Tequila

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Fields that form part of the UNESCO World Heritage SiteAgave Landscape and Ancient

Industrial Facilities of Tequila

From left to right, examples of plata, reposado and añejo tequila

Tequila (Spanish pronunciation is a regional distilled beverage and type of alcoholic drink made

from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, 65 km (40 mi)

northwest of Guadalajara, and in the highlands (Los Altos) of the central western Mexican state

of Jalisco. Aside from differences in region of origin, tequila is a type of mezcal (and the regions

of production of the two drinks are overlapping). The distinction in the method of production is

that tequila must use only blue agave plants rather than any type of agave. Tequila is commonly

served neat in Mexico and as a shot with salt and lime across the rest of the world.

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The red volcanic soil in the region around the city of Tequila is particularly well suited to the

growing of the blue agave, and more than 300 million of the plants are harvested there each

year.Agave grows differently depending on the region. Blue agaves grown in the highlands Los

Altos region are larger in size and sweeter in aroma and taste. Agaves harvested in the lowlands,

on the other hand, have a more herbaceous fragrance and flavor.

Mexican laws state that tequila can only be produced in the state of Jalisco and limited

municipalities in the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. Tequila is

recognized as a Mexican designation of origin product in more than 40 countries. It is protected

through NAFTA in Canada and the United States, through bilateral agreements with individual

countries such as Japan and Israel, and has been a protected designation of origin product in the

constituent countries of the European Union since 1997.

Tequila contains alcohol (also known formally as ethanol) and is most often made at a 38%

alcohol content (76 U.S. proof) for domestic consumption, but can be produced between 31 and

55% alcohol content (62 and 110 U.S. proof). Per U.S law, tequila must contain at least 40%

alcohol (80 U.S. proof) to be sold in the United States.

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History

Early history

A distillery oven loaded with agave piñas or "pineapples", the first step in the production of

tequila post harvest.

Tequila was first produced in the 16th century near the location of the city of Tequila, which was

not officially established until 1666. A fermented beverage from the agave plant known as

pulque was consumed in pre-Columbian central Mexico before European contact. 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 CenobioSauza, 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. [citation needed]
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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Recent history

A tahona, large stone wheel, at the Hacienda Doña Engracia that was used to crush the piña.

Large, modern distilleries commonly complete this process mechanically.

Although some tequilas have remained as family-owned brands, most well-known tequila brands

are owned by large multinational corporations. However, over 100 distilleries make over 900

brands of tequila in Mexico and over 2,000 brand names have been registered (2009 statistics).

Due to this, each bottle of tequila contains a serial number (NOM) depicting in which distillery

the tequila was produced. Because only so many distilleries are used, multiple brands of tequila

come from the same location.

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Production of tequila and agave in 2008: Dark green for tequila and light green for agave

In 2003, Mexico issued a proposal that would require all Mexican-made tequila be bottled in

Mexico before being exported to other countries. The Mexican government said that bottling

tequila in Mexico would guarantee its quality. Liquor companies in the United States said

Mexico just wanted to create bottling jobs in their own country, and also claimed this rule would

violate international trade agreements and was in discord with usual exporting practices

worldwide. The proposal might have resulted in the loss of jobs at plants in California, Arkansas,

Missouri, and Kentucky, because Mexican tequila exported in bulk to the United States is bottled

in those plants. On January 17, 2006, the United States and Mexico signed an agreement

allowing the continued bulk import of tequila into the United States. The agreement also created

a "tequila bottlers registry" to identify approved bottlers of tequila and created an agency to

monitor the registry.

The Tequila Regulatory Council of Mexico originally did not permit flavored tequila to carry the

tequila name. In 2004, the Council decided to allow flavored tequila to be called tequila, with the

exception of 100% agave tequila, which still cannot be flavored.

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A new Norma Oficial Mexicana (NOM) for tequila (NOM-006-SCFI-2005) was issued in 2006,

and among other changes, introduced a class of tequila called extra añejo or "ultra-aged" which

must be aged a minimum of three years.

A one-liter bottle of limited-edition premium tequila was sold for $225,000 in July 2006 in

Tequila, Jalisco, by the company Tequila Ley .925. The bottle which contained the tequila was a

two-kilo display of platinum and gold. The manufacturer received a certificate from The

Guinness World Records for the most expensive bottle of tequila spirit ever sold.

