Spirit and Wine Recommendations

TEQUILA BLANCO:

Tequila 123 - my absolute favorite tequila in the whole world
Tequila Espolón - great cocktail tequila, great budget
Casamigos - mid-priced, tasty af
Tequila Ocho - incredible, a bit higher priced
Herradura - great for sours, not so much stirred cocktails
Tres Agaves - organic AND affordable

MEZCAL JOVEN:

Del Maguey - classic and easy to find
Montelobos - affordable and great in cocktails
Mezcal Vago - one of my fav's but a bit pricier
IIegal - incredible mezcal
Derrumbes San Luis Potosí - SOOOO good in stirred cocktails!!!
Banhaz - best for the price
Yola - my favorite!!!

CABERNET FRANC :

When searching for a good cab franc for this class, try to stick to the Loire Valley (Anjou, Bourgueil, Touraine, Chinon, and Saumur-Champigny) or Bordeaux (Pomerol, in Libournais or ‘right bank’ region). Ask your (nice to nice-ish) local wine shop for a good recommendation in this region. Here are a few of my favorites:

LITERALLY ANYTHING FROM THIERRY GERMAIN
Château de Brézé Clos Mazurique Saumur Red
Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon
Olga Raffault Les Barnabés Chinon
Couly-Dutheil Clos e l'Echo

MERLOT :

In this case, I recommend sticking to Bordeaux for taste comparison purposes. Don't fret too much if you can't! It's more important that you find something that is 100% Merlot, as it's super common to come upon blends!

Château Les Grands Maréchaux 2019 Merlot (Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux)