Cheap Buzz: Tequila

 BUZZ:  Hey Marnie, how come tequila is so expensive? I thought that stuff was rotgut.

Marnie: No, Buzz. Premium tequilas are considered to be some of the finest spirits in the world, and their prices reflect supply and demand. There are bargain brands, of course, but the best are truly exceptional.

Buzz: Really? I swore off tequila in the '70s - the worm in the bottle freaked me out.

Marnie: You'll never find a worm in tequila - you're thinking of mezcal. Both tequila and mezcal are Mexican spirits made from agave, a flowering desert plant distantly related to asparagus. Agave gives tequila its unique, smoky-spicy scent and flavor.

Buzz: Hmm . . . the '70s. I do remember a smoky taste. And it came from a flowering plant. But it wasn't agave.

Marnie: Many cheap tequilas used to contain very little agave, but in the '90s, Mexico instituted strict quality standards on tequila and controls on label terms. Today, even affordable brands must contain at least 51 percent blue agave, and the finest are made with 100 percent.

Buzz: Blue? I thought tequilas came in gold or silver.

Marnie: Blue agave is the name of the plant, but silver and gold are styles of tequila. Silver is bottled clear, while gold is tinted with caramel coloring and may contain some spirit that has been aged in barrels like whiskey. Both are "mixto" styles where grain alcohol is blended in to dilute the agave flavor. But the powerful taste of agave is what sets premium tequilas apart from other spirits - there's nothing else quite like it.

Buzz: Who wants to spend $50 just to taste a cactus?

Marnie: You can find all-agave tequilas in your budget, too, Buzz, especially with Cinco de Mayo coming up. They will say "100 percent agave" right up front and start around $20 a bottle. And, agave is no cactus - it's a succulent, like aloe.

Buzz: OK, I'll smoke, er, drink to that.