The Best Type Of Tequila For Seriously Good Mexican Coffee

Coffee and liquor is a combination that seems to have near-limitless options. Whether you're enjoying the richness of a rum-spiked Spanish coffee or throwing a curveball with an Italian-inspired iced coffee with Campari or perhaps a James Beard-approved iced Irish coffee, the perky caffeinated beverage just seems to adapt to different liquors seamlessly. This is also the case for tequila -– the unique, earthy agave spirit giving extra warmth to your cup of joe. But not all tequilas are made equal, so which kind of tequila works best when used for Mexican coffee?

To get to the bottom of this question, Chowhound reached out to Jaime Salas, the head of advocacy for agave at Proximo Spirits. When asked about his recommendations, he noted that tequila "is an incredibly versatile spirit with a range of flavor profiles." And while some tequilas might be perfect for a margarita, others are more at home in coffee. For these, Salas recommends a reposado tequila, stating that this variety's "warm and spicy finish complements coffee perfectly." Specifically, he highlighted flavors of cooked agave and oak as being particularly enthralling in coffee. While there will inevitably be some variation from one reposado to the next, this is a good ballpark to help refine your search for the ideal Mexican coffee.

Tequila is but one example of a seriously underrated alcoholic addition to coffee, and is just one way you can use the drink to amp up your coffee cocktail game. But your marriage of tequila with coffee doesn't have to end there. As luck would have it, you can use tequila in a few different coffee cocktail recipes to really change up your cocktail game and to give yourself some delicious and unique concoctions with just one ingredient swap.

One example of this is in the espresso martini. Tequila is a delightful change of pace in this popular cocktail, giving the drink some of that warmth and spice that Jaime Salas pointed out, compared to vodka's much more neutral flavor. You'll be sure to love it, even if bartenders despise making espresso martinis. As for what kind of tequila to use for such an undertaking, Salas says, "The biggest thing to keep in mind is to balance the flavors of the two unique beverages, so neither are overpowered." 

Where stronger coffees like espresso are concerned, you can afford to use a more powerful tequila like a reposado or even an añejo –- though a flavorful blanco could also theoretically do the trick. Basically, as long as the impact of your tequila doesn't offend the impact of your coffee, the sky's the limit for your tequila-coffee escapades.