Drink of the Week: El Tequileño Still Strength Blanco Tequila

Sometimes, cocktail hour needs to be power hour. There are plenty of days when the end of the work day is best celebrated with a crisp beer, a glass of wine, or something else light and refreshing. But some days demand a little more oomph in the glass. Bonded bourbons and navy-strength gins and rums have filled that need for years. Now, a new tequila offers another way to scratch that higher-proof itch: El Tequileño Still Strength Blanco Tequila, this week’s Drink of the Week.

This 100-proof blanco is the latest addition to the small but growing ranks of higher-proof tequilas. Made by third-generation master distiller Jorge Antonio “Tony” Salles, this new release follows the same path as the rest of El Tequileño’s lineup. It’s a 100 percent agave tequila, made using agave harvested from Los Altos de Jalisco. The agave is cooked in steam autoclaves, then milled with spring water from El Volcan de Tequila. The sugary agave liquid is then fermented in open concrete tanks, and distilled in copper pot stills.

In the glass, El Tequileño Still Strength Blanco Tequila offers a power-packed aroma of cooked agave, herbs, and citrus peel. A sip starts with crisp touches of lemon zest and flowers. This evolves into a deep agave richness and a robust, peppery finish that takes its time to fade. Sip it neat to dig into the details. Or use the still-strength to give your Paloma a flavor pop, or your Margarita a little extra muscle. $49.99, remedyliquor.com