1800 Coconut Tequila

1800 Coconut is a flavored tequila from Jalisco, bottled at 35% ABV. It starts from 1800 Silver and adds natural coconut flavor. That makes it a blanco-based spirit, so it has none of the oak influence found in reposado, añejo or extra añejo. Those styles pick up vanilla, caramel and toasted wood from barrel time. Here the unaged base is the point, and it leaves room for the coconut. Flavored tequilas at this strength usually lead with sweet, toasted-coconut aroma over a light peppery, vegetal agave backbone. Expect the agave to sit in the background and the coconut to dominate. Because the coconut leads, this bottle suits mixing better than slow sipping. If you do drink it neat, serve it well chilled, or pour it over a large cube in a rocks glass. Cold temperatures keep the sweetness from feeling heavy. A caballito, the small tequila shot glass, works for a single cold pour. Skip the salt and lime here, since they fight the coconut rather than balance it. In cocktails, a coconut Margarita is the most direct use. Shake it with fresh lime juice and a little orange liqueur, and cut back on added sugar because the spirit already brings sweetness. Rim the glass with salt, or a salt and toasted coconut mix. A Paloma also works. Build it over ice with grapefruit soda or fresh grapefruit juice and a squeeze of lime, and the tart citrus balances the coconut. For a lighter long drink, a Ranch Water–style serve stirs the tequila into sparkling water or a plain lime seltzer with plenty of lime and ice in a tall glass. It also pairs with pineapple juice for a simple tropical highball. At the table, it goes with grilled shrimp, jerk-style chicken, mango or pineapple salsa, and desserts such as key lime pie or flan.