Which Kirkland Signature Tequila Works Best In Margaritas?
Costco's Kirkland Signature brand is a major draw for customers, with affordable prices and high-quality products with well-known brand names behind their production. Its various types of tequila are no exception. The distillery that makes Kirkland tequila is Corporate Distillery Santa Lucia, and you can find blanco, reposado, and anejo on Costco shelves. But which tequila works best in margaritas?
The answer, according to our resident spirit expert, writer James Hastings, is blanco tequila. Blanco tequila is an unaged or hardly aged tequila known for an agave-forward flavor and a harsh alcoholic bite. Aged reposado and anejo tequilas offer complex tasting notes to savor alone. Hastings admits that he wouldn't sip the blanco neat, but says, "It's a worthy ingredient for crafting cocktails. Unlike most other budget tequilas, this one is made with 100% blue agave. It still doesn't have as much agave character as more premium tequilas, but there's enough earthy pepperiness and citrus zest to make it a great pick for a margarita."
A simple flavor profile isn't necessarily bad for liquor and cocktail pairings. In fact, Hastings says about the blanco, "the lack of complexity makes it a bit more versatile. It's a solid option for fruity, flavored margaritas because you don't have to worry about losing flavors that aren't there to begin with." Plus, the zesty flavors from fruit and citrus in a margarita will complement and enhance the underlying notes in Kirkland's blanco tequila.
Margarita recipes using Costco tequila blanco
After picking up a bottle of Kirkland Signature blanco tequila from Costco for your next round of margaritas, you've got so many different recipes to choose from. A classic frozen margarita is a great place to start. We also have this wonderfully sweet and tropical frozen mango margarita that can help temper the peppery bite that Hastings describes. At the other end of the spectrum use blanco tequila for the ultimate spicy margarita, to layer the vegetal flavors and heat of spicy chilies onto its peppery tasting note. Bring out citrus zest flavor noted by Hastings by using blanco tequila in this orange-centric golden margarita that uses a blend of orange and lime juice.
No matter which recipe you choose, there are crucial tips to craft the perfect margarita that start with using the freshest ingredients. Lime juice and zest are a must, and Cointreau is the favored orange liqueur that home bartenders should use over triple sec. If you need to sweeten your margarita, try swapping simple syrup or sugar with agave nectar. For a blanco tequila that Hastings describes as lacking agave character, agave nectar is both a sweetener and flavor enhancer. While making a margarita from scratch is the freshest way to enjoy it, you can always take a shortcut by using a margarita mix. For that matter, you can upgrade Costco's ready-to-drink margaritas by spiking them with an extra pour of Kirkland Signature blanco tequila.