The 22 Best Tequila Brands For Sipping And Mixing

With hints of vanilla and citrus that blend with the distinct flavor of sweet agave, this tequila packs a punch with no lingering aftertaste. According to reviewers, it even tastes better the longer it sits out.

"This I can be very helpful about! My father sips Herradura Blanco straight," said Sarah Ceniceros Gomez, Delish's senior designer. "We’re Mexican and this is his favorite."

If you care just as much about what the bottle looks like as you care about what's inside, AsomBroso Eros is for you. This show-stopping bottle will be the centerpiece of your bar cart. In our tasting, Delish staff immediately gravitated towards this bottle first for its gorgeous floral pattern and slightly, ahem, NSFW shape.

And when we tasted it, we were blown away. The tequila picks up the warm, caramel-like flavors from the oak barrel for a luxurious sip. One of our editors said, "So smooth—no lime needed."

Grab Eros so you can enjoy the tequila, then reuse the bottle as a flower vase.

Don Julio 70 Cristalino delivers incredibly smooth and flavorful sips, with little to no burn or aftertaste. Perfect for sipping neat, it's fresh, citrusy aroma complements a crisp agave and caramel flavor and a subtly peppery finish. Only downside? It's a bit pricey.

"My roommate is from Guadalajara, also the state that Tequila comes from, and she likes Don Julio 70," Ceniceros Gomez added.

Izabela Campos, Delish's assistant social media editor, agrees that this liquor is a winner. "Don Julio 70 is for sure very smooth for sipping on its own."

If you're new to tequila and don't know where to start, Olmeca Altos is a great introductory brand. Their plata tequila perfectly captures what a blanco should taste like: bright, citrusy, and refreshing.

It's especially great for beginner tequila enthusiasts because of its smoothness. One of our editors noted that it's "soft and very easy to drink." And an added plus: its low price point makes it a low-stakes way to experiment with the spirit.

One of the most luxurious tequilas on this list, Don Julio 1942 sports a steep price tag, making it a great option for special occasions. It's aged for a minimum of two-and-a-half years in American white-oak barrels and is the best choice for the tequila connoisseurs in your life. Oh yeah, and the Kardashians love it.

Volcan De Mi Tierra is made by Moët Hennessy, so you know it's fancy. This premium tequila contains a blend of reposado, añejo, and extra añejo tequilas. Blending is a common practice with whiskey, but not with tequila—but its impact on the flavor is huge.

Volcan's X.A Tequila has a deeply fragrant aroma and a smooth, long-lasting finish. One of our editors described the flavor as "warm, floral, and smooth." It's an incredible gift for the tequila enthusiasts in your life—and the bottle is stunning.

21Seeds is a relative newcomer to the tequila industry. Founded in 2019 by three women, their offerings fuse high quality blanco tequila with all natural flavors. We tried all three of their offerings—Cucumber Jalapeño, Valencia Orange, and Grapefruit Hibiscus—and couldn't agree on our favorite.

One thing we could all agree on, however, is that 21Seeds tequila is the ultimate upgrade for mixed drinks. Bring a bottle to your next pregame and you'll be the MVP.

Patrón is a crowd favorite for many reasons; one being its versatility. It can be sipped neat, over ice, or mixed into a cocktail. With pleasing notes of oak, vanilla, and roasted agave, it's a safe bet.

If you don't know what cristalino tequila is, here's a quick explainer. You take añejo tequila and filter it to remove the color and some of the more intense woody flavors imparted by the barrel. What you're left with is the lightness of a blanco and the smooth, nuanced flavor of an aged tequila.

1800's Cristalino is our top pick for this category for its relatively low price point (the longer tequila ages, the more expensive it typically is), deeply complex flavor, and the ease of sipping. One of our editors described the flavor as sweet and smokey, and we totally agree.

Reposado tequilas are rested in different kinds of oak barrels, which gives each a different taste. This Milagro reposado rests in American and French oak barrels, which gives it a smooth, clean flavor and a dry finish.

"I like Milagro!" says Lindsay Funston, Delish's executive editor. "[It's] super smooth with subtle citrus and pepper notes."

Serving tequila to a crowd can be tough. Some people love an intense agave flavor, others want a smoother sip, and many dislike the spirit entirely. Enter: Dulce Vida.

This 100 percent organic tequila is a great pick for parties and batched cocktails. It's smooth, lightly sweet, and a definite crowd pleaser. And, if you want to appeal to an even wider audience, try picking up one of their infused options (one of our editors described their lime-flavored tequila as a "margarita mix, but you make money now").

This 100-percent agave silver tequila is a great bang for your buck. Its low price point and high-quality ingredients make it a bar cart staple. It's fresh and smooth, making it an excellent budget option for summer marg nights with friends.

Our tasters picked up slightly earthy notes, which would lend well to sipping straight or balancing out the brightness of a cocktail.

Añejo tequila must be aged for just one year, but Avión makes sure its añejo stays in barrels for two years. Doubling that age requirement is what gives this tequila its characteristic amber color and aromas of burnt agave, peach, and persimmons

Hornitos Plata Tequila is a standard mid-shelf bottle, a great buy for any occasion where you aren't looking to spend much but don't want to sacrifice taste. You'll notice its lively floral and herbal notes.

Tres Generaciones was created in honor of the Sauza family's 100 years of making agave spirits. It's made with 100 percent blue agave, is distilled three times, and punches far above its weight.

Their unaged plata tequila has a delightfully smoky flavor with clear botanical notes while still retaining the characteristically bright crispness of a blanco. It tastes way more expensive than it actually is.

You may know Cutwater for their convenient line of canned cocktails, but their tequila deserves a spot on your bar cart too. It's the ideal bottle for taking shots. We're looking for an affordable tequila that goes down smoothly, and Cutwater's Blanco Tequila fits the bill.

Delish staff noted that it has a soft flavor, neutral scent, and leaves no burn when you sip...or throw it back.

Another celebrity tequila brand, Villa One is made with the help of Nick Jonas. It sources agave from the highland and lowland regions of Jalisco, Mexico. With agave from both regions, Villa One combines the herbaceous, earthy lowland notes and the sweeter, fruity notes of highland agave.

While you can technically make a margarita with any kind of tequila, it's recommended that you stick with a blanco. It has a bright, citrusy, and crisp flavor that pairs well with lime juice. Tequila Cazadores is our go-to pick for making a margarita because it's affordable, flavorful without being overpowering, and super smooth.

Sarah Ceniceros Gomez's personal favorite is El Tequileño. "I tried it for the first time on my last trip to Tequila, Jalisco. They have little carts that sell cantaritos, and my friends and I were trying to taste as many tequilas as we could and this one was the one that tasted more seamless to me."

Jose Cuervo is a solid option if you're making drinks for a large crowd, since it's very affordable. It mixes well in cocktails—and is a great choice in the kitchen too.