IT'S ALL IN THE DETAILS

If you’ve shot tequila at some point in your life, chances are it was blanco tequila — a clear spirit that never sees the inside of a barrel. And blanco can be good stuff, but we’re also huge fans of reposado tequila. “Reposado” translates to “rested.”

It’s the middle of the road between blanco and long-aged añejo—aged in oak barrels for between two and twelve months. That aging allows tequila’s signature sharp bite to mellow a bit, without the barrel-aged oak flavor taking over; great reposados, like the one we’ve got right now from Fortaleza, have a beautiful vegetal, almost savory quality. And of course, it comes out beautifully in cocktails. In honor of National Tequila Day, here are three we love.