In June 2013, the ban on importation of premium (100% blue agave) tequila into China was

lifted following a state visit to Mexico by President Xi Jinping. The entry of premium tequila

into the country is expected to increase tequila exports by 20 percent within a decade (exports

totaled 170 million liters in 2013). Ramon Gonzalez, director of the ConsejoRegulador del

Tequila, estimates that each of the top 16 producers of tequila had invested up to $3 million to

enter the Chinese market. On 30 August 2013, the first 70,380 bottles of premium tequila from

ten brands arrived in Shanghai. The arrival happened during an event held at the House of

Roosevelt, a well-known club located on The Bund– an area with a long tradition of importing

alcoholic beverages in China.

The latest version of the tequila standard (NOM-006-SCFI-2012) also updated the standard to

specify that the silver class of tequila cannot contain additives, to allow the aging time for the

ultra aged class to be displayed on the label, to prohibit the commercialization of bulk tequila

through vending machines and required registering the agave during the calendar year of its

plantation and required annual updates.

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Production

A jimador or a worker who harvests the agaves and cuts off the sharp leaves

Planting, tending, and harvesting the agave plant remains a manual effort, largely unchanged by

modern farm machinery and relying on centuries-old know-how. The men who harvest it, the

jimadores[ximaˈðoɾes], have intimate knowledge of how the plants should be cultivated, passed

down fr om generation to generation.

By regularly trimming any quiotes[ˈkjotes] (a several-meter high stalk that grows from the center

of the plant), the jimadores prevent the agave from flowering and dying early, allowing it to fully

ripen. The jimadores must be able to tell when each plant is ready to be harvested, and using a

special knife called a coa (with a circular blade on a long pole), carefully cut away the leaves

from the piña (the succulent core of the plant). If harvested too late or too early, the piñas, which

can average around 70 kg (150 lb) in the lowlands to 110 kg (240 lb) in the highlands, will not

have the right amount of carbohydrates for fermentation.

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After harvesting, the piñas[ˈpiɲas] are transported to ovens where they are slowly baked to break

down their complex fructans into simple fructoses. Then, the baked piñas are either shredded or

mashed under a large stone wheel called a tahona[taˈona]. The pulp fiber, or bagazo[baˈɣaso],

left behind is often reused as compost or animal feed, but can even be burnt as fuel or processed

into paper. Some producers like to add a small amount of bagazo back into their fermentation

tanks for a stronger agave flavor in the final product.

The extracted agave juice is then poured into either large wooden or stainless steel vats for

several days to ferment, resulting in a wort, or mosto[ˈmosto], with low alcohol content. This

wort is then distilled once to produce what is called "ordinario[oɾðiˈnaɾjo], and then a second

time to produce clear "silver" tequila. Using at least two distillations is required by law. A few

producers such as Casa Noble (for their "Crystal" expression) and Corzo (for their añejo

expression) have experimented with distilling the product a third time, but this has not caught on

as a trend, and some have said it removes too much of the agave flavor from the tequila. From

there, the tequila is either bottled as silver tequila, or it is pumped into wooden barrels to age,

where it develops a mellower flavor and amber color.

The differences in taste between tequila made from lowland and highland agave plants can be

noticeable. Plants grown in the highlands often yield sweeter and fruitier-tasting tequila, while

lowland agaves give the tequila an earthier flavor.

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Fermentation

Unlike other tequila production steps, fermentation is one of the few steps out of the control of

human beings. Fermentation is the conversion of sugars and carbohydrates to alcohol through

yeast in anerobic conditions, meaning that oxygen is not present during the process.

Fermentation is also carried out in a non-aseptic environment which increases the bacterial

activity of tequila. The participation of microorganisms from the environment (yeasts and

bacteria) makes fermentation a spontaneous process which gives rise to many byproducts that

contribute to the flavor and aroma of tequila.

During the fermentation process, inoculum is added to the batch to speed the rate of

fermentation. When inoculum is added, fermentation can take approximately 20 hours to 3 days.

If inoculum is not added, fermentation could take up to 7 days. The rate of fermentation is a key

factor in the quality and flavor of tequila produced. Worts fermented slowly are best because the

amount of organoleptic compounds produced are greater. The alcohol content at the end of

fermentation lies between 4-9%.

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Organoleptic compounds

Tequila Fermentation Vessel in City of Tequila Museum

Organoleptic compounds enhance flavor and aroma. These include fusel oil, methanol,

aldehydes, organic acids and esters. Production of isoamyl and isobutyl alcohols begins after the

sugar level is lowered substantially and continues for several hours after the alcoholic

fermentation ends. In contrast, ethanol production begins in the first hours of the fermentation

and ends with logarithmic yeast growth. The alcohol content in tequila is affected by three

factors. First the amount of isoamyl alcohol and isobutanol is the yeast strain. Second, the

carbon:nitrogen ratio. The higher the ratio, the more alcohol produced. And third, the

temperature of fermentation.

