Brian Kennett
Amateur Chef and Boozy Traveling Foodie Extraordinaire
PANTALONES DOWN!
My First Impressions of Matthew McConaughey’s Organic Pantalones Tequila — A Spirited Taste of Fun
PANTALONES TEQUILA FROM MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY: ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT… IT’S TEQUILA TIME!
There I was, staring at a bottle that looked suspiciously like it could make me swoon me with its Texas drawl by saying, “Be cool, man.” Matthew McConaughey’s Pantalones Organic Tequila had finally landed in my condo in Singapore — 100% Mexican Blue Weber agave, USDA-certified organic, sustainably farmed, and wrapped up in branding cheeky enough to make your Nan giggle.
Now, I’m a self-trained cook/chef/blogger — not a mixologist, not a Hollywood star, and definitely not a man with a tequila sponsorship (yet: but willing to learn…). But when a bottle promises “No Pants, No Problem,” you pour a glass (or five), press record and get stuck into it.
So, here we go — the official Is Life a Recipe high-production taste-test of Pantalones Tequila: part review, part love letter, part slightly w@nkered Mexican drinking experiment. And yes, we’ve got cocktails, bar collabs, and cheeky ideas for how your restaurant or bar can make Matthew, and you, proud.
Pantalones Tequila Review: Table of Contents
“NO PANTS, NO PRETENCE — JUST REALLY GOOD ORGANIC PANTALONES TEQUILA”
Pantalones Tequila isn’t trying to compete with stiff, pretentious tequila brands that whisper about terroir and demand you sip in silence. This one walks into the room, plays a guitar riff LOUD, and says, “Let’s be having a drink ya’ll.”
It’s organic, carbon-conscious, gluten-free, and somehow still has the swagger of a 70s surfboard ad. Distilled in Jalisco, it’s made for sipping and mixing — so whether you’re in a rooftop bar in the Philippines, a beach shack in Bali, or an air-conned speakeasy in Singapore, it fits right in. It’s just so damned good.
How did Pantalones Tequila come about? I'll let Matthew, himself, explain. It's an, awwwwwwwww, so cute lah....
“It was late 2006, and I was holding court at the head of the table at the Hyde Club on Sunset Boulevard, hand-making the best margaritas on the planet when I saw her. My mom’s voice began echoing in my head, “This is not your average woman you wave over from across the bar, son. Get your ass up, and go introduce yourself.” After introducing myself, I escorted Camila to the bar where I made the best margarita I’d ever made, and I spoke Spanish better than I’d ever spoken it. The only caveat was that she spoke Portuguese because she’s Brazilian… but the rhythms of the Latin languages seemed to fit the meter.
Despite my uncultured errors, I successfully got a date with her (after trying and failing twice), and almost two decades later, she’s still the only woman I’ve ever wanted to make a margarita for. And that, my friends, is how it all started – with a twist of tequila fate.”
– Adapted from Greenlights
THE TASTE TEST (aka How It Went Down)
I started with the Blanco — clear, fresh, lightly floral. It’s the kind of tequila you could drink neat and not regret tomorrow. Slight pepper, smooth citrus, almost too easy. As they say at Pantalones Tequila, it goes down so easy you may need another sip to make sure you catch it. And that’s the feedback of many, so let’s up the ante.
To the Reposado, aged in whisky barrels for a cozy nine months. Warm caramel, toasted oak, vanilla notes — it’s basically tequila that spent a long vacation in Scotland. And it is banging, folks. It sips so well, no nasty shudders on this glass, oh no. Everyone that has tasted the Reposado, really dig it.
Finally, the Añejo, aged long enough, in American oak whisky barrels, to make you feel like it knows things it shouldn’t about you. Buttery, brown sugar, smoky spice — dangerously good. This is killer, and easily competes with the best, and being organic no hangover headaches – bring it on. No harshness. No burn. Just that earthy agave heart that whispers, “Relax lah”, when in Singapore of course…
🌶️ ISLIFEARECIPE'S TWIST: PANTALONES TEQUILA COCKTAILS FOR THE TROPICS
Here are some ways to make your guests forget about their pants, names, worries, but surely remember your bar:
The Spicy Pants Margarita
The Islifearecipe crowd-pleaser, with a tropical jab.
