At a time when celebrities are rushing to launch their own tequila brands with flashy marketing campaigns, Tapatio has stayed modestly true to its traditional roots. First made 85 years ago by the grandfather of current master distiller Carlos Camarena, Tapatio tequila is still made exclusively from blue agave grown in the family’s fields. The hearts of the agave plants—the piñas—are still roasted very slowly in brick ovens, rather than in the stainless-steel autoclaves used by many tequila distilleries. The original strain of natural yeast is still used in the fermentation process. And the fermented agave juice, or mosto, is still double-distilled in small copper pot stills. Even the bottle label is proudly old-school. All of that tradition adds up to one of most authentic tequilas on the market. The blanco has inviting herbal aromas and perfectly balanced flavors of agave spice highlighted by a hint of tongue-tingling cinnamon. Agave purists will love sipping it straight, though it makes an outstanding Margarita mixed only with lime juice and agave syrup to let the agave flavor brightly shine through. - David Mahoney