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The higher the temperature, the greater concentration of isobutyl and isoamyl alcohols

produced.Although if temperatures are too high, this can cause the yeast to become less

effective. Similarly, if the temperature is too low, the process occurs too slowly. This can

become a large issue in Central Mexico, most precisely the city of Tequila, Jalisco, where most

tequila is processed. The average annual temperatures in the city of Tequila can reach 31C. For

this reason, tequila producers often use large stainless steel tanks for fermentation.

Yeast

Organoleptic compounds are dependent on yeast. The role of yeast is to, through many

enzymatic processes, turn sugars and carbohydrates into alcohol. There are two steps, first in

aerobic conditions, yeast is doubled in colony size every four hours. This process goes on for 24–

48 hours. Next, yeast turns acetaldehyde into ethyl alcohol which is known as one of the

organoleptic compounds produced in fermentation.

The two main categories of yeast used in tequila are commercial brewers yeast and yeast that

comes from precultivated existing yeast that has been preserved. The use of either type of yeast

can result in different end products of tequila.

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Chemistry Alcohol content

Saccharomyces cerevisiae, under a microscope

Tequila is a distilled beverage that is made from the fermentation of the sugars found from the

blue agave plant once it has been cooked, the main sugar being fructose. Through the

fermentation process, many factors influence the higher alcohol content of tequila, which are

molecules such as isobutyl alcohol and isoamyl alcohol, and ethanol. These parameters include

the type of yeast strain, the age of the agave plant itself, temperature, and the carbon/nitrogen

ratio. However, the type of yeast strain used and the carbon/nitrogen factors have the biggest

influence on the production of higher alcohols, this is not surprising as higher alcohol and

ethanol production is an intrinsic property of the metabolism of each strain. The type of yeast

most commonly found in tequila is Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which contains many strains. For

example, CF1 agaves, a type of yeast, produces much more ethanol than a strain of CF2, as the

yeast's metabolism mechanisms differ from one another. This factor may be influenced from

different agricultural practices that occur to cultivate the different yeasts strains. It was found

that the higher the carbon/ nitrogen ratio, the higher the production of higher alcohols such as

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isobutyl alcohol and isoamyl alcohol. A high ratio imparts that there is less nitrogen in the

fermentation process, which results in deamination reactions of amino acids, leading to the

synthesis of higher alcohols. The Ehrlich pathway is the name for this process, where a-ceto

acids are decarboxylated and transformed to aldehydes and to higher alcohols. The temperature

of the fermentation process also greatly effects the alcohol content of the resulting product. For

example, a study conducted by Pinal et al. found that cultivating two strains at a temperature of

35 degrees as compared to a temperature of 30 degrees produced more isoamyl alcohol. The

higher temperature suggests that this is a much more optimal condition for the yeast to ferment

the distilled beverage. Lastly the age of the agave plant itself, the older the plant the greater the

alcohol production. It was shown in a study that the concentration of amyl alcohol increased as

the plant aged by a factor 30%. However, it is also found that there is a higher concentration of

methanol found when using younger plants. This may be due to differences in agricultural

practices that occur when taking care of plants of different ages.

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Colour

A variety of tequila colors

Tequila comes in an abundant array of colors that ranges from a simple clear distilled beverage

to a dark amber brown. The color of the tequila varies greatly on the aging process and the type

of wood used for storage The white version of tequila, known as silver tequila or blanco, is the

product obtained without or very little additional aging process. As well, the spirit must contain

between 38-55% alcohol content, which is fermented from a wort, which contains no less than

51% sugars from the agave plant. Consuming silver tequila provides for the purest form as little

aging has occurred. What is known as gold, joven or oro tequila is usually silver tequila with the

addition of grain alcohols and caramel color, however, some higher end gold tequilas may be a

blend of silver and reposado. Rested (reposado) or aged tequila (añejo) are aged in wooden

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containers. The aging process can last between two months and three years and can create or

enhance flavors and aromas. The aging process generally imparts a golden color.

Flavor and aroma

There are more than 300 known compounds in tequila, many of which are produced during the

fermentation process, the raw material used, and to a lesser degree, during the maturation. The

components that make up tequila do not act individually to give tequila its distinctive flavor and

aroma, but rather, depends on the interaction and quantity of each volatile compound. The

volatile compounds responsible for the flavor and aroma profiles of the tequila are put into a

category called organoleptic compounds and are known to increase in concentration with a

slower fermentation process. The organoleptic compounds produced during fermentation include

higher order alcohols, methanol, esters, carbonyls, terpenes, and furans.

