I’M CURRENTLY IN the throes of a love affair with agave spirits. In recent years, remote work has allowed me to explore Mexico for months at a time, from its wild Pacific Coast beaches to the vibrant hub of Mexico City, where agave is king. Or deity, rather.

According to one Aztec myth, agave was the product of a love affair between the serpent god of air and wind, Ehecatl (also known as Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl), and Mayahuel, the lovely goddess of fertility, who was held captive by her evil monster-goddess grandmother, Tzitzímitl. When the god Ehecatl heard Mayahuel singing, he followed the sound and the pair fell deeply in love, meeting each night until they escaped the grandmother. When Tzitzímitl found out, she was enraged and hunted the lovers. According to some sources, Ehecatl embraced Mayahuel and they fused into a beautiful agave plant with spikes for protection. Tzitzímitl found the agave and destroyed it, missing just one spire, which Ehecatl replanted, crying over the remains. But his tears nourished the surviving plant, and it grew back into Mayahuel, reincarnated as the most beautiful agave.

For this reason, agave spirits are associated with passion and transformation, and are considered an elixir of the gods. While I love all expressions of agave spirits, from mezcal to tequila (tequila is actually a type of mezcal that can only be made from blue weber agave), I’ve been taking particular pleasure in its most aged expression, known as añejo. Aged for a year at minimum, añejo tequilas hold a darker color and sip more like whiskey or rum. They warm the soul and hold immense depth of flavor. I hope to keep discovering new brands — the world of tequila is as rich and varied as Mexico itself. For now, here are some gorgeous bottles, each bringing a touch of myth and magic to any occasion.