I am not a person who needs an excuse to sip a little agave-based spirit. Tequila, mezcal, sotol, bacanora – you throw it in a glass with a wedge of lime and I am in. I also prefer not to “shoot” my tequila, but rather sip it, savor it, let it roll around on my tongue and roll gently down into my belly. Therefore, I only drink good stuff.My first tequila love was Partida as you will see in the early days of The Liquid Muse Blog (launched in 2006). I was sent a sample and it was the first time I truly appreciated what tequila could be. Prior to that, my experience had been tequila poppers in Mexico (where a waiter forces a shot down your throat, shakes your head and blows a loud whistle. Classy.) and the occasional mix-based margarita. Oh how things have changed!Not only have a slew of delicious agave spirits made their way into the United States – and been heartily embraced – but my own education has expanded to the point that I have a respect, a reverence even, for one of the oldest spirits on the planet. I learned about tequila from people such as tequila-expert Steve Olson at various seminars and in the famed BAR (spirits certification) program. And, I will never forget the demonstration by my first mixology-inspiration Tony Abou Ganim showing that it takes the same amount of time to squeeze half a lime as it does to pour that crappy mix stuff into a glass when making a margarita. A teaspoon of agave nectar is more than enough to sweeten it. And, a quality orange liqueur with a badass tequila round out South-of-the-border harmony in a glass.Milagro tequila came on the scene a few years ago and it is another of my favorites. Their silver (little-to-no time in a wood barrel), reposado (slightly aged) and anejo (aged longer) offerings are no-fail choices when sipping, shooting or mixing.Milagro hails from Jalisco, one of five tequila “states” in Mexico. Nowadays in order to be called tequila, the agave plants must be grown in these areas. It has a crisp, agave, fresh taste. It is the kind of spirit you can enjoy on its own or mixed in margaritas and beyond. (Yes, don’t forget tequila when making other kinds of drinks beyond the most obvious!) Milagro has won medals, and is presented to the world by its Global Brand Ambassadors Jaime Salas and my buddy Gaston Martinez (based in Vegas but usually on a plane to somewhere to educate the masses about the product).I’ve interviewed Gaston in these videos at Tales of the Cocktail in 2010 and again in 2011 and Arizona Cocktail Week 2012 if you want more information directly from him. I’ve also attended the Milagro tequila-pairing dinner at Tales of the Cocktail which is a wonderful experience when you are wanting to get a deeper understanding of how to drink tequila beyond the shot-and-beer culture.Today, Cinco de Mayo, is the perfect time to celebrate Mexican culture. Not only their defeating the French back in 1862, but also their way of celebrating and sipping. I will be enjoying some Milagro, myself. I hope we can virtually raise a glass together to the miracle of distillation meeting history and culture. Salud!