National Tequila Day!

National Tequila Day is July 24th – a time for all Americans to celebrate tequila in all its forms, from the incredibly cheap rocket fuel that powers house parties when the keg runs dry to the complex spirits designed to be sipped and savored like a fine whiskey.

And why shouldn't it have its own day? Appreciation for what's considered North America's first native-born distilled spirit is at an all-time high. In fact, the Mexican liquor is the fastest growing distilled spirits category in the U.S.

It's no surprise. Tequila has been exported to the U.S. since the late 1800s, but only recently have the liquor-drinking masses have found much use for it beyond day-glo hued margaritas and mind-numbing benders. Now there are premium and super-premium tequilas as smooth and nuanced as any single-malt scotch that have been embraced by the American market, with the category growing by nearly 10 percent per year since 2002.

This tequila renaissance coincides rather nicely with Mexican regulations detailing the processes and ingredients that go into distilling tequila. To be officially known as tequila a spirit has to be made with blue agave in the Mexican state of Jalisco or in small designated areas of the states of Guanajuato, Michoacan, Nayarit and Tamaulipas. Higher end tequilas are made with 100 percent pure blue agave while cheaper brands, called mixtos, use less, rounding out the distillation with other varieties and sweeteners like sugar.

All tequilas, however, must be made with a minimum of 51 percent blue agave in order to be called tequila at all. In addition, true tequila must not only be distilled but also bottled in Mexico. While many distilleries already followed these rules, codifying them into law reassured the marketplace that it was getting a quality product, and spurred huge sales growth and a rise in appreciation for the liquor.

Of course, many have never had the chance to try a premium tequila. Rather than the harsh burn and smoky spice most of us remember from our college days, well-made tequilas are smooth, with deep herbal, almost vegetal flavors. When aged in oak barrels, as in reposado and anejo tequilas, which must be at least two months and one year old respectively, tequila takes on whiskey-like qualities as well – making for an incredibly layered character, often featuring vanilla and caramel notes similar to a quality bourbon. Obviously, those kinds don't belong in margaritas.