Does a Milk Frother Make Tequila Taste Better?

When it comes to improving budget-friendly drinking experiences, the internet knows no bounds. A few weeks ago, I was influenced to make sangria in a French press. Years ago, I tried running inexpensive vodka through a Brita water filter to make it taste closer to the high-shelf stuff. Now the internet has turned my attention to tequila. The new hack in question? Aerating tequila with a milk frother to improve the flavor.

The TikTok testimonies were compelling: “What?! There is no way. This is 100 times smoother than the original one,” said content creator @Timthetankofficial, who did a side-by-side taste test with frothed Patron Silver and a shot right out of the bottle — he posted it on Instagram and had over 15 million views at the time of writing. While Patron Silver is a higher-end bottle, the results seemed to work for TikToker @nicoleleeanne6, who put a cheaper bottle to the test. “We’re trying this with Trader Joe’s, tried and true,” she said. “Excuse me, it works!”

Naturally, I had to find out for myself. I hunkered down in our wine room, found the least expensive tequila we have (not an easy feat here at Food & Wine, as we tend to seek out the good stuff), poured two glasses side by side, and frothed. I started with room temperature tequila and bravely sipped the tequila plain at 2 pm on a Thursday (you’re welcome), then tasted the frothed version. The results were impressive. The flavor definitely improved, I could taste more of the sweet agave notes, and there was way less of a burn. 

While I enjoy sipping tequila — sipping, not shooting, is actually one of the best ways to enjoy the spirit — I wanted to consult some experts to understand why frothing tequila improved the drinking experience. Julio Xoxocotla, beverage director at New York’s Bar Lula, tried out the trend with Siete Leguas Blanco and detected a few minor improvements. “The difference is minimal but definitely present,” he said. “The tequila is rounder and more roasted agave forward.”

Xoxocotla explained that a milk frother hyper-decants tequila and the exposure to oxygen changes the flavor. “When you stick a milk frother in your tequila, you rapidly speed up the process of aeration that naturally happens if you let your tequila sit in a glass,” Xoxocotla said. “The aeration makes some of the alcohol evaporate and reveals a sweeter taste.”

The viral hack worked for Food & Wine contributor Brian Freedman too. While he noticed a difference in texture, the frothed tequila had a lovely whipped quality that felt creamier on the palate, he mostly identified differences in taste. “The one I used the frother on was smoother,” said Freedman, who admittedly tries not to use the word smooth when describing spirits tasting, but felt it was most apt here. “The spice notes were softer, and each sip tended to be more harmonious.” 

While he was impressed, Freedman noticed that the positive effects of frothing diminished over time. He let both glasses of tequila sit for a few minutes and continued to taste. “Whereas the first sip after frothing was the most overtly affected, it slowly decreased over the course of the pour,” he said. 

Is it worth whipping out your milk frother during happy hour? I’m not so sure. “It’s an interesting proposition,” says Freedman. “I still don’t think frothing bad tequila will make it magically good. But for decent tequila, it’s a fascinating exercise that might be considered once in a while.” Xoxocotla points out that dry shaking, a classic bartending technique used to aerate cocktails like the Whiskey Sour and Gin Fizz, can achieve the same result with tools that might already be on your bar. Add your tequila to a shaker and shake it without ice for about 30 seconds. I’ll be choosing that route from here on out, but in a pinch, it’s good to know the milk frother works too.