What is Tequila?
Tequila is a Mexican liquor that tastes like a burning river. It is derived from a plant that has defined the Mexican landscape: the blue agave. Tequila inherited its name from the Jalisco valley where this beverage has been produced for centuries. It is also the name of a mountain and the town which is home to several distilleries that produce this robust liquor.
The name is Náhuatl in origin, deriving from tequitl, which means work or trade, and tlan, which means place. So even its name evokes its laborious production process and the place where it is carried out. It also alludes to the specific task of cutting the plants, as the word tequio means fieldwork. Tequila, like Mexico itself, was born mestizo: from the American agave, which had already been used to make alcoholic beverages, and from European stills, themselves of Arabic origin. For many years it was known as „mezcal wine“ or „mezcal tequila“, since mezcal or mexcal is another Náhuatl term for agave.

What is the different between Tequila and Mezcal?
In some regions of Mexico, liquor is obtained by distilling the fermented juices of different types of agave. These spirits are generically known as mezcal, though some also have specific names such as limeño, raicilla, pata de mula, bovicornuta and cupreata. Tequila is a product oft he fermentation and distillation of Agave tequilana Weber, blue variety.
A mezcal is generally considered to be a finished product after a single distillation, whereas tequila requires at least two distillations and careful filtration to remove any impurities and to give it a smoother flavor. This process results in a clear, pure beverage, unlike mezcal which usually has a deeper color and more aggressive taste. Mezcal often has a smoky flavor resulting from the practice of roasting the agave hearts in a pit oven. Indeed, it is often considered to be a desirable feature in a mezcal.

What is blue agave?
Tequila is obtained from the distillation of Agave tequilana Weber, blue variety, whose fibrous spiky leaves are blue-green in color. It is one of 273 identified species of the Agavaceae family.
Agave tequilana Weber, blue variety, grows at 1500 meters above sea level, in a clayey, permeable, preferably volcanic soil with a high content of basaltic elements and iron. This plant thrives in a semiarid climate, meaning that there should be no more than 100 cloudy days a year-though ideally, this number should not exceed 65-with an average temperature of 20 degrees Celsius.
It takes seven to twelve years for a Weber’s blue agave to mature. It flowers only once in its life, with a stalk that can grow up to ten meters high. Reproduction is by means of basal offshoots.
The plant got its name from the German naturalist Franz Weber, who arrived in Mexico around 1896. He devoted himself to the study of the flora of western Mexico, and spent a full six years investigating the best agave species for the production of tequila. In 1902, he settled on Agave tequilana Weber, blue variety, which now bears his name.

Where and when were the first distilleries founded?
There is no existing documentation regarding the first tequila distilleries. But in 1538, the governor of Nueva Galicia-a territory that included present –day Jalisco-created a law to control production of what was known as vino mezcal. Also in the six-teenth century, Pedro Sánchez de Tagle, the marquis of Altamira, began growing agave in the Tequila Valley and opened a distillery on the Hacienda de Cuisillos. In 1578, the Cuervo y Montaño family opened a distillery on the Hacienda de Arriba. In 1785, Viceroy Matias de Gálvez was able to persuade the king of Spain to ban the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages, but this policy only lasted a decade. After the order was lifted in 1795, José Maria Guadalupe Cuervo founded a distillery at La Cofradia de las Animas, which would later be renamed Taberna de Cuervo-the predecessor of the present-day firm of Casa Cuervo. Tequila Sauza was founded in 1873 and Tequila Herradura in 1870.

When did the exportation of tequila begin?
The distilleries of Jalisco began exporting their products to major cities and mining regions of Mexico in the sixteenth century. They were transported over land to town fairs and ports, in particular that of San Blas which was founded in 1768. In 1792, José Longinos Martinez wrote about his trip from Mexico City to San Blas in his travel journal. He mentions that the landscape from Amatitán to Tequila was covered in agaves, and that the region exported thousands of barrels of vino mezcal every year.

By around 1870, tequila was being shipped to the United States by horse-drawn cart, until the railroad began to accelerate the expansion of tequila consumption. The modernization and industrialization of tequila production also contributed to its increased exportation. Tequila is currently one of Mexico’s main exports.

How is tequila made?

1. Planting
Tequila’s production process begins when the basal offshoots of Agave tequilana Weber, blue variety, are planted. It takes from seven to twelve years for the agave to mature and for its sugars to settle. A mature agave heart can weigh anywhere from 36 to 136 kilograms.

2. Harvesting
Once the agave plants are mature, the harvesting process begins, traditionally known as la jima. The plant’s leaves are cut off at the base, leaving only the agave core or heart, also known as the piña because of its resemblance to a large pineapple.
These hearts are transported to the factory where they are cut in half to continue the process. Ten kilos of agave hearts yield one liter of 100% pure agave tequila.

3. Baking
The next step is to bake the agave hearts in an oven. This process converts the complex carbohydrates into simple sugars and softens the plant fibers to facilitate the extraction of sugars for fermentation. Baking was traditionally done in brick or stone ovens that worked by means of vapor injection, in a process that lasted between fifty and seventy-two hours. Nowadays, it is done in steel tanks with a capacity for several tons, known as autoclaves. As they are hermetically sealed, they reduce cooking time to between eight and fourteen hours.

