Tequila
is North America’s first distilled spirit.
The name comes from a Mexican town of the same name in the
state of Jalisco. It’s made from the hearts of the agave
plant and by law, to be called and labeled Tequila, 51 percent
of it must be made from the blue agave plant grown near the
town of Tequila.
Legend
says that the Aztec ruler, Montezuma, welcomed the
Spanish explorer Cortez with a wine made from the agave plant.
Poor man. The ungrateful Cortez became his conqueror, took
the agave wine, and distilled it to make Tequila. This all
took place around the early 1500s and by the 1600s it was
being mass-produced.
In
the 1500‘s the Spanish conquered the Aztecs
and founded the town named Tequila. At the time there was only
a honey wine-type of alcohol being drunk, but the Spanish broke
out their copper stills and tequila was born. In the 1700’s
the King of Spain granted land to Jose Antonio de Cuervo to cultivate
the agave plant. Then for a short while liquor was outlawed in
Mexico, but a new Spanish King lifted the prohibition and granted
the second generation of the Cuervo family the first license to
produce tequila for a commercial market. Tequila became an icon
of Mexican nationality, pride and culture, and recognized worldwide
ever since.
There
are over two hundred types of agave plants,
but the best is the weber blue agave plant. An agave plant
takes almost ten (sometimes 12) years to mature. When it matures
a flower stalk grows straight up through the plant. If allowed
to grow it will bloom yellow flowers, but if the agave farmer
chops off the stalk, the plant will swell inside, creating
a large bulb that will fill with a sweet, juicy pulp. This
forms into the piña, which is the part of the agave
plant that is used to make Tequila. The piña (means
“pineapple” because it looks kind of like a pineapple)
can weigh as much as one hundred pounds. The piñas
are cut, baked, and then crushed to extract the sweet agave
juice used to make Tequila.
When
the word "Tequila" is on a bottle then
you know that at least 51% of that spirit was made from the blue
agave (it's Mexican law). Today, premium Tequila will have 100%
agave or 100% blue agave on their labels to show you that the
entire bottle is made with the blue agave plant (the best plant).
If the bottle does not have the 100% agave on the bottle then
at least 51% is blue agave and the other 49% is any 'ole agave.
This is called a mixto (mix).
So
what's up with the worm?The
worm is only found in Mescal Tequila. Mescal is a mixto. And
the worm...well, it's really not even a worm. It's a butterfly
larve/caterpillar and is only used in a few varieties of Mescal
(it's also suppose to be an aphrodisiac). It's also a big
marketing ploy.
On
January 17, 2006, Mexico and the United States signed the Tequila
Trade Agreement, which stated that Tequila can be imported in
bulk then bottled in the U.S. In March of 2006 the Norma Official
Mexicana created a new ultra-age category for Tequila called Maduro.
This Tequila is aged a minimum of three years in oak barrels from
France and Canada and produces a superior and smooth spirit that
is often called the Cognac of Tequila.
The Types (classifications) of Tequila
Blanco
(BLAWN-ko)
(white) Tequila is not aged. It's clear and the marketing term
for it is silver. It's one of the two Tequilas that are great
for making Margaritas because of the bite it has to mix with the
sweet and sour of the other ingredients.
Reposado (ree-poh-SAH-doh)
(rested) It’s blanco Tequila aged in charred oak casks between
2 months to 12 months. This gives it a golden color and makes
it taste mellower. This is excellent Tequila for Margaritas because
it gives the drink a bite to balance the tartness and sweetness
of the limejuice and orange liqueur.
Joven (HO-ven) (young)
It is unaged blanco Tequila blended with artificial color (and
sometimes sugar) to make it look gold/aged. The public thinks
it is an aged Tequila, but it is not. This is a good Tequila for
Margaritas too, but it’s best to use the ones that say 100%
agave on the bottle. Jose Cuervo is the best example of this Tequila.
Añejo (on-YAY-ho)
(old) This is the smoothest Tequila available. It’s like
the Cognac of tequilas. It’s aged for more than a year but
not more than three in barrels of 350 liters or smaller. It’s
meant for sipping. Not shooting or making Margaritas with, but
sipping.
Maduro (vintage) Blanco that has
been aged minimum of three years in oak. Basicallt, these are
very high-end Tequilas that are very expensive. Some even age
in casks that had previously been used for French wine and brandies.
Herradura
has a "Tequila
Express" tour that begins with a train ride
through fields if agave and ends with a tour of their distillery
and the Tequila making process. There is a short clip of it below.
