1. Always look for “100 per cent agave” on the label. Anything else is not pure tequila — it’s a mixture of tequila and sugar distillates (that’s what gave you those nasty hangovers).

2. Don’t rush it. Smell it. Then smell it again. Tequila has one of the most exquisite aromas of anything on earth. And please don’t shoot it. Sip it. Let it rest on the tongue before you swallow. Once you swallow, savour the finish: that peppery bite, the quiet, cooked agave sugar notes on the sides of the tongue. This is a subtle, beautiful thing you’re dealing with here.

3. Know your age classifications. Blanco (white) is the spirit at its purest form, bottled within days of distillation. It has a sharp, fresh, almost citrusy agave taste. In reposado (reposed), the juice is rested in the barrel for up to 364 days, giving it the colour of chardonnay and adding a soft woody component to the taste. Anejo (aged) sits in the barrel for one to three years and develops a cognac-like essence, the barrel tannins infusing the tequila with notes of vanilla, caramel and even chocolate. There is also extra anejo, aged over three years, up to as long as seven or eight years. This is when the tequila becomes a masterpiece of smoothness and complexity.

4. Never drink anything with a worm in it.