BoomerGirl.com

I like to party as much as the next person, but one night I found myself at a tequila dinner, getting annoyed with the rowdies.

Ruben Aceves, director of international brand development at Herradura Tequila, is explaining all its intricacies at Miguel's California Cocina in Foothill Ranch, Calif. Meanwhile, a few tasters who have sampled excessively are talking and laughing and disturbing the Q & A period, during which the rest of us are trying to learn as much about tequila as we can from a real live expert.

It's frustrating. Tequila sales increased 30 percent between 2000 and 2006, according to AC Nielsen. There were 40 premium brands sold in the US in 2006, up from 13 in 2004.

Still, it's the Rodney Dangerfield of the spirits world. It never gets the respect it deserves because of its reputation as a wild frat party drink, a fiery liquor to be downed in shots with lime and salt or drowned in sweet and sour mix in a frozen margarita.

If you think "fine tequila" is an oxymoron, you're thinking is stuck in the last millennium. We encourage you to taste some before you start stocking your liquor cabinet for the summer. A good silver tequila in the right drink can kick-start a cocktail party.

And a refined tequila at the end of the evening goes beautifully with treats such as fruitcakes, cookies and even cigars. Read on to learn about the storied history of North America's first distilled spirit, and why Herradura is a leader in the tequila industry.

Lightning strikes

My family is from Mexico and so I loved the stories Aceves told about tequila's origins. The tale begins when an Aztec Indian sees lightning strike an agave, investigates the mess and notices a milky substance spilling out. He drinks it and experiences an incredible euphoria.

Is that really true? We don't care. Like George Washington and the cherry tree, it's too good a tale not to retell.

Even better is the explanation of how Herradura got its name. One of the company's founders was out in the Sierra Madres looking for a location for his distillery. He saw something shining in the distance and rushed toward it. Gold? No, a horseshoe gleaming in the sunlight. He took it as a sign and named the factory Herradura ("horseshoe"), and since 1870 that has been the company's name and logo.

What's your type?

If you learn nothing else about tequila, learn the basic types.

The first is plata (silver), also known as blanco (white). It's either un-aged or aged less than 45 days. Premium silver tequila is good to drink straight, but this is what we usually mix into a margarita. Its appearance is clear or a very light straw color.

There's another category known as "gold," which is simply silver tequila to which caramel coloring has been added.

Reposado means "rested." It's aged between 60 days and 11 months. Herradura created this category in 1974.

Anejo means aged at least one year in wood, and Extra Anejo is aged three years in wood.

These last three types of tequila can be enjoyed in a snifter. Pour some and concentrate. You might be able to detect citrus notes, floral tones and the flavors that the oak barrels impart: spices such as cinnamon, anise and black pepper, even vanilla.

Herradura always ages its tequila in American oak. Notice the color. Reposado and Anejo tequilas come in shades of copper and amber. Herradura's Seleccion Suprema, aged four years, has a deep copper color, a creamy consistency and a long aftertaste. If you appreciate Cognac and single malt whiskies, you should definitely give it a try.

Tasting notes

Where do all these incredible flavors come from? It's not just the oak that imparts complexity, but the agave itself.

Never pass up a chance to tour a tequila factory. There, you might have a chance to taste agave after it's been cooked. These spiky plants aren't cactus, though they're just as tough.

Tequila is made only from a certain species called Weber, after the German botanist who identified it. The plants take up to 10 years to mature. Their leaves are cut by "jimadors" very close to the heart of the plant so that no bitterness from the leaves remains. The resulting cores are called pinas because they resemble enormous pineapples after they're cut.

The pinas are harvested and cooked. At Herradura, they are slow roasted in clay ovens. At some other tequila distilleries, they are cooked in autoclaves where they are steamed at higher temperatures. Imagine steamed as compared to roasted vegetables and you'll understand why this step is important in retaining flavor.

After the agaves are cooked, their starch is converted to sugar. They're delicious, caramel colored and have their own unique flavor, almost like sweet potatoes with honey.

By law, tequila is made only in Jalisco and select areas of Tamaulipas, Nayarit, Michoacan and Guanajuato. Tequila experts speak of the regional differences in taste the way French vintners speak of terroir.

Tequilas from Jalisco and Nayarit are herbaceous and spicy; those from the highland regions are floral and sweet. Herradura blends a combination of agaves from different regions to achieve its signature flavor.

Spend a little time with some premium tequilas and you'll never think of them the same way again. Invite friends over and have each one bring his or her favorite Anejo. Imagine tasting tequilas from Gran Centenario, Del Dueno, Milagro, Chinaco, El Tesoro de Don Felipe and Herradura.

Prepare a spread of Mexican foods, from enchiladas to dulce de leche crepes. It just might become an annual event as more and more of your friends become enlightened about the beverage discovered by lightning.

Herradura tasting notes

• Silver: Light straw in color. Vanilla, anise. Clean, sweet taste with slight oak. Warm finish. (350 mililiters, $19.99)

• Reposado: Aged 11 months. Copper in color. Cinnamon, vanilla and oak with mild almond flavor. Light finish. (350 mililiters, $21.49)

• Anejo: Barrel aged two years. Dark copper. Oak, vanilla and spice. (350 mililiters, $22.99)

• Seleccion Suprema: Aged four years. Dark copper. Agave, spice and floral notes with black pepper. Creamy textured, long aftertaste. (750 mililiters, $319.99)

(Prices from Hi-Time Wine Cellars, Costa Mesa, Calif.)

Fun tequilas

• Cabo Wabo: A collaboration between rocker Sammy Hagar and a Mexican tequila maker.

• Frida Kahlo: The artist's image on every bottle.

• Cazadores: A deer on every bottle.

• Inocente: Marketed to women, the bottle is shaped like a vase.