These days, if it seems like you’re seeing more written words on these internets regarding tequila, it’s probably not because you’re seeing double. seeing double. It’s because 1) it’s summer; and 2) it is increasingly a drink that is not only to be mixed, but savored on its own.

Consider this recent article from the San Marcos Daily Record:

Known most for its presence is margaritas, tequila has gone from the image of a cowboy tossing down a shot with a grimace in a dusty Mexican bar to an expensive, fine-aged tequila sipped from a brandy snifter by refined drinkers.

The authors, self-titled “Wine Guys,” go on to describe their experiences with Patron’s many offerings, from not-so-expensive, to the definitive “it” tequilia, the “Gran Patron Burdeos.”

For those of you who’ve not heard of this stuff, USA Today has some info:

Along with more sophisticated consumers has come more sophisticated (and pricier) packaging. Patrón unveils its $500 Gran Patrón Burdeos this month. The limited-production añejo, aged 12 months in Bordeaux barrels, comes in a crystal bottle with a crystal stopper presented in a handcrafted black walnut box.

This stuff is no joke. Some dude on Craig’s List has it listed for grand.

Bottom line, tequila, maybe more than any other spirit, is going through the kind of popular boom that cigars generally enjoyed in the mid-90s. Choice is good for you and me.