What to Drink This Weekend: Margaritaville

Jimmy Buffett should know something about tequila from his time wastin’ away in Margaritaville. Now, he has his own line of tequilas, designed to — you guessed it — make great margaritas.

While liquor shelves boast a profusion of ultra-premium tequilas in fancy bottles with price tags to match, there’s no need to spring for the serious stuff when making margaritas. Instead, chose a mixto. The less-intense agave flavor blends better with fruit juices. Mixto tequilas are classified as silver (unoaked, un-aged) or gold (is usually a silver base flavored with an extra aged tequila and colored/flavored with the addition of caramel). Silvers are particularly well-suited to the vibrant tang of fresh lime juice that is the hallmark of a great margarita.

Delivering pristine flavors and terrific mix-ability, Buffet’s line is one of the best values to be found in the tequila aisle. Bracing with a spicy edge, the Margaritaville silver ($15.99) has a pleasing grapefruity aroma accented with tequila’s distinctive white peppery scent.