Roca Patron Tequila Party

Let’s do a little word association: Patrón. Ok, I’ll go…rap music, shots, and guys trying to look impressive at the bar. To be fair, it actually tastes pretty good, which is probably why rappers and guys at bars like to take shots of it so much.

The good news is that the brand recently released an even higher-end line of tequila. Because…why not? To kick off their new line, the company hosted several parties for industry insiders across the country and somehow I managed to end up on the list. Sadly, I didn’t receive a “Rivers Hughey, Industry Insider” name tag at the door, but I did receive a fancy shmancy pair of Patron sunglasses.

The party was held at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans hotel pool. All the chairs were decked out in Roca Patrón beach towels and brand schwag was being handed out by the boatload. Meanwhile, a DJ spun us into the night with tracks from Jay Z and Tupac (rappers – obvious move, Patrón).

Here’s the boring: “Roca” is Spanish for rock; actually, a two-ton volcanic stone wheel, also known as a “tahona,” that’s used to crush the baked agave and squeeze out the juice that becomes the basis for tequila.

Why would Patrón decide to use this old school and more expensive method to make their new line of tequila? The answer is simple. It provides a purer agave flavor.

There are three tequilas in the line, which happen to be named the same as the original Patrón: Silver, Reposado, and Ańejo. Guests were offered a cocktail and what I thought was a taster of each, until an older gentleman quickly put me to shame by shooting his “taster” back like a college guy at a frat party.

Towards the end of the night one of the most obvious differences became clear…the Roca line has a higher proof than your average tequila (84-90). Hello, bad dance moves. One of the less obvious, but important, differences is the price. The new line is bumped up from $45-$65 to $69-$89. In the grand scheme of things, what’s $25? Right?

Shockingly, I preferred drinking the $90 tequila neat, which may explain my pounding headache, but if I had to choose a favorite cocktail of the night, it would be the Puro Beso. It was refreshing and fun cocktail using the Reposado, which was nice since it was approximately 105 degrees by the pool.

If you’re a tequila person or even if you aren’t, I highly suggest giving this liquid gold a try. TEQUILA FOR EVERYONE! Salud!

Puro Beso

* Roca Patrón Reposado
* Sweet and sour
* Ginger liqueur
* Served over ice