Higher order alcohols have a strong aroma, and the quantity present in each tequila depends on

the carbon:nitrogen ratio and temperature during the cooking and fermentation processes. Some

of the most common alcohols present other than ethanol are: isoamyl alcohol, isobutanol, and 1-

propanol. Methanol is thought to be mainly generated through hydrolysis of methylated pectin

which is naturally present in the agave plant, but there has been speculations that it is also partly

produced from the enzymatic reactions of yeast strains containing pectin methyl esterase enzyme

which break up the methoxyl group from the pectin. Nearly 50 different esters identified in

tequila which together give rise to the fruit like flavors and smell. One of the most abundant

esters is ethyl acetate which is synthesized during fermentation by the yeast Saccharomyces

cerevisiae, using alcohol transferase enzyme which links acetic acid to ethanol.

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In general, the longer the controlled fermentation period, the higher yield of esters produced.

During the fermentation process, ethanol is oxidized and one of the main compounds produced

are acetaldehydes, which adds the flavor necessary for the final product of tequila. For example,

isovalderaldehyde seems to produce a sweet, cocoa, and chocolate-like flavor. 2 and 3-

methylbutanal produce a malty flavor. The agave plant contains many terpenes such as vanillin

and syringaldehydes which presents a strong and fruity or herbal aroma. It also contains eugenol

which can deliver a hint of spicy flavor to the tequila. Since the production of tequila involves

heating, Maillard browning reactions occur, and furans are produced during the thermal

degradation of sugar. The most prominent furanic compounds include 2-furaldehyde and 5-

methylfuraldehyde, which can contribute to the smoky flavor of tequila. Guaiacol also seems to

contribute to Tequila's smoky flavor. Beta-demascenone contributes to the woody, floral taste of

tequila.

Volatile compounds that contribute to the overall taste and aroma of tequila can be quantitatively

assessed and evaluated by gas chromatography. Discrimination tests such as duo-trio and triangle

tests are also used to evaluate the quality of the tequila.

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Aging Process

Barrel room for aged tequila

If silver or white tequila is the desired final product, distillation is the final process it undergoes.

Rested (Reposado) or aged (Añejo) tequila must be matured in 200-liter (or larger) white oak

barrels for at least 2 months for the former, and 12 months for the latter. There are, however,

more than 50 different companies producing tequila in the Mexican province of Jalisco, with

different maturation times according to the variety of tequila and desired quality of the final

product.

All companies producing tequila have their aging processes regulated and fiscalized by the

Mexican government.

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Chemistry

The maturation process causes four main chemical transformations to the tequila compounds:

(1) decreasing of fusel oils by the char in barrels, which acts as an adsorbing agent.

(2) extraction of complex wood constituents by tequila, yielding specific aroma and flavor to the

final product.

(3) reactions among the components of tequila, creating new chemical compounds and

(4) oxidation of the original contents of tequila and of those extracted from wood. The final

result of these changes are increased concentrations of acids, esters and aldehydes and a decrease

in fusel oil concentration.

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Tequila being rested or aged in oak barrels

Reposado may be rested in oak barrels or casks as large as 20,000 liters (5,280 gallons), allowing

for richer and more complex flavors. The preferred oak comes from the US, France, or Canada,

and is usually white oak. Some companies char the wood to impart a smoky flavor, or use barrels

previously used with different kinds of alcohol (e.g. whiskey or wine). Some reposados can also

be aged in new wood barrels to achieve the same woody flavor and smoothness, but in less time

Añejos are often rested in barrels previously used to rest reposados. The barrels cannot be more

than 600 liters (158 gallons), and most are in the 200-liter (52-gallon) range. Many of the barrels

used are from whiskey distilleries in the US or Canada, and Jack Daniels barrels are especially

popular. This treatment creates many of the aspects of the dark color and more complex flavors

of the añejo tequila. After aging of at least one year, the añejo can be removed from the wood

barrels and placed in stainless steel tanks to reduce the amount of evaporation that can occur in

the barrels.

Threats to quality

TMA (tristeza y muerte de agave — "agave depression and death") is a blight that has reduced

the production of the agave grown to produce tequila. This has resulted in lower production and

higher prices throughout the early 21st century, and due to the long maturation of the plant, will

likely continue to affect prices for years to come.

"Tequila worm" misconception]

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A young agave plant

Only certain mezcals, usually from the state of Oaxaca, are ever sold con gusano (with worm).

