THE MYTH:

THE TRUTH:

Tequila's a cheap drunk. You can buy the best of it for peanuts.

Añejo ("aged" from año, or "year") tequilas are the apex of the product category. This, the fourth classification, is finest "sipping" liquor. You pay a premium for the privelege. Añejo tequila lives in oak barrels for at least a year, maturing into a balance of the sweetness you naturally find in agave sugar with the stronger, tannic qualities of oak. The natural amber of añejo tequila comes from the old whiskey barrels. Premium añejo tequila can cost you $20-$30 per bottle,while Superior Premiums can set you back $35 to $50 per bottle. Beware that some lesser qualities can cost evenmore, but you're merely paying for the expensive packaging, fancy bottle, elaborate marketing. If it's añejo, made in Mexico from 100% agave, then it doesn't matter too much what the bottle looks like.