Whether you are after a zingy shot to kick start your evening, or a delicious cocktail to sip on in the sunshine, tequila is the perfect spirit for the job.
In fact, tequila has been delighting our taste buds for centuries with its distinctive citrus flavor that is both fresh and smooth.
The beverage has become so popular in recent years that there has been a boom in new companies and brands offering their take on the traditional formula.
One such brand is Milagro, and their Milagro Silver tequila is causing quite a stir in the drinks industry.
Milagro Silver is an affordable tequila by industry standards, yet it aims to deliver premium quality, and it channels all the traditional tequila traits and flavor notes closely.
The company boasts that their tequila mixes a splash of modernity into the traditional tequila making process that shakes up the recipe and sets it apart from the competition, but does this come across in tasting?
In this article we look at flavor, process, packaging and pricing to determine whether Milagro Silver is just another middle rate tequila, or whether it really is worth getting all shook up about!
Milagro Silver Tequila
Who Makes Milagro Tequila?
When trying any new brand of tequila you will want to know about the people behind the beverage, because when it comes to spirits, the ‘spirit’ of the maker is really crucial.
So, who exactly are Milagro and what are they about?
Well, Milagro is a relatively new company by industry standards, which was started in 1998 by two college friends Danny Schneeweiss and Moy Guindi. 1998 may seem like the distant past these days, but considering how tequila has been made since the 16th century, you can see our point!
The friends, who were both natives of Mexico City, decided that they would like to create a tequila brand which harnessed all the best ingredients, and really celebrated the characteristics of the blue agave plant.
For this, they set up in the Jalisco Highlands where the plant grows particularly well in the red volcanic earth.
They then searched high and low for a master distiller who had the knowledge and passion to help them create an innovative new tequila, and they found Pedro Juarez.
Pedro is an expert who has been working as a distiller in Mexico for over 35 years. With his experience and daring, Milagro Silver came to life.
The Ingredients
Now you know who is behind Milagro Silver, you will want to know what goes into this tequila. Well, as with all tequilas, Milagro Silver is made 100% from the distilled juice of the blue agave plant, grown only in Mexico.
The brand uses blue agave grown in the Jalisco Highlands in the West of Mexico.
The Jalisco Highlands is one of the prime tequila making regions of Mexico due to its mineral-rich soil, clean, crisp air and sun-soaked days.
The combination of these factors causes the blue agave to grow in abundance in these mountains, and the plant is only harvested once it is sweet, rich and very large.
Many lesser brands hurry the process by harvesting early, and lose much of the quality of flavor in doing so.
By following the traditional jimador harvesting method, Milagro manages to maintain the maximum depth of flavor and sweetness of the plant’s juices.
The Process
The process of making tequila is one that dates back centuries and has been refined and tweaked hundreds of times in order to perfect the result.
Milagro Silver is created using many of the most traditional methods there are in order to honor that tradition and harness as much flavor as possible from the process.
Unlike with many other brands, no corners are cut in order to speed up the process.
The Agave Pinas are slow-roasted in traditional brick ovens for 36 hours until they are soft and sumptuous and the flavors rise to the surface.
Next the agave pinas are shredded and pressed using specialised equipment so that the delicious juice can be extracted from the plant.
Those juices are then held in stainless steel trays for around 72 hours to rest them and let the flavors and aromas develop.
It is in these trays that the juice ferments into alcohol, and many other brands do not give their alcohol as long to ferment.
The 72 hour window is really crucial for creating the depth of flavor evident in Milagro Silver in comparison to its competitors.
But it is the distilling process which really sets this tequila apart.
Milagro Silver is double distilled, but where most tequilas are twice distilled in the same method, Milagro Silver is distilled once using the traditional pot method, and a second time using a column.
The first distillation in the pot is used to grow the flavors of the liquid and draw out all the fresh, vibrant, sunshiny punch that we associate with tequila.
However, the spirit is still rough and harsh tasting after this process, which is where the second distillation comes in.
The column is a rounder, more gentle vessel in which the liquid can settle and it is responsible for Milagro Silver’s exquisite smoothness. This tequila really is wonderfully smooth!
The Taste
And this brings us on to the all important taste of Milagro Silver tequila, which really is tremendous. The smell is crisp, and mouthwateringly fresh and makes your nose tingle with those citrus notes that are so distinctive in tequila.
It is safe to say, you know immediately that you are about to taste a flavorful and fun spirit when you catch a whiff of this!
On the palette, Milagro Silver is zingy and alive with summery citrus, yet it is so smooth there is no harshness and none of the bitter after bite that we associate with economy spirits.
In fact, Milagro Silver has a warm, black pepper after taste that lingers on the tongue just long enough for you to chase it with some salt and a slice of lime!
We absolutely love this tequila for its smoothness, as it makes it highly drinkable. It is smooth enough to be enjoyed straight, or on the rocks, and it has enough flavor to hold its own in a Paloma, margarita, or your other favorite tequila cocktails.
A Milagro Silver margarita is a thing of beauty. If you prefer an aged tequila with a little more depth of flavor and a more mellowed appeal, Milagro also offer a Select Range of tequilas that are aged in French and American oak barrels.
The Look
Tequila is a stylish spirit, and the way that it looks in the bottle needs to be as beautiful and appetizing as the way it tastes on the tongue.
Luckily, Milagro Silver has a premium appearance.
The liquid itself is crystal clear, denoting its bright, citrus flavor profile perfectly and allowing you to sense what you will be getting before you pour. The clarity of the liquid denotes the clean, zingy taste you can expect to enjoy.
The bottle and branding also compliment this fresh, fun vibe very well.
The bottle is tall and slender, which makes pouring a breeze (something that bartenders and mixologists will greatly appreciate).
The blue tint in the glass looks gorgeous on back lit shelves and stands out as a wonderful burst of color in any spirit collection.
This bottle deserves to be displayed, but we also love the fact that the true clear color of the tequila is visible in the middle of the bottle as it is always good to be able to see the spirit without having to pour it out.
The fun, sun shiny taste of Milagro Silver is reflected wonderfully in its branding.
Recognition
Milagro Silver has really caught the attention of tequila connoisseurs and critics across the globe.
In 2015 it not only was awarded Best in Class for Best Blanco in the Glorious Spirits made in Mexico competition, but it was also awarded Gold overall!
Then in 2016, Milagro Silver won Silver at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition!
Pricing
Milagro Silver is a highly affordable tequila, especially when compared to some of the premium brands available on the market.
It aims to make premium quality available to those who cannot afford the extremely expensive alternatives, and it achieves this to an extent.
Milagro Silver is smooth and flavorsome, unlike many other, similarly priced tequilas.
It certainly captures much more of the zing and freshness than those tequilas that are not twice distilled in two different methods.
Of course, this tequila is not as refined or nuanced as the aged tequilas out there.
But for mixing in cocktails and hot drinks, as an ingredient in desserts and cookery, and as a fresh, fun shot, this tequila is excellent value for money.
Serving Suggestion
Milagro Silver Margarita:
- 2 parts milagro Silver tequila
- 1 part agave nectar
- 1 part freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 lime wheel (to garnish)
- Salt for the rim
Pour the tequila, agave nectar and lime juice into a boston shaker filled with ice cubes. Secure the lid of the shaker firmly and then get shaking!
Dip a tumbler glass in a dish of water and then in a saucer of crushed salt, so that the rim of the glass is coated.
Fill the tumbler with crushed ice and then single strain the mixed liquid from the shaker into the glass. Throw the ice cubes away. Add a wheel of lime to the glass as a final garnish.
