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Americans clearly like fruity drinks. Liquor stores overflow with vodkas and rums flavored with lemon, lime, cherry, raspberry, orange, mango, blueberry, even kiwi. But one type of booze has been conspicuously resistant to the flavor fad: tequila. It's an issue of supply, not demand. For decades, the Mexican government didn't allow any bottle to leave the country if it included an artificial fruit flavoring. Some companies got around the law by adding flavors in the United States. In 2006, however, legislators changed their minds and opened the floodgates to a new product niche.
The first flavored tequilas from Mexico come from Milagro and Jose Cuervo. Both companies have debuted with lime and orange flavors -- key components in the margarita, arguably the most popular cocktail in the United States. There are major differences: Milagro uses 100 percent agave, while Cuervo adds sugarcane. Both companies add a dash of citrus extract to reduce tartness and add natural sweetness to their lime-flavored tequila. But only Milagro's tastes truly like lime. Cuervo's is much sweeter, with a strong whiff of grapefruit.
Hardcore tequila purists -- the folks who truly enjoy agave flavor and don't make a face when drinking a shot -- will gravitate to Milagro's tequilas. Rum fans will appreciate Cuervo's easy drinkability. Both are good in cocktails. If the category takes off, we'll all be drinking tequila-based mojitos very soon.
-- James Oliver Cury
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