Mix Blanco with calamansi instead of lime for that local bite. Rim with chilli-salt, not sugar — and thank me later.
Pineapple Pantalones Smash
Reposado, grilled pineapple juice, honey syrup, dash of smoked salt.
Pair with grilled squid or sisig. That’s a Singapore-Bohol love affair. Yes this will be on The Kapre Restaurant and Bar cocktail menu when we open.
The Añejo Old Fashioned
Añejo, demerara syrup, bitters, orange peel.
The thinking drinker’s tequila cocktail. Perfect for cigar nights and slow jazz.
Image created by GenAI, but it is a real Islifearecipe Cocktail made from Pantalones Tequila
ISLIFEARECIPE, EAST WEST & PANTALONES ARE JOINING TOGETHER
This partnership makes perfect sense: Is Life a Recipe is about living flavourfully, laughing loudly, and sharing great food and drink. East West are importers and master distributors of award-winning premium & ultra-premium Tequila and Mezcal, and are super-proud of their strong family, business, and cultural connections in Mexico.
Pantalones Tequila is a brother-from-another — it’s not just a tequila; it’s a vibe, it’s a movement, it’s a verb… They even state: “No. The world doesn’t need another celebrity Tequila. But goodness gracious the Tequila industry sure could use a shot of fun. And that’s exactly what Pantalones is: Really good, really clean fun.”
So we’re bringing the three together late in 2025 with restaurant collaborations, cocktail showcases, and chef-driven pairing menus across Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia-basically South East Asia. Watch this space, folks.
We’ve already been kicking off at events of late at:
- Our BFF’s Chimichangas, with an official launch, and most recently attending and sipping at Singapore’s first Agave Festival.
- We had our other BFF and master-mixologist Adrian Besa creating some Pantalones Tequila cocktail masterpieces at Jungle Ball Room when my partner-in-crime, Spencer, first got his hands on bottles of this beautiful liquid in Singapore.
- Yes, Pantalones Tequila delivered to Spencer for his safe keeping (are they mad…? Clearly they are, and that’s why we love ’em). The very first venue on our inaugural Pantalones Tequila tasting spree was with our mate Tanya at Siglap’s infamous Jags Gastrobar.
Islifearecipe are not distributors, we are the media agent for East West.
So, Pantalones Tequila is coming, folks, are you ready?
If you’re a restaurant owner, bar manager, or chef, we want to talk:
- Let’s co-create a unique Pantalones Tequila Cocktail for your menu.
- Let’s host an influencer tasting at your venue.
- Let’s film it and make you part of the story across South East Asia.
A Pantalones Tequila CALL TO ACTION (for Restaurants & Bars)
Want to become a Pantalones Partner Bar or Restaurant?
Email islifearecipe@gmail.com with your venue name, location, and a short “why you’d love to serve this tequila.”
We have the capacity to provide:
- Tequila samples and staff training.
- Recipe and marketing support.
- Feature coverage on Is Life a Recipe our socials – whihc are too many to mention.
- Priority access to future Pantalones collabs and events.
This Tequila is smooth, flavourful, and great for sipping, shooting or mixing up in your very own Fancy Pants Cocktails. Because let’s face it — your guests deserve a drink with personality, and Pantalones Tequila has that in buckets: although, please drink responsibly, and not from buckets…
Picture courtesy of Pantalones Tequila WebSite
Pantalones Tequila Review: My Final Thoughts
Most celebrity spirits scream “look at me, I’m pretentious.” This one winks, pours you a glass, and sits down for a chat. Pantalones Organic Tequila is smooth, sustainable, and fun — the kind of drink that belongs in your life, a beach bar, or your next unforgettable night out.
So raise your glass, take off your metaphorical pants, and say it with me:
“Alright, alright, alright. “To Matthew, to great tequila, and to anyone who’s ever danced with regret and lived to laugh about it. If you’re a bar or restaurant in Singapore, the Philippines, or Indonesia — hit us up. Let’s get Pantalones Tequila involved in your bar and slap some tequila fun back on your menu. Because life’s too short to wear pants… or drink bad tequila.” – ENJOY!!! SALUD!!! VIVA TEQUILA!!! VIVA MEXICO!!!