Okay, so I get a lot of PR pitches. A lot. Most of them go straight to the folder I never open.

This one caught me because it said the word 'additive-free' and I am a sucker for anything that has fewer ingredients than I can count on one hand. Also, it was about tequila and it's almost National Tequila Day, so the timing felt a little too perfect to ignore.

This post is sponsored by Flecha Azul Tequila — they reached out about National Tequila Day coverage and paid me to try their stuff and write up my real take. Samples were sent my way for editorial consideration. All opinions are mine and I don't know how to have any other kind.

What even is Flecha Azul and why should you care?

Flecha Azul is a tequila brand focused on authentic Mexican craftsmanship — and when they say additive-free, they mean it. Three ingredients: agave, water, yeast. That's the whole list. No caramel color, no glycerin, no oak extract, no artificial flavoring. Just the actual agave doing its thing.

I'll be honest — I didn't know additives in tequila were even a widespread thing until recently. Turns out a lot of mid-shelf tequilas are quietly sweetened or smoothed out with additives, which is why some of them taste more like dessert than a spirit. Flecha Azul is very deliberately not that.

And you can taste the difference. The Reposado especially has this earthy, slightly oaky depth that doesn't feel like it was engineered in a lab.

Does additive-free actually mean better tasting?

In this case, yes — and I say that as someone who has historically been pretty whatever about tequila. It's fine, I like a margarita, but I've never been the person at the bar ordering a neat pour.

The Blanco is clean and bright — genuinely agave-forward without being harsh. The Reposado is more mellow, with a little warmth from the barrel aging. Neither one has that aggressive burn you sometimes get with lower-shelf stuff, and neither one tastes like someone snuck simple syrup in there.

So yes. Additive-free matters here. It's not just a marketing line on this one.

The Clean AF Margarita: simpler than it sounds, better than expected

The recipe they sent over uses the Reposado, and it's stripped down in the best way — 2 oz Flecha Azul Reposado, 1 oz fresh lime juice, half an ounce each of fresh orange and lemon juice, and two dashes of orange bitters. Shake it, strain it into a salt-rimmed glass over ice. Done.

No triple sec, no simple syrup, no sweetener of any kind. Just citrus and good tequila.

I was a little skeptical it would have enough body without a sweetener in there, and look — it is a dry margarita. If you like yours on the sweeter side, this isn't that. But it's really, really refreshing, especially when it's hot. It tastes like an actual cocktail, not a slushy.

My one gripe: the bitters measurement of 'two dashes' is doing a lot of work in that recipe. I overdid it on the first pour and the orange bitters got a little aggressive. Go light.

Is the Peach Hot Honey Margarita worth the effort?

Yes. Absolutely yes. But we need to have a quick conversation about that hot honey peach puree.

You have to make it from scratch — two chopped peaches, three tablespoons of hot honey, a tablespoon of agave syrup, two tablespoons of water, simmered down and blended. It takes about 20-25 minutes start to finish if you count cooling time, and you have to plan ahead because it needs to chill before you use it.

Is it a lot for a Tuesday? Maybe. Is it worth it? One hundred percent.

The puree is genuinely great — sweet and spicy and peachy in a way that store-bought mixes just aren't. You use 1 oz of it in the cocktail along with Blanco tequila, triple sec, and lime, and the result is this gorgeous summer drink that actually tastes like a fresh peach and not like peach candy.

Make a big batch of the puree. You'll want more than one drink.

Which one should you make for National Tequila Day?

It depends on how much time you have and who you're making drinks for.

The Clean AF Margarita is the one you make when you want something fast and impressive — guests coming over, you need a big pitcher, you don't want to babysit a pot on the stove. It's clean, it's simple, and it lets the tequila be the star, which with Flecha Azul is genuinely worth doing.

The Peach Hot Honey Margarita is the one you make when you want to show off a little. It takes more work but it's a conversation starter. The heat from the honey sneaks up on you in this really pleasant way. I made it for a small group and everyone wanted the recipe — which I now have to actually give them, so that's on me.

Where to find Flecha Azul

You can check availability and find more recipes over at Flecha Azul's website. They carry both the Blanco and the Reposado, and honestly if you're going to try one new tequila this summer — which, given that National Tequila Day is July 24th, feels like the universe telling you something — this is a solid pick.

Not because I'm being paid to say that. Because I genuinely made both these cocktails and then made the peach one again the next day, which is about the most honest endorsement I know how to give.

I came into this one mildly curious and came out with a new go-to margarita recipe, which is not what I expected on a random Wednesday.

The additive-free thing is real, the tequila is genuinely good, and the Peach Hot Honey Margarita is the kind of drink that makes people think you're a much better host than you actually are. That puree is the secret weapon.

But what do I know? I'm just out here making margaritas and telling you about it.