We all have vague, half-formed memories of tequila that put our teeth on edge. Even the smell is enough to put more than one alumni off the stuff. Yet that stuff with a plastic sombrero can barely be called tequila when compared to the agave treasures of Patrón. If premium tequila seems a bit of a misnomer to you, Patrón’s latest collaboration with Lalique will prove otherwise.

The second in the series of Patrón collaborations with the quintessential French crystal maker, the Lalique decanter is a thing of beauty, a diamond in both rarity and form. The angles of the bottle are perfect, showing the deep colour of the tequila inside which is aged for an average of 7 years, all crowned with Patrón’s signature bee as a frosted crystal stopper.

The tequila is just as fantastic as the decanter, with vanilla and fruit from the oak cask, the sweet honey of agave and a long-lasting finish to bring it all together. It’s more than enough for tequila to earn its way back into your liquor cabinet – and thank god, not a sombrero in sight.

Price: US$7,500; www.patrontequila.com; www.lalique.com