Patrón Tequila FAQS
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Tequila
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Patrón Tequila is handcrafted in Jalisco, Mexico at Hacienda Patrón.
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Blanco tequila, also referred to as silver tequila, is a spirit that can be bottled right after distillation, or can be aged in steel tanks for up to four weeks.
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To qualify as tequila, the spirit must be made in Jalisco, Mexico and in very limited surrounding areas. To determine if the tequila is made in Mexico, look for the label “Hecho en Mexico” which translates to "Made in Mexico".
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Reposado is a style of aged tequila. To qualify as a reposado, the tequila must be aged in barrels or storage tanks from anywhere between 2 and 11 months. Most tequila brands use a variety of wood barrels to age reposado, but the most popular are American and French oak.
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Añejo is a style of aged tequila. Añejo means the tequila has been aged anywhere from one to three years, typically in oak barrels. Most distillers use a variety of wood barrels to age Añejo tequila, but the most popular are American and French oak.
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Silver tequila, also referred to as Blanco, is a tequila can be bottled right after distillation, or can be aged in steel tanks for up to four weeks. Blanco translates to “white” in Spanish and generally means the tequila is devoid of color.
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Although the exact ingredients of the original margarita recipe are unknown, the first time the tequila cocktail made its way into print was in the December 1953 issue of Esquire Magazine.
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Mariano Martinez, a Mexican-American entrepreneur, invented the first frozen margarita machine in 1971, forever changing the history of the margarita. The machine was adapted from a soft serve ice cream machine to keep up with the large volume of orders at his restaurant for their blended margarita.
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Patrón has discontinued the following products:
- Patrón Citrónge Lime
- Patrón Citrónge Pineapple
- Patrón Citrónge Mango
- Gran Patrón Smoky
- Roca Patrón Silver
- Roca Patrón Reposado
- Roca Patrón Añejo
- Patrón XO Cafe
However, check out Citrónge Orange Liqueur and other handcrafted tequilas.
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There are a lot of places where you can buy Patrón Tequila. Did you know you can buy Patrón Tequila online, at a store near by or using a same-day delivery service?
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Extra añejo is a style of aged tequila. Extra añejo means the spirit must be aged for more than three years, typically in oak barrels. Most distillers use a variety of wood barrels to age extra añejo tequila, but the most popular are American and French oak.
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Video
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Dry shaking a cocktail is essential when preparing cocktails that call for eggs, egg whites or heavy cream. First, combine the ingredients in a shaker without ice and shake. Add ice and shake vigorously to chill and dilute the drink, then serve.
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Lemon zest is an easy way to garnish a cocktail. All you need tomake a zest is a channel knife or zester. Puncture the peel of the citrus and drag the zester around perimeter of the fruit to create a long piece of zest. You can then twist to create a spiral.
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A simple way to strain a cocktail is to top your shaker with the strainer after mixing your cocktail. While holding the strainer against the wall of the shaker with your index finger, tilt to pour the mixture through the strainer and into glassware to serve.
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To make simple syrup for cocktails, combine one cup of water and one cup of sugar in a pot and simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until all the sugar dissolves. Do not boil. Remove from heat, cool and refrigerate for up to four weeks.
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To rim a cocktail glass with salt, cut a lime in half and swipe the flesh of the fruit across half of the glassware’s lip to moisten. Then roll the pre-moistened portion into the rimming salt and shake to remove any excess.
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First, choose a cocktail spoon, either a simple straight-line spoon, a twisted spoon for a little bit more balance or an extra-large spoon. Combine iceand the cocktail to a mixing vessel and stir with the back of the spoon pressed far against the edge of your mixing glass.
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Rolling is used to chill and aerate a cocktail while combining thicker ingredients together. To roll a cocktail, you need a set of mixing tins and a strainer. Fill one shaker with ice and trap it down with the strainer. Slowly pour the contents from one shaker to the other 5 to 6 times before serving.
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The right way to muddle is simple, just add fresh berries or herbs to a vessel and press down with a muddler, spoon or bottom of a jar to express the juice or oil from herbs. Be careful not to over muddle herbs as this can create bitter tasting cocktails.
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Fun Facts
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Agave is the plant from which tequila is made. Growing agave for tequila takes around 7 years for the plant to reach maturity for harvest. Learn more about the role agave plays in crafting Patron Tequila.
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Patrón tequila has been referenced in over 250 popular songs.
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The corks that top Patrón Tequila’s signature bottle are made in Portugal, where the bark from cork trees can only be cut during a very specific window to remain sustainable.
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To produce one bottle of Patrón Tequila, no less than 60 hands will be involved from start to finish.
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Jimadors are what the skilled workers are called that are responsible for how agave is cut. They chop the agave with a sharp tool called a Coa. The trade is typically passed down from one generation to the next. Perfectly chopping the agave is a key part in creating Patrón Tequila.
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The centuries old tahona process is used to squeeze the juice from the agave fibers to make tequila. A tahona wheel is made of volcanic stone and can weigh up to two tons. The tahona wheel is a key part in creating Patrón Tequila.
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Hacienda Patrón is where all of Patrón tequila is distilled. The Hacienda features a reverse osmosis system and state-of-the-art compost machine right on the premises of Hacienda Patrón that adds to the sustainability of everything we do. Learn more about the Hacienda on our virtual tour.
