Say the words “tequila cocktail” and the first drink that comes to mind is almost certainly a Margarita. Dive a tad deeper and you’ll come up with the Paloma, the Tequila Sunrise, or maybe the El Diablo. But sometimes you want a cocktail that requires less fuss to make — a drink that really lets the tequila shine without a lot of mixers getting in the way.
And that’s where the tequila soda comes in.
When made with the right tequila, this cocktail is glorious alchemy of just two ingredients, allowing the tequila to shine, unadulterated by juices, liqueurs, or other mixers. The soda tempers things just a bit, with the dilution and bubbles adding a refreshing kick without dumbing down the spirit.
But a tequila soda with inadequate tequila is a drink gone wrong. The qualities of a bad tequila — harshness, astringency, artificial flavors — have nowhere to hide beneath the soda’s thin cloak. That’s why choosing the right tequila, like PATRÒN Silver, is essential to crafting the perfect tequila soda.
What Makes The PATRÓN Silver + Soda Shine
PATRÓN Silver — the unaged expression from which all PATRÓN expressions are made — is, like the tequila soda itself: simple, elegant, and delicious. First crafted by distiller Francisco Alcaraz, who remained at the helm from the brand’s founding in 1989 until his death in 2021, PATRÓN Silver is created in part using the age-old tahona method, where the cooked agave is crushed using a large stone wheel to extract the juice. It’s less efficient than modern contraptions like diffusers, which extract the juice (known as the aguamiel) with blasts of hot water, but the resulting tequila is richer, rounder, and more complex.
After extraction, the aguamiel is distilled in small batches, in compact copper pot stills — the same stills that Francisco Alcaraz designed especially for PATRÓN and that have been used since the brand’s inception. The result is a tequila where the agave is the star of the show, from the earthy, vegetal aroma to the sweet palate with notes of vanilla and anise, to the long, lightly peppery and savory finish. While barrel aging can create a glorious tequila, the unaged liquid, bottled at 40% ABV, is a true reflection of the terroir (or the tierra, as they’d put it in Jalisco), the quality of the agave, and the skill of the current tequiliero, David Rodriguez, Francisco Alcaraz’s hand-picked successor.
How To Make The PATRÓN Silver + Soda
With PATRÓN Silver, there’s no need to disguise the tequila with a ton of mixers. That’s why PATRÓN Silver + Soda is, in many ways, the quintessential PATRÓN cocktail. With the soda as a supporting player, the tequila doesn’t have anywhere to hide. And this tequila doesn’t need to.
The agave flavors may be complex, but this tequila soda is as easy to sip as it is to make. No bar tools, fancy ingredients, or prep work required. Just in case you’re looking for specs, we recommend filling a tall Collins glass with ice. Then add two ounces of PATRÓN Silver, top it off with three ounces of the soda of your choice — be it seltzer, club soda, fancy mineral water, you name it — and then add a lime wedge. The wedge may just seem like a garnish, but that little bit of citrus complements the flavors of the tequila and helps make a great drink even better. Give all the ingredients a gentle stir, sip, and let out a sigh of contentment knowing that all is right with the world — at least while you’re enjoying PATRÓN Silver + Soda.
Perfect Food Pairings with PATRÓN Silver + Soda
The PATRÓN Silver + Soda is a versatile drink that partners with a wide array of food. Seafood is a perfect pairing, whether it’s fresh sushi, crispy fish & chips, or citrus-marinated salmon.
In fact, the Silver + Soda goes well with most citrus flavors — the agave notes of the tequila and the crisp sparkle of the soda interact beautifully with the bright, tart notes of citrus on poultry or fish. Richer foods, from Kansas City barbecue to spicy Chinese cuisine, are a tasty foil for the combination of fresh, palate-cleansing soda and the clean mineral notes of PATRÓN Silver. And needless to say, it’s the ideal accompaniment to Mexican fare, from ceviché to tacos, rich molés to spicy chiles rellenos. You’ll find there aren’t too many dishes that don’t match up well with the PATRÓN Silver + Soda.
Keep in mind, nobody’s arguing that PATRÓN Silver isn’t a terrific tequila to use in a host of cocktails. But PATRÓN Silver + Soda is the perfect place to start — and a drink to return to on a regular basis.
This article is sponsored by PATRÓN.
