If you are hoping to buy tequila or another favorite spirit at affordable prices in the Cayman Islands, visit Jacques Scott Wines & Spirits for everything you need and more.
Jacques Scott Wines & Spirits is the leading retailer of premium beer, wine and liquor in the Cayman Islands. With six stores from one end of Grand Cayman to the other, along with the best prices, top-notch customer service, and free delivery to your home, office, condo, yacht, villa, or hotel room, we will help you find the perfect beverage for every occasion.
We offer a selection of fantastic specials each month and most of them can be purchased online and in our retail stores. Look for our flyer in the “Cayman Compass” on the first Friday of each month.
Tequila Lingo You Should Know
Tequila: Tequila is a distilled beverage made from at least 51 percent of the sugars of the blue agave plant, which is cooked, mashed, fermented, double distilled, and then sometimes aged in barrels. It must be made primarily in the area that surrounds the town of Tequila which is 65 km (40 mi) northwest of Guadalajara, including Jalisco Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit and Tamaulipas, and in the Jaliscan Highlands of the central western Mexican state of Jalisco.
Blue Agave: A succulent plant that is native to Jalisco, Mexico. Its heart, or piña, is harvested, cooked and mashed, and its juices fermented and then distilled twice to make tequila. The use of clippings to create new agave plants, which are in essence clones of the original plant, has created a monoculture for the plant. This has led to increased vulnerability to diseases and parasites.
Mixto: A tequila made using the minimum 51 percent blue agave sugars, supplemented by other sugars, particularly cane sugar. These tend to be low-end tequilas, most often used for shots or margaritas.
100% Agave: As opposed to a mixto, a tequila made using only blue agave for its sugars. It is considered the purer form of the spirit.
Gold: This is generally used for tequila that has not been barrel-aged, but given a similar hue, usually by adding caramel or other artificial colorings.
Blanco: This clear white spirit is also known as “silver” tequila. It’s a pure blue agave spirit that is unaged and typically bottled immediately after distillation where any cloudiness is removed.
Reposado: This is tequila that has been “aged” or “rested” from two to 11 months, usually in used oak barrels. It has a softer, smoother, and more aromatic flavor than Blanco.
Añejo: Añejo, which means “vintage,” is only permitted by the Mexican government to be used on tequila that has been aged for at least one year in barrels with a maximum capacity of 600 liters.
Extra Añejo: Añejos that are aged three or more years are called Extra-Añejo. They will have a very smooth, sophisticated taste and a darker color.
Tahona: A large stone wheel attached to a pole that is towed by a mule or tractor to crush cooked agave piñas. It is the most painstaking process used to mash agave, and, therefore, the most expensive.
NOM: Short for Norma Oficial Mexicana. Marked on a label it serves as both proof that the tequila meets standards set by the Mexican government and as a specific number stands for the distillery where the tequila was produced.
When you’re ready to buy tequila in the Cayman Islands, Jacques Scott Wines & Spirits offers some great tips from our experts.
