and-sour mix. Add it to the mix with lime juice or use it independently.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ oz. Blanco or Reposado tequila
• ¾ oz. Triple sec
• ¾ oz. Lime juice
• 4 oz. Sweet and sour mix

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in a shaker and add some ice.
2. Shake it up and pour the mixture into a margarita glass rimmed with salt.
3. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Margarita Tips and Tricks

Margaritas are one of the most popular mixed drinks in America, so having a few tricks up your sleeve can assist you during a rush in the restaurant industry—when you don’t have time to second guess or ask questions.

Here are a few tips and tricks you can use to your advantage as a mixologist:

• Always use 100% agave tequila. Anything less will have additives that can change the flavor of your margarita and ruin the hard work on your cocktail.
• Always shake your margarita. Don’t stir it.
• Use fresh lime juice or homemade sweet-and-sour mix when you can.
• Use a higher-end triple sec like Cointreau or Grand Marnier. They have a higher alcohol content and add a little extra flavor to your cocktail.
• A skinny margarita has less sugar than a standard one. Make it by skipping the sweet and sour and adding a little extra lime juice. One of the best-kept secrets in the bartender universe is adding a splash of soda water to break up the sweetness in a skinny margarita.
• Kosher salt makes a great salted rim, although some prefer a sugared rim with lime margaritas.
• Flavored margaritas are only as difficult as you make them. You can add syrup or strawberry purée to any margarita and shake it up for a delicious drink.

Which Tequila Makes A Better Margarita?

In our opinion, Reposado tequila has a smoother flavor that doesn’t overpower the other ingredients in a margarita as Blanco can sometimes do. Plus, it adds a nice complexity to the drink that takes it from ordinary to extraordinary.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below which type of tequila you prefer for your margaritas.