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All Patrón tequilas are certified Kosher, except Burdeos.
Only Patrón silver tequilas (Core, Roca, and Smoky) are certified Kosher for Passover.
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Día de Muertos is a Mexican 3-day celebration of life, where the dead are remembered and honored. Halloween is an ancient tradition from the Celtic region of Europe, where it was believed that on this day, the worlds between the living and the dead blurred and spirits caused disturbances on Earth.
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Patrón tequila was founded by Martin Crowley and John Paul DeJoria.
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Tequila and lime go way back before the days of premium tequila when limes were used to mask the flavor while doing shots.
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A Tiki is a carving of a human form. It can be made out of wood or stone, and that explains the ceramic mugs cocktails are generally served in. Explore our Tiki Cocktail Collection.
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A classic margarita typically contains tequila, citrus juice, orange liqueur and simple syrup.
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To make a margarita, shake 1.5 oz. Patrón Silver Tequila, 1 oz. Patrón Citrónge Orange, .75 oz. lime juice and .25 oz. simple syrup. Serve in an ice-filled glass with salted rim.
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National Margarita Day is celebrated on February 22 each year. It honors the margarita - one of the most popular tequila cocktails.
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International Margarita Day is celebrated every year on February 22. It honors the margarita - one of the most popular cocktails featuring tequila.
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Margarita of the Year
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The winning Margarita of the Year bartender was Jay Khan from Hong Kong and his creation, the The Dynasty Margarita. Khan, who was the winner of Patrón’s Margarita of the Year contest, took home the title with a recipe featuring lychee and ginger, inspired by Chinese cuisine.
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Margarita of the Year is an international competition hosted by Patrón Tequila. Each year, world-class bartenders are invited to create their own version of the perfect margarita using their own local flavors. The Margarita of the Year is crowned by fans who vote through social media and at events for their favorite recipe.
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The best margarita recipe in 2019 was the Dynasty Margarita created by Jay Khan from Hong Kong. Khan's recipe featuring lychee and ginger was crowned the best margarita in 2019 by votes cast in the Patrón Margarita of the Year contest.
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The history of the margarita can be traced back to 1953 with its first mention in Esquire Magazine. Since then, the cocktail has continued making margarita history in Patrón’s Margarita of the Year competition – an annual challenge for bartenders across the globe to create their version of the margarita using flavors from their local region.
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The best margarita recipe in 2018 was the Verde Margarita created by José Luis León from Mexico City. León’s recipe featuring celery and Elderflower was crowned the best margarita in 2018 by votes cast in the Patrón Margarita of the Year contest.
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Additive-free Tequila
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As of January 2020, the below distilleries, some of which produce multiple tequila brands as designated by their NOM assignment, have been credited as verified additive-free. Patrón is the world's number one super-premium tequila brand to receive the verification.
- Patrón Tequila (NOM 1492)
- Tequila Fortaleza (NOM 1493) [2 brands]
- El Pandillo (G4, Terralta, etc.) (NOM 1579) [6 brands]
- Vivanco (NOM 1414) [7 brands]
- Cascahuín (NOM 1123) [4 brands]
- Tequileña (NOM 1146) [12 brands]
- Arette (NOM 1109) [1 brand]
- El Tequileño (NOM 1108) [1 brand]
- Suave (NOM 1522) [1 brand]
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Patrón is additive-free, which means that we do not add anything to our tequila that alters the taste, smell or color. No ingredients, such as glycerin, food coloring, synthetic agave, or oak extracts are added to enhance flavor or appearance. With that comes tequila in its highest and most purest form. Drinking Patrón ensures you know what’s in your glass.
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To be classified as “tequila” the product has to be made from 100% blue agave and is permitted to have a maximum of 1% of additives. A “mixto tequila” has at least 51% of its volume made from blue agave distillate and the other 49% can be distilled from other non agave sugars (usually sugar cane).
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More sugar and flavor additives naturally will increase the tequila’s overall sweetness. While there is no research to prove that additives are necessarily “bad for you”, at Patrón, we believe the best quality ingredients make for the highest quality tequila and for a simply perfect drinking experience.
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Patrón uses the highest-quality ingredients and production process to achieve our distinct taste and color. The process starts at the agave field where we select only the best agave with a specifically high sugar content to deliver the exceptionally smooth flavor Patrón is known for. To create our aged expressions, Patrón Silver is aged in our carefully selected barrels where it gains natural flavors like caramel and vanilla as well as its natural color.
Patrón has an entire portfolio of aged expressions ranging from two months at minimum for Reposado and all the way up to ten years for Extra Añejo 10 Años, our oldest tequila. All of our aged expressions have different colors, flavors and tasting notes all thanks to our variety of barrels. No flavor or color is achieved from additives.
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To cut down on production time, many tequila producers use concentrated additives to add flavor back to correct shortcuts taken during the production process. Examples include:
- As a sweetening agent in lieu of premium agave
- As a way to create a more rounded mouth feel
- As a way to make tequila taste, smell or look as if it’s been aged longer than it truly has
Additives used in tequila can be difficult to detect when used in a subtle way and are most identifiable when aromas and flavors are very prominent and dominate the drinking experience.
Because of our unwavering commitment to craft, authenticity, and integrity Patrón has never used additives in our premium tequila.
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