They are added as a marketing gimmick and are not traditional. The tequila regulatory council

does not allow gusanos or scorpions (which are sometimes also added to mezcals) to be included

in tequila bottles The worm is actually the larval form of the moth Hypoptaagavis, which lives

on the agave plant. Finding one in the plant during processing indicates an infestation and,

correspondingly, a lower-quality product. However, this misconception continues, despite effort

and marketing to represent tequila as a premium liquor—similar to the way Cognac is viewed in

relation to other brandies

Norma Oficial Mexicana

The Norma Oficial Mexicana (NOM) applies to all processes and activities related to the supply

of agave, production, bottling, marketing, information, and business practices linked to the

distilled alcoholic beverage known as tequila. Tequila must be produced using agave of the

species Tequilana Weber Blue variety, grown in the federal states and municipalities indicated in

the Declaration.
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Furthermore, the NOM establishes the technical specifications and legal requirements for the

protection of the Appellation of Origin of "Tequila" in accordance with the current General

Declaration of Protection of the Appellation of Origin of "Tequila", the Law, the Industrial

Property Law, the Federal Consumer Protection Law and other related legal provisions

All authentic, regulated tequilas will have a NOM identifier on the bottle. The important laws

since 1990 were NOM-006-SCFI-1993, the later updates NOM-006-SCFI-1994 and NOM-006-

SCFI-2005 and the most recent revision published on December 13, 2012, NOM-006-SCFI-

2012.

The number after NOM is the distillery number, assigned by the government. NOM does not

indicate the location of the distillery, merely the parent company or, in the case where a company

leases space in a plant, the physical plant where the tequila was manufactured.

Storage condition

Unlike wine that contains tannins which may change over time, even in a bottle if proper storage

conditions are not met, spirituous liquors like tequila do not change much once they are bottled.

Since tequila is a distilled liquor, it does not require strict storage conditions like wine does, and

the same goes with most other distilled spirits such as whiskey, rum, or vodka. Furthermore,

because the characteristics and certain quality (flavor, aroma, color, etc.) of the tequila are

determined during the aging process inside wood barrels, the quality of the tequila should remain

relatively constant after they are bottled. To maintain the quality of tequila, at least three

conditions should be met: constant and moderate temperature (60 to 65 °F), no exposure to direct

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sunlight, and maintenance of proper seal of the bottle. Also, storage conditions will have more

effect on the taste of aged tequila rather than the un-aged tequila, due to tannins and other

compounds introduced into the spirit from the aging barrel. For instance, if stored in improper

conditions, the dark and more complex flavors of the añejo tequila are more likely to be tainted

than the blanco or the silver tequila.

Once the bottle is opened, the tequila will be subject to oxidation which will continue to happen

even if no more oxygen is introduced. In addition, if the bottle has more room for air, the process

of oxidation occurs faster on the liquor remaining inside the bottle. Therefore, it may be the best

to consume the tequila within one or two years after opening. For the most part, the change in

quality of tequila is due to extreme conditions of improper storage, not due to oxidation

Brands

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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 four 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

 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).

Brands

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The ConsejoRegulador del Tequila (Tequila Regulatory Council) reported 1377 registered

brands from 150 producers for the year 2013.

Serving

Salt and lime

In Mexico, the most traditional way to drink tequila is neat, without lime and salt. It is popular in

some regions to drink fine tequila with a side of sangrita—a sweet, sour, and spicy drink

typically made from orange juice, grenadine (or tomato juice), and hot chilli. Equal-sized shots

of tequila and sangrita are sipped alternately, without salt or lime. Another popular drink in

Mexico is the bandera (flag, in Spanish), named after the Flag of Mexico, it consists of three

shot glasses, filled with lime juice (for the green), white tequila, and sangrita (for the red).

Outside Mexico, a single shot of tequila is often served with salt and a slice of lime. This is

called tequila cruda and is sometimes referred to as "training wheels", "lick-sip-suck", or "lick-

shoot-suck" (referring to the way in which the combination of ingredients is imbibed). The

drinkers moisten the back of their hands below the index finger (usually by licking) and pour on

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the salt. Then the salt is licked off the hand, the tequila is drunk, and the fruit slice is quickly

bitten. Groups of drinkers often do this simultaneously. Drinking tequila in this way is often

erroneously called a Tequila Slammer, which is in fact a mix of tequila and carbonated drink.

Though the traditional Mexican shot is tequila by itself, lime is the fruit of choice when a chaser

must be used.[48] The salt is believed to lessen the "burn" of the tequila and the sour fruit balances

and enhances the flavor. In Germany and some other countries, tequila oro (gold) is often

consumed with cinnamon on a slice of orange after, while tequila blanco (white) is consumed

with salt and lime. Finally, as with other popular liquors, a number of shot-related drinking

games and "stunt" drinks are used, such as body shots.

