Patrón en Lalique

Spirit of the year: Patrón en Lalique: Serie 2 

In 2014, Lee Applbaum, the chief marketing officer at Patrón Spirits, and Lalique chief executive officer Silvio Denz put their heads together in Zurich, looking for a way to marry their singular crafts in a shared vessel. A year later came the release of Patrón en Lalique: Serie 1, with 500 handmade crystal decanters holding the ultra-premium tequila.

In late 2017, the 1920s Art Deco styling of René Lalique was invoked to create Patrón en Lalique: Serie 2, which again combines the craft and heritage of France and Mexico. However, this current offering, our Best of the Best winner, is even rarer—only 299 bottles were released—and more complex than the first limited edition.

It took two years for master distiller Francisco Alcaraz to create the distinct and delicious elixir of this 80-proof extra añejo. “He said he was not going to cheat this,” Applbaum says. “He wanted a very different blend from Serie 1.” Alcaraz blended tequilas in a fashion more akin to Cognac, mixing liquid that had spent time in American, French, and Spanish sherry-seasoned oak barrels. Patrón añejos are usually blends, but blends of the same vintage. The Serie 2, however, also unites tequilas of various ages—ranging from three to eight years old—​making this tequila unique among all others.

The result is a golden nectar brimming with fresh fruit, vanilla, and light agave accented with a gentle touch of cherries and candied pecans. It is a masterpiece. ($7,500)

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Patrón en Lalique: Serie 2 

Photography by Will Anderson/Styling by Gözde Eker