Cuatro TEQUILAS y MEZCALES Fantásticos del Oeste—and One Studly SOTOL From Texas

It’s a good thing the West carries on south of the border, because there’s no excluding our favorite blue agave-derived spirit, tequila, and its more broadly defined hermano, mezcal (made from numerous types of agave) in this happy mix. Both are strictly produced in designated regions of Mexico — primarily the west-central state of Jalisco (tequila’s prime production hub) and deep-southwest Oaxaca (mezcal-making central).

North of the border, America has swiftly become the world’s biggest market for tequila, according to the International Wines and Spirits