The 10 Best Tequilas To Use For Shots

Tequila is a staple of many drinks. For margaritas, palomas, Long Island iced teas, and many more mixed drinks, tequila is the liquor base that makes the drink what it is. No matter what mixed drink you prefer, there is always a brand of tequila that works for your liking. However, tequila is also good for taking shots if you are out with your friends, looking to spice up your family holiday event, or just generally doing a taste test of different tequila brands to find which one you like the best.

There are different kinds of tequila, like blanco or silver and joven or gold, and each kind tastes different and impacts the flavor of what you are drinking. The best kind for taking shots are blanco or silver, because the flavor is a bit softer and the burn is less intense when you are drinking it straight up. There are also tequilas with stronger quantities of agave that have a sweetness to them, enabling the taste to be a bit more calm. Most brands have a version of the blanco or silver tequila, or a bottle with agave in it, so if you are not sure what brand of tequila would be the best for your shot-taking occasion, look no further. Read on for the best brands of tequila to use when taking shots.

Patron Silver is arguably the most famous of the lighter tequilas, and for good reason. This tequila brand is not only famously mentioned in songs from artists like Lil Jon, Rihanna, Drake, and Jamie Foxx, but it also is greatly known for being one of the most popular liquors. According to the patron tequila website, Patron Silver has a clear color, a fruity and citrusy smell, a smooth, sweet taste, and a light pepper finish. This tequila is 40% alcohol content by volume, and is available in 1.75 liters, 750 milliliters, 375 milliliters, 200 milliliters, and 50 milliliters.

Though this brand goes well in classic tequila-based mixed drinks, Patron Silver is a great option for shots. This brand is made from 100% Blue Weber Agave, and is meticulously crafted in batches at the Hacienda Patron distillery in Jalisco, Mexico. Patron Silver's agave content and silver status makes it good for shots because the burn is less intense. Be warned, there will be some burn, as with all straight liquor shots, but it will definitely be a hit at whatever occasion you are throwing. Pair it with salt and lime, and you will be sure to enjoy your Patron Silver shot.

Espolon's Tequila Blanco is a greatly affordable brand of tequila that will definitely be a hit. This smooth tequila is great in mixed drinks, neat, or over ice, but is also a viable option for shots. The 100% Blue Weber Agave tequila is a Ultimate Spirits Challenge winner and finalist, and is unaged. It has a tropical, lemony smell and taste, that hits you with an intense peppery aftertaste. What makes this tequila unique, though, is the faded inclusion of vanilla and pineapple. The clear look of the liquid is reflected in its clear and fresh finish.

Espolon has authentic Mexican origins that set it apart from other American brands of tequila. Created by Maestro Cirilo, Espolon was formed as a way to combat the lazy and inauthentic brands of tequila the inventor had experienced in the past. Cirilo wanted to tap into his "ancestral traditions" and create something that he would be proud to take to any party. Because of this, you should be proud to bring a bottle of Espolon Blanco to any gathering, and even more ready to enjoy it in shot form with your friends.

Another classic and beautiful option for tequila shots comes from 1800 Blanco. Made from 100% Blue Weber Agave and doubly distilled, 1800 Blanco has a crystal clear taste and only slightly aggressive finish. The fruity and spiced aroma also contains black peppercorn, which is what you will experience in the aftertaste of the shot. The flavor, too, has notes of pepper, but is balanced out with a sweet, prune-like taste. This formula has stood the test of time, being created in the year 1800, and is delicious in any form you choose to drink it -– shot or otherwise.

1800 Blanco is, as the website says, "known almost exclusively for its super-smooth taste." Though it also brags on its ability to blend in perfectly with margarita mix, its smooth taste makes it great for shots. It goes down nicely with the preparation of salt and chaser of lime. The brand is tried and true, and will be sure to impress loved ones when it comes to your shot taking festivities.

Teremana Blanco has a lot of authenticity from its handcrafting. Hailing from the Jalisco Highland mountains and made at Destileria Teremana de Agave, Teremana Blanco has a sweeter taste of agave to bring out the bright, clear flavor of the tequila. The agave is brick oven roasted for three days to really make sure the agave is present with the other flavors, which are mostly citrus-based. The Teremana Blanco is distilled in handmade copper pots, also handmade by those working at the distillery.

Though there are other meticulously crafted tequilas to choose from at Teremana, the Blanco is the best for taking shots. Its clean, fresh aftertaste makes it easy on the throat, and the 100% Blue Weber Highlands combined with the agave's brick oven roasting provides a sweetness that other brands lack when drinking the tequila straight up. The 40% alcohol volume is standard for these Blanco tequilas, but what sets Teremana Blanco apart is not even just its agave content; rather, it is the sustainable business practices and use of local businesses in partnership that helps create a great legacy of a brand. Teremana Blanco, though ethically wonderful and tastefully authentic, is also simply a great brand of tequila to choose for your shot-taking pleasure.

Up next on the list is Casamigos Blanco, which also utilizes the 100% Blue Weber Agave and hails from the Highlands of Jalisco, Mexico. This light tequila brand is distilled slowly, "painstakingly," as the website reads, and, like Teremana Blanco, uses brick ovens for the roasting process of their agave. The Casamigos Blanco has a crystallic color, with a sweet citrus aroma only further complemented by the agave within. That fruity scent is reflected in the flavor, too, combined with notes of vanilla, and specific tastes of grapefruit.

