As we’re able to reopen our restaurant locations to welcome more guests with fewer limitations, Orale is taking the opportunity to introduce some updates. Number one: a new tequila menu. It’s extensive, it’s detailed, and it’s ours.
On a previous post, we talked through the different styles of tequila, and now is as good a time as any for a refresher course. There will be no quiz at the end. Everyone passes this test, forever.
To begin, tequila is a spirit made from the Blue Agave plant. Blanca, Resposado, and Anejo are the three main tequila categories, and you’ll find each on our menu. As tequila ages, it takes on different character traits, kind of like people when they’re drinking it. Blanca is the purest and freshest, aged only a few weeks before hitting the bottle. Resposado is Blanca’s older brother—aged at least two months and up to a year before bottling. Anejo is the eldest of these three siblings, aged one to three years. We also have a selection of Super Anejo, which is aged over three years.
A simple way to spot the difference is color. Young tequilas are clear, while older tequilas take on an increasingly deeper golden color as they age in their barrels. But what’s cool about our menu is that we list the different tasting notes you can expect from a particular tequila brand as it traverses the styles. Don Julio, for example, goes from grapefruit/lemon/lime (Blanca); to subtle citrus/stone fruit/nuts (Resposado); to mandarin/honey/butterscotch (Anejo).
And then there’s Mezcal, a distilled spirit that can be made from 40 different types of agave plants. Fun fact: Tequila is actually a type of mezcal, not the other way around. Another fun fact: Not all mezcals “taste like smoke.” Though made in in-ground fire pits that can lend charred notes, mezcals can be quite layered in flavor. One final fun fact: We have 17 of them on the new menu.
The best way to experience these tequilas?
Through a flight. Choose between three 1-oz pours of Silver, Resposado, Anejo, or Super Anejo. We also offer a Mixto flight option (a combo platter, if you will), but if you want to experience a style’s full-circle vibe, stick to one lane. Feel free, of course, to talk through the types with your server; they can help navigate your boozy journey based on your preferences.
Though our tequila menu is bigger than ever, we still want it to be super accessible. Try different styles, and find what you like. And if this all sounds too overwhelming, we still have the frozen margaritas—to stay or to go.