Bandera of Mexican tequila

If the bottle of tequila does not state on the label that it is manufactured from 100% blue agave

(no sugars added), then, by default, that tequila is a mixto (manufactured from at least 60% blue

agave). Some tequila distilleries label their tequila as "made with blue agave" or "made from

blue agave." However, the Tequila Regulatory Council has stated only tequilas distilled with

100% agave can be designated as "100% agave".

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Some distillers of lower-quality tequila have marketed their product to be served "ice-cold

chilled" when used as a shot. Chilling any alcohol can be used to reduce the smell or flavors

associated with a lower-quality product. Any alcoholic product, when served as a chilled shot,

may be more palatable to the consumer.

Many of the higher-quality, 100% agave tequilas do not impart significant alcohol burn, and

drinking them with salt and lime is likely to remove much of the flavor. These tequilas are

usually sipped from a snifter glass rather than a shot glass, and savoured instead of quickly

gulped. Doing so allows the taster to detect subtler fragrances and flavors that would otherwise

be missed.

Tequila glasses

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A margarita glass

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 ConsejoRegulador 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.

Cocktails

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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.

Regulation outside of Mexico

Canada

Under Canadian regulations (C.R.C., c.870, section B.02.90), a product sold as tequila must be

"Tequila manufactured in Mexico as Tequila in accordance with the laws of Mexico applicable

in respect of Tequila for consumption in Mexico", except that it may be diluted with water for

bottling in Canada.

United States

Similar to the law of Canada, the U.S. law (27 CFR 5.22 (g)) says that tequila must be

"manufactured in Mexico in compliance with the laws of Mexico regulating the manufacture of

Tequila for consumption in that country". However, Tequila cannot be sold in the U.S. at under

40% alcohol concentration (80 U.S. proof

TEQUILA

29
Beyond shots, slammers and hangovers, Tequila is a remarkable drink which can express the

nuances of its raw material arguably better than any other spirit on the planet. The key to its

unique flavour is the spikily distinctive blue agave plant, which gives Tequila its trademark

flavour combination of fruit, pepper and spice. Close »

Tequila

Everyone knows Tequila – or at least they think they do. But there’s so much more to this world-

class spirit than headaches and nausea from ill-advised drinking sessions. It’s subtle, distinctive

and, in its finest form, as complex and worthy of contemplation as any fine Cognac or single

malt.

30
Tequila is made from the agave plant; blue agave is the superior variety

True blue

The key to good Tequila’s distinctive flavour combination of fruit, spice and pepper lies in the

blue agave plant grown mostly in the Mexican province of Jalisco, but also in parts of

Guanajuato, Michoacán and Nayarit, as well as the coastal province of Tamaulipas.

This distinctively spiked succulent (a bit like a lily) takes a decade or more to mature and reflects

its surroundings, soil and climate in much the same way as the grapes used to make fine wine or

brandy – tending towards rich, earthy flavours in lower-lying areas, and more fragrant, elegant

and peppery tones in the Altos (highlands) of Jalisco.

31
The agave plants are harvested by jimadors; only the heart of the agave is used in Tequila

production

Picked and stripped of its spikes by skilled farm workers called jimadors, the agave piña’s

distinctive flavours survive a production cycle which includes steam-cooking, crushing,

fermentation and distillation – with considerable scope to apply different techniques at every

stage of the process.

32
The agave hearts, or piñas, are cooked and crushed to extract their juice

Puro or mixto?

The most obvious distinction between different Tequilas is their agave content: high-end

Tequilas are far more likely to be puro or 100% agave and will usually be labelled as such;

cheaper, blended or mixto Tequilas must be derived from at least 51% agave, but other sugars

can be added prior to fermentation. As well as being cheaper to make, mixto Tequilas tend to

have a more subdued agave character.

Beyond this division, premium Tequilas are split according to the extent of their maturation in

cask among the following designations (in order from youngest to oldest): blanco (or

plata/silver); reposado; añejo; extra añejo.