Casamigos Tequila is known for its ability to not "have to be covered up with salt or lime," according to the website. Casamigos Tequila's creators wanted to make a tequila brand that was for friends to have fun nights, and many people caught onto this idea. Even celebrities like George Clooney, Rande Gerber, and Mike Meldman have an affinity for this brand of tequila, and promote it within their personal brands. Whether or not you choose to use salt and lime, Casamigos Tequila is a great option for shots and is literally designed for you to enjoy with friends.

For another blanco or silver tequila that is great for your shot taking pleasure, you should check out El Jimador Silver. This tequila uses hand-harvested 100% Blue Weber Agave, and is double distilled at their distillery to achieve its sparkling, crystallic color. The flavor is rich and the taste is crisp, full of citrus scents and taste. The flavor also has a spicy, herb-like taste that is more earthy than other tequilas, and the aftertaste is more warm than peppery, and as sweet as a straight shot of tequila could be. Its first use, as advertised on the website, is for the "silver shot," which is testament enough to how this brand encourages you to use it for shots.

El Jimador Silver suggests you not just take the brand's word for it, but rather understand that it has won 22 awards since 2010. One of these is the Silver medal in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, awarded to it in 2013. With its sweeter flavor and a lack of peppery aftertaste, you are sure to enjoy El Jimador Silver in straight shot form.

Olmeca Altos is a brand working in sustainability, and heavily focused on its agave. For another award winning tequila that is delicious in shot form, Olmeca Altos Plata is the tequila for you. The aroma has more earthy tones than other tequilas, but still contains the classic citrus notes. When you taste the tequila, you will experience the citrus, specifically a lemon and lime citrus, and the agave is heavily present as well. Olmeca Altos uses Tahona Stone and copper distillation, and the agave is specifically grown and cultivated at 2,100 meters above sea level in the Highlands of Jalisco. Specifically, the agave exists in Los Altos, among the volcanic rich soil.

The brand is also very meticulous with its agave growth, ensuring that "each agave grows from 7 to 8 years to reach maturity and achieve the sweet spot for tequila making." The creators of Olmeca Altos, Henry Besant and Dre Masso, were already in the liquor industry before creating Olmeca Altos. They pride themselves on creating naturally smooth tequila, which is one of the reasons it is a great option for shots. Their brand of tequila has won many awards, including the International Spirits Challenge, The Tequila & Mezcal Masters, the International Wine & Spirits Competition, and the Ultimate Spirits Challenge. This brand is sure to satisfy your need for shots.

Another tequila brand that comes from a volcanic soil is Maestro Dobel. For 11 generations, Maestro Dobel has created a legacy of being the world's first cristalino tequila. Cristalino tequila is aged and filtered tequila that removes natural colors to make way for that pristine, clear coloring. Often, cristalino tequila uses charcoal for filtering. Maestro Dobel is the first brand to successfully create this cristalino technique, and also the first tequila to use pechuga, also known as turkey breast, to enhance it.

This tequila is distilled over three times, first using copper pot stills, which work hard to make it smooth. Then, fruits and spices are broken down into soft bits to combine with the tequila, and the turkey breast is used in the tequila for a unique flavor. The tequila is unlike any other, combining the normal spices and citrus that other tequilas have but instead of the peppery taste, using turkey breast for its savory notes. The clear color, special flavor, and smoky yet citrus taste all combine to create an excellent shot for you and your friends to dive into.

Next up on the list is the Lo Siento Blanco tequila. This tequila has more of a floral than citrus taste, which is complemented by its smooth, agave nature. The 100% Blue Weber Agave made tequila uses the brand's own deep well water, and recommends that if you are going to use it in shot form, that you do so chilled. It comes in a range of sizes, and the brand prides itself on making tequila that is affordable to the modern customer. Lo Siento also hails from the Jalisco Highlands, as many of the other brands on this list do, and is similarly operated by a family-owned distillery.

The brand says that it resonates with both "novice and experienced tequila drinkers alike," pairing perfectly with both mixed drinks and shots. Though this brand encourages chilled shots for the straight up tequila drinkers, that is not to say that a warmer, off the shelf version would not be great as well. For the "unapologetic" version of yourself, as the website claims, grab some of the Lo Siento Blanco tequila.

The last recommended tequila brand on this list goes to Cimarron Blanco, a tequila more mysterious than the rest. Without its own website, this brand hails from 100% agave, and is distilled in stainless steel tanks instead of copper like some of the other brands on the list. However, like others, this brand is distilled twice with no set aging period. The 40% alcohol rate is not the only reason it is a great option to do shots, however. Cimarron Blanco also comes from Jalisco, like many of the other tequila brands, and is cooked in a low pressure environment with deep well water.

This tequila possesses much more of an herbal, grassy, earthy taste and aroma to it, that buries itself into more worldly roots than some of the other more citrusy, sweet tequilas. There are citrus, vanilla, and agave tastes and aromas within the tequila, but the earthy nature wins out over the sweetness. The burnt oak smell and taste provide a great option for shots. However, shot takers should be warned that there ought to be a salt and lime combination with this shot, for its roots are much more aggressive than some of the other sweeter tequilas on the list.