Tantalizing Tequila

Still have a taste for the HBO show, Entourage, even now that the series is over?  If so, you’re in luck: you can literally imbibe on the same fine tequila, Avion, http://tequilaavion.com/ that Turtle, Vinnie, and scores of scantily-clad models sipped poolside, as is it has made the unlikely leap from fictional small screen plot device to better liquor stores nationwide. Now that’s reality TV. And don’t be fooled, Avion is no joke – described as peppery and without the burn Patron can sick on you, it is winning critics over and bringing home gold medals at tasting competitions. A bottle will set you back about $45, and we can vouch for it – it’s delish.

But if the whiff of Hollywood makes your head spin (in a good way), you need to switch to DeLeon. (www.DeLeontequila.com). It is the favorite of Facebook’s Sean Parker, NY Fashion week, and pretty much half of the bold face names in NY and LA. DeLeón Añejo, their extra-aged amber-colored special offering, is now being imported into the United States in very limited quantities – at $175 a bottle, it is meant to be sipped after dinner like cognac. But wait – if you want super-premium tequila, don’t stop there. Let’s shoot for the moon, shall we? Okay, here we go: Two years ago, the world’s richest man, Carolos Slim, bought this bottle of La Lay Diamante Tequila, covered in 6,000 diamonds, and dipped in platinum, for about 2 million dollars. If he ever asks you if you’d like a shot, make sure he’s buying.

All of this talk is making us thirsty for just the smallest sip of the good stuff. Luckily Mesa Grill’s co-owner, Laurence Kretchner, is a tequila expert and has written four books about agave-based spirit, including “The Mesa Grill Guide to Tequila.” Stepping into Mesa Grill is a trip to the nicest neighborhoods of Tequilaville – in fact, they offer a number of tequila tastings in gorgeous flights that will school you about the subtleties and differences of top-end tequilas. All are silky smooth, but some are sweet, some are peppery and some even have floral notes. Whatever the differences, one fact remains: none are served with salt and a lime – you’ll want to taste these flavors, straight, without distraction, and let them astound and arouse your taste buds.  The Mesa Grill Tequila Tastings are not recipes for hangovers, but the stuff is strong, so make sure you trust your dining companions, as secrets will be shared. Don’t worry – what’s said in The Cove, stays in the Cove. Here’s to Mexico and here’s to you.

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