33
Agave tequilana

Tequila agave
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales Agave tequilana, commonly called blue agave

or Family: Asparagaceae tequila agave, is an agave plant that is an

Subfamily: Agavoideae
important economic product of Jalisco, Mexico,
Genus: Agave
due to its role as the base ingredient of tequila, a
Species: A. tequilana
popular distilled beverage. The high production
Binomial name
of Agave tequilana sugars, mostly fructose, in the core of the plant is

the F.A.C. Weber main characteristic that makes it suitable for the

Synonyms preparation of alcoholic beverages.

o Agave angustifolia
The tequila agave is native to the states of Jalisco,
subsp. tequilana
Colima, Nayarit and Aguascalientes in Mexico.
(F.A.C.Weber) Valenz.-Zap.
The plant favors altitudes of more than 1,500 metres
&Nabhan
(5,000 ft) and grows in rich and sandy soils.
o Agave palmerisTrel.
Blue agave plants grow into large succulents, with
o Agave pedrosanaTrel.
spiky fleshy leaves, that can reach over 2 metres (7 ft)
o Agave pes-mulaeTrel.
in height. Blue agaves sprout a stalk (quiote) when
o Agave
34
pseudotequilanaTrel.

o Agave subtilisTrel.
about five years old that can grow an additional 5 metres (16 ft); they are topped with yellow

flowers. The stalk is cut off from commercial plants so the plant will put more energy into the

heart.

The flowers are pollinated by a native bat (Leptonycterisnivalis) and produce several thousand

seeds per plant. The plant then dies. The shoots on commercial plants are removed when about a

year old to allow the heart to grow larger. The plants are then reproduced by planting these

shoots; this has led to a considerable loss of genetic diversity in cultivated blue agave.

It is rarely kept as a houseplant, but a 50-year-old blue agave in Boston grew a 30-foot (9 m)

stalk requiring a hole in the greenhouse roof and flowered in the summer of 2006.

Tequila production

Tequila is made only from a specific cultivar of Agave tequilana called Weber Azul. This

cultivar is larger and blue-gray in color compared to the smaller and green normal Agave

tequilana. It is a rapid grower and prolific offsetter in keeping with its agricultural advantages.

Tequila is produced by removing the heart (piña) of the plant in its eighth to fourteenth year

(depending on growth rate and whims of harvester). Harvested piñas normally weigh 80–200

pounds (40–90 kg). This heart is stripped of its leaves and heated to convert the starches to

sugars. Then the roasted core is pressed or crushed to release the sugary clear liquid called

aguamiel, which is, in turn, fermented and distilled into alcohol.

Pathogens affecting the plant

35
As agave production has moved to an industrial scale since the end of the 1980s, diseases and

pests, collectively referred to as TMA (tristeza y muerte de agave, "wilting and death of agave"),

have hit the crops. Through the 1990s, diseases spread, particularly Fusarium fungi and Erwinia

bacteria, exacerbated by the low genetic diversity of the agave plants. Other problems include the

agave weevil, Scyphophorusacupunctatus, and a fungus, Thielaviopsisparadoxa.

According to a 2004 study, additional pathogens, Erwiniacarotovora, Enterobacteragglomerans,

Pseudomonas mendocina, and Serratia spp. are responsible for continued rot.

Chemistry

The homoisoflavanones 5,7-dihydroxy-3-(4-methoxybenzyl)-chroman-4-one, 7-hydroxy-3-(4-

hydroxybenzyl)-chroman-4-one and 4’-demethyl-3,9-dihydro-punctatin can be isolated from A.

tequilana.

36
Tequila

Tequila is a spirit made from the cactus-like agave plant from western Mexico. It is a popular

cocktail ingredient.

Tequila [teˈkila] is a regional specific name for a distilled beverage made from the cactus-like

blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, 65 km (40 mi) northwest

of Guadalajara, and in the highlands (Los Altos) of the northwestern Mexican state of Jalisco.

Although tequila is a kind of mezcal, modern tequila differs somewhat in the method of its

production, in the use of only blue agave plants, as well as in its regional specificity.

37
The red volcanic soil in the surrounding region is particularly well suited to the growing of the

blue agave, and more than 300 million of the plants are harvested there each year. Agave tequila

grows differently depending on the region. Blue agaves grown in the highlands Los Altos region

are larger in size and sweeter in aroma and taste. Agaves harvested in the lowlands, on the other

hand, have a more herbaceous fragrance and flavor.

Mexican law states that tequila can only be produced in the state of Jalisco and in selected

municipalities in the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. Tequila is

recognized as a Mexican designation of origin product in more than 40 countries. It is protected

through NAFTA in Canada and the United States, through bilateral agreements with individual

countries such as Japan and Israel, and has been a protected designation of origin product in the

constituent countries of the European Union since 1997.

Tequila is most often made at a 38–40% alcohol content (76–80 U.S. proof), but can be produced

between 31-55% alcohol content (62 and 110 U.S. proof).

Types of Tequila

The two basic categories of tequila aremixtos 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 ("white") or plata ("silver"): White spirit, unaged and bottled or stored

immediately after distillation, or aged less than two months in stainless steel or neutral

oak barrels.

