Best Tequilas For Mom

While the majority of tequilas in this category are unaged (or aged briefly in stainless steel or in oak then filtered for clarity), this pale golden-hued one, made from 10 year old agave grown in Los Altos, Jalisco, is aged for 28 days in new French Limousin oak barrels. That's not enough time for a reposado, hence its plata-ness.

This añejo tequila from El Jimador is produced in the valley (Lowlands) of Jalisco. This lower-tier tequila from Casa Herradura is aged for 12 months in new American oak barrels and features an affordable price point for a 100% agave añejo tequila.

El Tesoro Blanco Tequila is produced at La Alteña Distillery in the Highlands of Jalisco, founded in 1937 by Don Felipe Camarena. Made with 100% estate-grown blue Weber agave, the piñas are cooked for three days in traditional brick ovens before being crushed by a two-ton tahona stone. Fermentation and distillation include both the agave juice and fibers, and the tequila is distilled to proof so no water is added. This unaged, additive-free blanco is bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof). (SRP $50)

This extra añejo tequila uses agaves matured from 7-10 years harvested from Los Altos in Jalisco. The agaves are roasted for 72 hours in brick ovens before crushing, fermenting, and distilling. Uniquely, after distillation, the spirit goes through Avión's proprietary ultra-slow filtration method before it enters the barrel. It's aged a total of 44 months--43 months in large oak barrels and the final month in specially selected "petite barrels", which are rotated daily.

Fortaleza Reposado Tequila is produced at NOM 1493 in the Tequila Valley in the town of Tequila, Jalisco (known as Los Abuelos outside of the U.S.) using traditional methods. The agave is hand-harvested, roasted in stone/brick ovens, and crushed using a tahona. Fermentation takes place in open-air wooden vats using natural spring water before the tequila is double distilled in copper pot stills. Each lot is aged individually in American oak barrels for approximately 7 months prior to bottling.

Created in the Highlands of Tequila known as Los Altos, El Espolon Añejo is handcrafted from piñas slow-roasted for 18 to 20 hours at the San Nicolas distillery. Rock music is played during the production process to "inspire" the agave. Aged for 10 months in new American oak and finished maturing in used Wild Turkey Bourbon barrels for two additional months. Try this in an Old Fashioned cocktail for a modern spin on a classic cocktail.

Fortaleza Blanco Tequila is produced by fifth-generation tequila maker Guillermo Erickson Sauza, a descendant of the Sauza family that helped establish the tequila industry. In 2005 he revived his family’s historic distillery in Tequila, Jalisco, producing tequila using traditional methods: agaves are cooked in brick ovens, crushed with a tahona stone, and fermented naturally in open-air wooden tanks before double distillation. In Mexico the brand is known as Los Abuelos, honoring the Sauza family members who helped shape the tequila tradition, while it is sold internationally as Fortaleza (“fortitude”). The additive-free blanco is bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof).

Produced in the tiny village of Amitan, a stone's throw from the town of Tequila, Herradura Añejo tequila is a blend of modern and traditional distilling techniques. Agave hearts (piñas) are first roasted in clay ovens, before being shredded by a mechanical roller, and then fermented with wild yeasts native to the area. Finally, there is a double distillation before being matured in American oak barrels.

The añejo from Don Julio is aged for 18 months in American oak from agaves sourced in the Highlands of Jalisco. Don Julio is named for its founder, Don Julio González Estrada who founded the distillery in 1942.

Bottled in a beautiful handmade and hand painted ceramic decanter. Inside is a distillate that is carefully aged for eight months in second-use oak barrels. It is then triple micro-filtrated to ensure the highest purity.