Matador

Today we're drinking the Matador cocktail, a drink with three simple ingredients: gold tequila, pineapple juice, and fresh lime juice. 

The Ultimate Bar Book, page 289

Matador

1 1/2 oz gold tequila
3 oz pineapple juice
1/2 oz fresh lime juice

Shake the ingredients vigorously with ice.  Strain into an ice-filled old-fashioned glass.

This is an ideal cocktail for pineapple juice lovers.  The pineapple juice is not subtle, it dominates the drink.  In fact, in certain sips, I couldn't taste the tequila.  I certainly couldn't detect the lime juice.

Here's the thing about such a drink though:  Invariably at one point in your life you likely purchased a large bottle of Jose Cuervo Especial Gold tequila, and you've probably consumed less than half of it.  It now sits on the back of a shelf, collecting piles of dust.  Now is your chance to use the rest of the bottle. 

Admittedly, I'm not a huge fan of Jose Cuervo Especial Gold.  It tastes cheap to me.  Nicer, more refined tequilas have a depth of flavor that is missing with Cuervo Especial Gold's hard punch to the gut taste.  Cuervo makes good tequila, no doubt, but their mainstay Especial Gold bottling is not my favorite.

The Matador though, is highly drinkable, and, with its 1.5oz contribution of the Cuervo Especial Gold in each serving, you'll be finished with your old bottle in no time!  And, since you're post-college, or soon will be, you can probably afford to step up your game, and buy some better quality agave-based liquor.

I'd recommend the Matador for any summer occasion.  It's served over ice, has a fair amount of liquid content making it a little more suitable for larger sips, and it's got a strong fruit juice component.  Serving it at a BBQ would of course make sense, but why not make one when you're just sitting around in the afternoon reading a good book?  I'd do it. 

This Friday, we drink the Aviation - one of my favorite cocktails.  Until then, cheers!