4. Pressing
Once cooked, the agave hearts are cut into small pieces which are pressed to extract the agave juice, called mosto fresco, or “ fresh must“. In the past, extraction was carried out using a circular grindstone called a tahona. Today, it is done in several stages, in which the agave is ground more and more finely until it produces the must, with the help of water injection.
The extracted juices drain into vats and then pass through pipes into formulation tanks ( where blended tequila is made) or fermentation tanks ( for the production of 100% agave tequila), as the case may be.

5. Fermentation
In the past, fermentation took place in large wooden containers. Today it is done in stainless steel vats where water, yeast and nutrients are added to the agave juices.
Active must in the process of fermentation is bubbly. Its effervescence ceases when the yeasts have finished turning the sugars into alcohol and other products. At that moment, the must is said to be inactive.
Once the normal fermentation process has concluded and the must has achieved an alcohol content of five to seven percent, it is allowed to sit for several hours before it is piped into the alembics or stills.

6. Distillation
Distillation is the process by which the application of heat and pressure separates the fermented juices into alcoholic products (tequila) and other components (dregs) which are discared. Distillation is normally done in copper or stainless steel alembics, or sometimes in continuous distillation columns. Two distillations are necessary in the elaboration of tequila, the first called destructive distillation and the second, rectification distillation. The tequila produced by the first distillation is called ordinario and has about twenty percent alcohol per volume. With rectification, the alcohol content is increased and undesired components are eliminated, producing blanco or „white“ tequila, which is purer and more transparent than ordinario tequila, and has an alcohol content of about fifty-five percent.

7. Aging
To carry out the aging process, blanco tequila is poured into wooden barrels or vats where it remains for a period of time that varies according to the desired type of tequila. For reposado and añejo tequila, the barrels should hold no more than 600 litres.
Tequila is generally aged in either French or American white oak barrels, which give the liquor its distinctive golden color. They may be new or they may have been used for other kinds of spirits. They may also be treated by charring or „toasting“ the inside, which will give the tequila a different flavor.

8. Bottling
To guarantee the quality of tequila, the 1994 Official Mexican Standard ( Norma Oficial Mexicana, or NOM) established that a 100% pure agave tequila must be bottled at the manufacturer’s plant, which must be located within the protected designation of origin area. The label must also bear the phrase „envasado de origen“ ( bottled on site).

What is the best way to drink tequila?
Tequila is traditionally drunk out of a small, cylindrical glass with a wider mouth than base, known as a cabalito. Its origins are unclear, but it appears to be a direct descendent of the hollowed-out bulls’horns used in tequila factories in the past to taste the liquor right out of the still. The caballito is a simplified glass version of a horn with a sawed-off tip that allowed it to be set on a bar or table.
More recently, the Swiss glassware manufacturer Riedel brought together a group of tequila distillers to develop a glass that would allow the tequilato to be savored without losing any of its robust flavor or aromatic qualities. These meetings resulted in the so –called Riedel glass, which enhances the subtle notes of this fine spirit.

What kinds of tequila are there?
There a several kinds of tequila: blanco, joven, reposado, añejo and extra-añejo. Blanco tequila is crystal-clear. It is obtained from the second distillation. Many connoisseurs prefer it for its pure flavor. Joven tequila contains artificial color and burnt sugar, which gives it a smoother flavor. Reposado tequila is produced from blanco tequila which has been aged in barrels for no less than two months. It has a woody color and a slightly smoother flavor than blanco, and is the most popular kind of tequila. Añejo tequila is aged at least one year in wooden barrels. It is widely recommended as the best tequila for first-time drinkers. Extra-añejo tequila is aged in barrels for three to five years, resulting in a woody flavor which predominates over that of the agave.

What does 100% agave mean?
Pure tequila is made only from the juices derived from Agave tequilana Weber, blue variety, and its label bears the legend „100% agave“. If a tequila label does not bear the 100% agave legend, it is a blended tequila, meaning that the agave juices have been combined with sugars from other sources.
For many years, Mexican regulations allowed tequilas to contain a minimum of 51% agave and a maximum of 49% other sugars. But the regulations were modified some time ago, and now, in order to be considered tequila, a distillate must contain a minimum of 60% agave.

What cocktails are prepared with tequila?
Margaritas are served in a cocktail glass whose rim has been rubbed with lime and then dipped in salt. The recipe varies, but usually consists of tequila, lime juice, Cointreau and crushed ice. The popularity of this drink boosted tequila sales around the world, especially in the United States. A number of bars and individuals have tried to take credit for its invention. One of the best known of these stories is that of Texas-born Margaret Sames, who apparently offered it to guests at her Acapulco home. Another story states that Carlos „Danny“ Herrera of Tijuana created it in honor of Marjorie (Margarita) King-an up-and-coming actress who refused to drink anything else besides tequila... and Cointreau. There are some bottled margarita mixes, but the best ones are always prepared fresh.
This is not the only cocktail to be prepared with tequila, however. There is also the Charro Negro, a mix of tequila and cola; the traditional Paloma, with tequila, lime juice and grapefruit-flavored soda; and the famous Tequila Sunrise, made from tequila, orange juice and grenadine.