Whether you take it straight, with salt and lime or in the perfect margarita, tequila is the ultimate party spirit and there’s no better place to enjoy it than at a moody Mexican bar with a side of tacos.
Before you begin your tequila journey, there are some things you should know. Tequila is made from the heart of the Weber Blue agave plant, which grows slowly and takes roughly seven years to reach maturity. It's grown in arid climates with low yields, and often harvested by hand. Mescal, a close cousin of tequila, is also made from agave, but doesn’t have to be the Weber Blue variety.
Aged tequila is a big deal. Extra-Anjeo is kept in the barrel for a minimum of 3 years before it gets bottled and hits the shelves. This is often on the menu as a separate category, so make sure to look out for it if you are wanting to try something spectacular. Like whiskey, premium tequila is worth the price and So, spending $1200 on a good bottle of Gran Patron Burdeos is par for the course.
There’s plenty of venues in Perth where you can throw back a shot of tequila, only a few that take the art of tequila drinking seriously. We picked three popular venues, each providing an extremely different but equally fun tequila experience.
To get started, we recommend you request a tasting flight with a unique selection of different tequila spirits and enjoy the glorious high that comes from any tequila night.
La Cholita, Northbridge
La Cholita is one of the most popular bars in Northbridge for a quick meal and a few drinks. The venue has the best of both worlds with intimate one-on-one seating indoor by the bar and an open outdoor seating area perfect for large groups.
The menu includes a limited but tasty range of share dishes and mains. The menu caters to most with gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan options. Don’t come here if you can’t handle the heat as the dishes are enhanced with true Mexican spice. The crispy fish and guac tacos are a firm favourite.
The bar boasts over 150 brands of tequila including Blanco, Reposado, Mezcal, Raicilla, Anejo, and Extra Anejo with ‘taster flights’ available for the brave. They also have an extensive tequila cocktail menu. If you are looking for something sweet, the staff recommend the popular Margarita Verde, loaded with chilli infused blanco tequila, lime, cucumber, triple sec and agave.
If you are going on a Friday or Saturday night, get there early as a discouraging queue can form quickly. Located on the corner of William St & Aberdeen St, La Cholita is open from 5pm during the week and noon on weekends.
El Grotto, Scarborough
El Grotto was started by a group of friends who visited Mexico and fell in love with the taco and tequila culture. El Grotto comes across as your average Mexican restaurant by day but transforms throughout the evening as local artists emerge. Tequila-tipsy revellers move to the dancefloor and El Grotto becomes an ultra-fun dance club.
Much of the ‘bottled agave’ behind the bar is hand-selected from small-batch farmers in Jaliso, Mexico. Mezcal is a crowd favourite, but we recommend Arette Fuerte Blanco 101 as a great mid-range tequila to get you started.
Beyond this they have an extensive menu serving unique takes on Mexican classics. Check out the birria burrito or bring a crowd to try the share plates of build-your-own tacos!
Open from 11am to 10pm during the week and until 1am at the weekend.
Caballitos, Perth CBD
For a tequila fix that’s intimate, moody and ‘Day of the Dead’ inspired, you need to experience Caballitos. Opened by the ‘Sneakers&Jeans’ team in 2017, Caballitos is a super fun Mexican taqueria and tequila bar located in Queen St in the Perth CBD.
With generous portion sizes and cocktails that suit the uninitiated and the tequila lover alike, Caballitos brings contemporary Mexican flair to the Perth tequila bar scene, bringing home the Best Small Bar Award in 2020.
It’s a unique space and the perfect place to start a big night out with friends or, if you never get around to leaving, dance the night away with margarita in hand. If the tequila inspires, you can also tie the knot with Caballito available for hire as a venue for Vegas-style shotgun weddings.
Although it has a limited list of tequilas on their menu, Caballitos give customers a gentle introduction to tequila with a range of cocktails that you can drink without wincing. The latest addition to their menu is their Margarita tree, a tower of salt and sugar rimmed glasses, available to be filled with Classic Margaritas or Watermelon & Lime! Open Monday to Saturday from 4pm until late.