Skip to main content

Joven tequila: This new blend will make you rethink your stance on young tequila

This new tequila will delight your palate

The drinks industry changes on a dime, with new sub-categories branching out from longstanding categories. That’s certainly the case for tequila, which is currently making room for a new style type in its ranks. It’s called joven tequila and it resides somewhere between a blanco and a reposado.

Lately, we’ve seen a rise in everything from wine-influenced tequila to fellow agave spirits, like mezcal. With joven, which is just emerging, we’re seeing a different spin on some of the lighter, or younger, tequilas. It’s a blended product that’s beginning to turn heads both as a sipper on its own and as an able mixer.

A round of salted tequila shots.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Diego Osorio is the founder of Lobos 1707 Tequila. “Joven translates to young, so a good way to think about it is a grown-up blanco tequila,” he said. “Joven tequila is an extremely interesting category because of its complexity in a very un-aged expression of the category.”

Recommended Videos

The addition of an older tequila style, even if only a percentage, can change the entire nature of the end result. Winemakers have long known as much, adding relative drops here and there of certain varietals to complete the perfect blend. The joven tequila is assembled in much the same way, with the maker looking to maintain the youthful vigor of blanco while imparting a bit of sophistication by way of some of its aged brethren.

Osorio says his version is crafted by introducing a blanco tequila to a touch of reposado tequila. With the blanco serving as the base, he adds that it’s vital to start out with a sturdy one. “With the older added tequila, it’s a very small amount so while it’s still important, in my opinion, the blanco is the star and what a blender is really seeking out,” he said.

It’s no surprise that a new category is coming to life as tequila is enjoying some notable popularity right now. It’s only natural — people want to experience its various forms. Because joven is a fairly new category, the labeling around the stuff can be a little confusing (although that’s likely to change as it becomes more popular).

“Joven usually falls into the mixto category,” Osorio continued. “Meaning it is made with at least 51% blue agave juices while the rest can be produced with other types of agave. At Lobos 1707, all our tequilas are made with 100% blue weber agave so our joven is all from the same source.”

With several different agave types out there, that means all kinds of permutations for the rising joven style. Look out for producers mixing different varieties, or mixing their blanco bases with different ages of older tequila in a quest to find the perfect sweet spot.

How does Osorio like his joven? He says on the rocks or in a cocktail as you would enjoy a blanco (as in a Margarita or Paloma). “I love the cocktails in pitchers so I can share them with my friends,” he said. Some darker, older tequilas can overwhelm a cocktail but that’s rarely the case with joven.

Tequila can be a frightening proposition to some, especially the blanco versions, as they can be strong and rather pungent. However, the joven is a smart creation in that it’s a bit rounder on the palate and therefore more approachable. For those thinking they don’t like young tequila, this version might change their minds. And for those who love the stuff, it’s a different take on the spirit, giving it some excitement cache.

Mark Stock
Mark Stock is a writer from Portland, Oregon. He fell into wine during the Recession and has been fixated on the stuff since…
Is your wine laced with forever chemicals? What a new study says
This stuff doesn't go away, either
Group toasting with wine glasses

Recent tests conducted by Pesticide Action Network Europe have shown a shocking rise in the detectable levels of TFA, or triflouroacetic acid, in wines sampled from ten EU countries. TFA is a persistent breakdown product of chemicals used in refrigeration and agriculture, and is thought to pose a threat to human reproduction and liver toxicity.

The numbers are alarming. "We see an exponential rise in TFA levels in wine since 2010," the organization wrote in their report. "TFA was not detected in wines from before 1988, while wines from 2021–2024 show average levels of 122 μg/L, with some peaks of over 300 μg/L." Additionally, wines with higher TFA levels also demonstrated increased amounts of synthetic pesticide residues. This was expected, because TFAs have long been associated with long-lasting per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) used in pesticides. According to the EPA, PFAS substances are also found in fluorinated containers, a treatment intended to make these packages less permeable.

Read more
Snoop Dogg wants you to put gin in your Bloody Mary
Still G.I.N. by Dre and Snoop

Plenty of celebs have their own tequila brands, but it's rarer to see interest in gin. Hip hop legends Dre and Snoop are on it though, with a recent launch of their own ultra-premium gin -- and one of the brand's recipe suggestions is a controversial one that I'm hugely in favor of.

The recipe from Still G.I.N. by Dre and Snoop, which, as its name suggests, is a gin from Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, is an alternative to the Bloody Mary which you'll sometimes see called a Red Snapper. It replaces the vodka with gin, which is a change that I love -- I find that the sharp, juniper notes of gin do a great job cutting through the thickness of the tomato juice, and help to add a pungent, almost herbal quality to the drink.

Read more
Peanut butter coffee: A creamy twist on your favorite brew (and how to make it)
3 variations of peanut butter coffee
Peanut butter

Unlike french vanilla or hazelnut coffee, the term "peanut butter coffee" isn't one you've likely heard often (or at all). I first encountered peanut butter coffee on an Instagram reel where a fellow coffee lover showed a latte brewed into a cup filled with peanut butter. Since I love creamy peanut butter almost as much as I love coffee, it's safe to say the idea of peanut butter coffee intrigued me.

As it turns out, Alex Zapata's variation of peanut butter coffee is only one of the many ways creative coffee lovers use peanut butter and coffee together. If you're as intrigued about this flavor pairing as I am, here are three ways to try peanut butter coffee for yourself.
Plant-based peanut butter coffee

Read more