Star Struck Casamigos Tequila

What do you do when you can't find the perfect drink for partying the night away in a foreign country? The majority of us would just try a different brand or make do with what we had. Apparently that's not what you do if you are super rich, famous and good looking; best pals George Clooney, Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman had the problem of not being able to find a tequila that was perfect for their regular social gatherings so they decided to make their own (as you do)! The issue came to light when George and Rande were having homes built in Mexico (again, as you do!) and they started imbibing lots of tequila. Try as they might, they couldn't seem to find one that suited them perfectly so they came up with the idea to make their own. They wanted to create tequila that was super smooth and that tasted good enough not to have to mask the taste with salt and lime. Unfortunately, that's what the majority of people associate tequila with; cheap and nasty tasting stuff that is smashed back in shots along with lime and salt. Proper tequila tastes nothing like that and is a category with as much scope for flavour and complexity as rum. The guys started working with a master tequila distiller in the highlands of Jalisco and spent a great deal of time testing different approaches and blind tasting the results. Eventually they got it right and Casamigos was born, the name being an abbreviation of casa amigos which means house of friends; this is very fitting as it is the only thing that is served at George's and Rande's homes. It is, literally speaking, their house tequila! They had been drinking the finished article for years before it was released in 2013 as it was never intended to be a commercial project, just a little something to enjoy privately. When you're worth as much as Clooney (around $180 million!) you can afford these little luxuries! Despite this, the ultra premium tequila brand has grown at an unbelievably fast rate in its first two years of commercial production and is the fastest growing premium spirit release in US history! The brand is now going worldwide and has won many awards including the highest rated gold medals from the Los Angeles International Spirits Competition, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, The Beverage Testing Institute, The New York World Wine & Spirits Competition, The Spirits of Mexico Tasting Competition and many more. What really impresses me is how much Clooney and Co. believe in their creation; every new batch is tasted and approved by George and Rande before being signed off as complete. George has recently been spotted wearing his Casamigos t-shirt for two days straight and the brand's slogan is ""Bought To You By Those Who Drink It"". Ordinarily I would write this off as a shameless marketing ploy but I actually believe these guys genuinely care about their product. Apparently they like drinking their tequila on the rocks, in shots and even straight out the bottle (I imagine these guys know how to party!) and want you to enjoy it that way too. The tequila comes in three varieties; Blanco, Reposado and Anejo. This small batch, ultra-premium tequilas are made from the finest hand-selected 100% Blue Weber agaves, grown in the rich red clay soil and cool climate of Mexico's Jalisco Highlands for a minimum of seven years. After harvest, the agave piñas are roasted in traditional brick ovens for seventy-two hours before undergoing an extra-slow fermentation process over an additional eighty hours, nearly double the industry standard. The Blanco rests for two months and is crisp and clean with vanilla, citrus and has a smooth finish. The Reposado is aged seven months in the finest premium American white oak barrels which have been carefully reconditioned after being used to age the finest premium whiskey. This gives it a soft oaky flavour with hints of caramel, culminating in a silky medium to long finish. The Anejo is aged for 14 months and has a beautifully pure and refined complex aroma, with soft caramel and vanilla notes. It’s the perfect balance of sweetness from the blue weber agaves, layered with subtle hints of spice and barrel oak, with a lingering smooth finish. The refined process ensures the smoothest tequila with no unnecessary additives and is gluten-free. I don't think there's much else to say; this is proper premium tequila that will surpass your expectations on every level. It is already a huge brand and it's only going to get bigger now that international distribution has come to pass. Here in the UK we often don't get a lot of the cool drinks that originate in the US, so I say we have got pretty lucky in getting these ones! You can grab any one of the three (or all of them if you want!).