Few spirits have collected as much folklore as tequila. Some of it is charming, and most of it is wrong. None of it does justice to a spirit made from an agave that takes the better part of a decade to mature. Here are the three myths we hear most often, set right.
The worm. There's no worm in tequila, and there never has been. The gusano belongs to some bottles of mezcal, where it began as a mid-century marketing flourish rather than a tradition. Tequila follows its own strict rules, and a worm has no place in them. If a bottle labelled tequila has something floating in it, put it down.
The salt, the lime, the shot. The ritual of licking salt, throwing back the shot and biting the lime grew up around harsh, cheaply made spirit, and its whole purpose was to hide the taste. A well-made tequila from 100% blue agave needs no hiding. Pour it into a narrow glass, let it rest for a moment, and sip it slowly. You'll find cooked agave, pepper, citrus peel and, in aged expressions, the quiet warmth of the barrel. A wedge of lime on the side is still a fine gesture. It just shouldn't be a rescue.
Gold means aged. Colour can mislead. A reposado or añejo gets its amber tone from time in oak. A tequila sold simply as "gold" or joven may be unaged spirit, sometimes softened and coloured before bottling. The label tells the truth: look for 100% agave and for an age class like blanco, reposado, añejo or extra añejo, rather than judging by the colour in the glass.
There are smaller myths too. One says tequila is somehow a different kind of intoxicant from other spirits. It isn't; it's simply a distilled spirit, to be enjoyed with the same care as any other. Another says the best bottles are the ones that burn the least. Smoothness is pleasant, but character matters more.
At House of Diwani we prefer to start from the plant and the people who tend it, not from the folklore. Once the myths fall away, what's left is a spirit worth slowing down for.