Recognised worldwide as Mexico’s national drink, tequila is synonymous with celebration, Mexican pride and romance. But what exactly is tequila, and why can’t we get enough of it?
Early history
Tequila was first produced in the 16th century near the location of the city of Tequila, which was not officially established until 1666. The Aztec people had previously made a fermented beverage from the agave plant, long before the Spanish arrived in 1521. When the Spanish conquistadors ran out of their own brandy, they began to distill agave to produce one of North America's first indigenous distilled spirits.
Some 80 years later, around 1600, Don Pedro Sánchez de Tagle, the Marquis of Altamira, began mass-producing tequila at the first factory in the territory of modern-day Jalisco. By 1608, the colonial governor of Nueva Galicia had begun to tax his products. Spain's King Carlos IV granted the Cuervo family the first license to commercially make tequila.
Don Cenobio Sauza, founder of Sauza Tequila and Municipal President of the Village of Tequila from 1884–1885, was the first to export tequila to the United States, and shortened the name from "Tequila Extract" to just "Tequila" for the American markets. Don Cenobio's grandson Don Francisco Javier gained international attention for insisting that "there cannot be tequila where there are no agaves!" His efforts led to the practice that real tequila can come only from the State of Jalisco.
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| Blue Agave. |
Tequila is the product made from the fermentation and distillation of cooked agave juices. In this case, the Agave tequilana Weber – a blue agave varietal that grows in arid and semi-arid regions of Mexico. As one of Mexico’s most recognisable Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), it can only be produced within the states of Jalisco, Guanajuato, Nayarit, Michoacan and Tamaulipas over nearly 120,000 acres. Each plant takes eight to ten years to mature to be harvested. Enter the jimador, who skillfully slashes all the leaves from the agave, leaving only the piña, or heart.
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| Jimador and agave's heart (piña). |
Recent history
Today’s production process is essentially the same as in the 15th century, with a few technological advances. The agaves were cut into two to four pieces and placed in an extensive stone-lined hole/oven in the ground, with wood at the bottom. The oven remained covered with dirt until the agaves were fully roasted, a process that could take 24 to 72 hours. Once cooked, the juices were extracted in a tahona: a circular track where a large round stone would turn several times over the agaves, pulled by a mule, crushing and separating the sweet juice and fibres, or must. The juices were then carried by buckets into fermenting tanks (often made of wood, clay or leather hide). The musts were agitated and left to ferment naturally (using wild yeasts) over the course of 12 to 8 days.
Once fermentation was completed, the liquid was placed in copper pots or alembic stills. The fermented liquid was boiled to separate water from the alcohol through evaporation, to be condensed in an iron cauldron with cold water. The alcohol was again distilled to reach the desired proof and to separate the heads and tail – undesirable byproducts of distillation. The alcohol obtained in the middle of the process was the desired quality, known as the tequila real.
Changes to production have been minimal. Instead of underground ovens, brick ovens or steel autoclaves are used. The use of mechanical crushers has also reduced time and increased juice extraction. Including non-agave sugars and controlled yeasts has accelerated fermentation. Stainless steel has replaced traditional wooden tanks, and steel stills for copper pot stills
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| Types, styles and varieties of Tequila. |
Types, Tequilas of various styles
The two basic categories of tequila are mixtos and 100% agave. Mixtos use no less than 51% agave, with other sugars making up the remainder. Mixtos use both glucose and fructose sugars.
Tequila is usually bottled in one of five categories:
Blanco [ˈblaŋko] ("white") or plata [ˈplata] ("silver"): white spirit, unaged and bottled or stored immediately after distillation, or aged less than two months in stainless steel or neutral oak barrels
Joven [ˈxoβen] ("young") or oro [ˈoɾo] ("gold"): unaged silver tequila that may be flavored with caramel coloring, oak extract, glycerin, or sugar-based syrup. Could also be the result of blending silver tequila with aged or extra-aged tequila.
Reposado [repoˈsaðo] ("rested"): aged a minimum of two months, but less than a year in oak barrels of any size
Añejo [aˈɲexo] ("aged" or "vintage"): aged a minimum of one year, but less than three years in small oak barrels
Extra Añejo ("extra aged" or "ultra aged"): aged a minimum of three years in oak barrels, this category was established in March 2006.
With 100% agave tequila, blanco or plata is harsher with the bold flavors of the distilled agave up front, while reposado and añejo are smoother, subtler, and more complex. As with other spirits aged in casks, tequila takes on the flavors of the wood, while the harshness of the alcohol mellows. The major flavor distinction with 100% agave tequila is the base ingredient, which is more vegetal than grain spirits (and often more complex).
Tequila glasses
When served neat (without any additional ingredients), tequila is most often served in a narrow shot glass called a caballito (little horse, in Spanish), but can often be found in anything from a snifter to a tumbler.
The Consejo Regulador del Tequila approved an "official tequila glass" in 2002 called the Ouverture Tequila glass, made by Riedel.
The margarita glass, frequently rimmed with salt or sugar, is a staple for the entire genre of tequila-based mixed drinks, including the margarita.
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| Cocktails made with Tequila. |
Cocktails
A variety of cocktails are made with tequila, including the margarita, a cocktail that helped make tequila popular in the United States. The traditional margarita uses tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice, though many variations exist. A popular cocktail in Mexico is the Paloma. Also, a number of martini variants involve tequila, and a large number of tequila drinks are made by adding fruit juice. These include the Tequila Sunrise and the Matador. Sodas and other carbonated drinks are a common mixer, as in the Tequila Slammer.
And finally a video of how tequila is produced From Condé Nast Traveler and Tres Agaves Tequila Factory in Jalisco.
