Know your Tequila: A Simple Guide to Mexican Booze
Tara A. Spears
Nothing is as synonymous with Mexico as tequila. When I first moved to Mexico, I was amazed at how many people I met said, ‘welcome, please share a glass of tequila with me.’ Perfect strangers inviting me into their homes and tossing back a glass. Before this, I did not know that tequila was sipped or that good tequila didn’t have a worm in the bottle. From the first week, my journey to learning about tequila has been interwoven with embracing the Mexican culture.
According to the Mexican government website, Tequila is a mestizo drink of the sixteenth century resulting from the blending the Mexican and the Spanish cultures. Tequila is made exclusively from the “agave tequilana weber blue variety”. It is a lengthy process to grow and distill the drink: It takes approximately eight years for the blue agave to mature. First all the leaves are removed, until only the pineapple (heart) remains; the hearts are cooked to extract the juices, and once fermented the juice is subjected to distillation.
The distillation process is carried out twice, in order to achieve a higher alcohol content. The first distillation is known as “destruction” and reaches a volume of alcohol of about 20%, in about a couple of hours, while in the second, also called “rectification”, it is achieved between three and four hours, a level close to 55% Alc. Vol. The top of the line tequila can have 80-100% Alc.Vol. Tequila is the most emblematic alcoholic beverage in Mexico and proudly reflects the culture and identity of the Mexican people.
It’s significant to know that Tequila is only produced inside the Mexican state of Jalisco and in some municipalities in Guanajuato, Michoacan, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. Any agave-based distilled spirit outside those regions is called “mezcal.” The subtypes of mezcal you might see are Bacanora, Sotol and Raicilla. In other words, all tequilas are mezcals, but not all mezcals are tequila. (Just like all bourbons are whiskeys but not all whiskeys are bourbons.)
It should be noted that all Tequilas are agave spirits, but like Champagne or Port there is a protection of the Appellation of Origin in order to call it “Tequila”,
The production of tequila in Mexico is one of the most important economic activities that exists in Mexico. The economic impact of tequila is huge with more than 17 thousand agave farmers, since it constitutes a source of income for about 70 thousand families, which generates an economic inflow of three hundred million pesos a year! The tequila council states that 70 percent of its total tequila production is designated for international export. Tequila is now sold in 120 countries!
When purchasing tequila you’ll notice a large variance in price. The price is a direct correlation to the quality: the better the quality, the higher the price. The strictly regulated label indicates the type of tequila by how much actual agave is used in its preparation. Tequila is classified into the following categories: Tequila 100% agave and Tequila.
The designation on the label of 100% Agave means that it is made only with “agave tequilana weber blue variety. A label ‘tequila’ tells that the beverage is made from a mixture with other sugars not exceeding 49%. Both categories, in turn, are subdivided into five classes, according to the characteristics acquired in processes after distillation. The different classes are generally consumed in various ways.
Teqyuka Blanco/White or silver. It is transparent, not necessarily colorless, obtained from distillation by adding dilution water, to adjust the required commercial graduation.
Tequila Joven/Young or golden. Result of the mixture of the white with the reposados, añejos or extra añejos.
Tequila Reposado/rested. Subjected to additional processing called abocado (procedure to soften its flavor), subjected to maturation process, at least two months in direct contact with the wood of oak or oak containers. Dilution water is added to adjust the alcohol content to the commercially permitted level.
Tequila anejo/ Aged. Susceptible to be abocado, subjected to maturation process, at least one year in direct contact with the wood of oak or oak containers, with a maximum capacity of 600 liters. Dilution water is added to adjust the alcohol content to the commercially permitted level.
Tequila Extra anejo/golden aged. This premium tequila is subjected to maturation process of at least three years in direct contact with the wood of oak or oak containers, with a maximum capacity of 600 liters. Dilution water is added to adjust the alcohol content to the commercially permitted level.
Lastly, the bottle MUST list the Appellation of Origin. (town of production.) If not grown and distilled in one the designated Mexican sites, it must be labeled agave.
The Aztecs never imagined the wealth and popularity of the drink made from the center of agave plants would generate. Tequila is a drink is characterized internationally by its unique flavor. Tequila has delighted the most demanding palates of millions of people for centuries. Be sure to plan a day trip to the town of Tequila and take a couple of tours – it’s a remarkable experience. You’ll get to sample a variety of styles and can purchase exceptionally fine tequila. It may be back to school time for kids, but adults can enjoy learning, too. Viva tequila!
