August 13, 2021updated May 05, 2023

Pineapple and Sage Margarita by El Tequileño Tequila

Cocktail of the Week: A sweet yet herby take on the classic margarita.

Hailing from one the world’s most renowned tequila families, tequila was a huge part of Don Jorge Salles Cuervo’s life. He had an ambition to establish his own brand after spending decades producing tequila and on New Year’s Day in 1959, El Tequileño was born.

Named in honor of the people of the town of Tequila, El Tequileño is still a family business. The craft of creating tequila has been passed down through generations of the family and Don Jorge’s grandson, Jorge Antonio Salles is now the third-generation master distiller.

El Tequileño is exclusively produced at La Guarreña distillery — no other tequila has ever been produced there. Agaves are sourced from the highlands of Jalisco, which is known for being the premier growing region for the blue agave — the region’s mineral-rich soil means that the agave has a naturally higher sugar content. The agaves are cooked in a steam pressure autoclave (Don Jorge Salles Cuervo pioneered the use of the autoclave in 1959).

Volcanic spring water is used in the milling process and the spring water flows from an extinct volcano right through the distillery. The tequila is then distilled in a copper pot still to remove impurities. Presently, 98% of El Tequileño’s production residuals are made into organic compost which is then used as fertilizer for the agaves.

This week’s cocktail recipe, the Pineapple and Sage Margarita, uses El Tequileño Reposado Gran Reserva. The award-winning tequila is aged for eight months in American Oak and has a banana and caramel aroma with a nutty, smooth taste. A premium choice for enjoying on the rocks, it also works well in a margarita or an old fashioned — or in fried fish tacos.