38
  Joven ("young") or oro ("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 and/or extra-aged tequila.

 Reposado ("rested"): Aged a minimum of two months, but less than a year, in oak barrels

of any size.

 Añejo ("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

Fermentation

39
There is a step in the production of alcohol that is outside the control of the humans who so

carefully manage every other stage. It is almost magical, in that it occurs even without our

intervention. That step is fermentation.

In technical terms, fermentation is the conversion of sugars (and-or carbohydrates) to alcohol by

yeast in anerobic (non-oxygen) conditions. But that doesn't begin to capture the magic, or the

relationship between humans and the microscopic plants (actually a fungus) called yeast.

Humans have been controlling fermentation for at least 8,000 years. Archeological evidence

shows winemaking was being done in Georgia in 6,000 BCE. The Babylonians did it, the ancient

Egyptians did it, even the pre-Hispanic Mexicans did it as far back as 2,000 BCE.

Fermentation has been used for many purposes, but for this site, our interest lies in brewing. The

first step to make tequila is to brew the agave juices - called the mosto (must, or wort). This is

very similar to making beer, and the final product is a low-alcohol liquid at 4-5% alcohol

content 

40
Yeasts are funny creatures: a plant that seems willing to sacrifice itself for our benefit. They can

take the sugars and carbohydrates and, through various enzymatic processes, turn them into

alcohol as a waste product. Yeast reproduces asexually by budding- splitting off little daughter

cells, analogous to the cloning of the blue agave itself. Yeastscan live and grow both with or

without oxygen, where most micro-organisms can only do one or the other.

Normal fermentation has two stages. The first is aerobic, where oxygen is present. This initial

process is very rapid process, and the yeast doubled its colony size every four hours. This part

normally lasts 24-48 hours. The second part  is anaerobic (no oxygen present). This is a slower

activity during which the yeast focuses on converting sugar to alcohol rather that increasing the

number of yeast cells.

This process can take from days to weeks depending on the yeast, the sugar content and the

environmental conditions. In warm weather (68°-86°F - 20°-30°C) fermentation takes 2-5 days.

But in colder weather it can take as long as 12 days.

41
The final stage is called zymase reduction. In this step, the yeast turns acetaldehyde (glycerol)

into ethyl alcohol. But at the same time, this alcohol destroys the enzymes and can kill the yeast

cell if it accumulated to high concentrations. The typical brewers' yeast used by most tequila

producers will start dying off if the wort reaches 5% or 6% alcohol.

Brewer's yeast tolerates up to about 5% alcohol. Beyond this alcohol level the yeast cannot

continue fermentation. Wine yeast, which is not used in tequila production, can tolerate a range

of 10-15%, and sake yeasts can tolerate even higher percentages. There are even specially

cultured strains of yeast such as Tokay and Sauterne, which can withstand alcohol levels up to

21% under the proper conditions. 

Fermentation has other limits such as temperature. Greater than 27°C kills the yeast less and than

15°C results in yeast activity which is too slow.

42
Too high an amount of sugar in the solution can prevent fermentation. Some beer brewers'

recipes suggest adding the sugar in parts throughout fermentation rather that all at the beginning

if the brew is aimed at producing a high level of alcohol. 

Fermentation has a limited range of temperatures for best efficiency. Too cold and it slows

down; too hot and the yeast starts to die off. Fermentation also produces its own heat. In the

central region of Mexico, where daytime temperatures can easily reach 33-35C, producers have

to be careful that their worts don't overheat. that may be one reason many companies use large,

stainless steel tanks of up to 100,00 litres capacity, for fermentation. A large body of liquid will

not heat or cool as quickly as a smaller one.

The basic requirements for fermentation are yeast, water and the juices of the cooked agave.

Nothing more is necessary. The basic liquid is called the mosto (must or wort) or tepache. The

juice extraction process plays a role in the concentration of sugars in the mosto. Many producers

use modern crushing machines that squeeze the cooked agave fibres and rinse them with water

43
up to four times, to extract the most juice possible. Traditional producers using the tahona

(millstone or grinding wheel) simply add water to the crushed fibres to drain off the juices.

The wort is sprinkled with yeast. Traditionally this is a yeast that grows naturally on the leaves of

the plant, but today it may be a cultivated form of that wild yeast or even a commercial brewer's

yeast (natural fermentation from airborne yeasts is sometimes allowed in some traditional

tequilas, and in mezcals and pulque). 

There is a commercial yeast, DANSTIL 493 EDV, described as:

"Selected in the Antilles from sugar cane molasses and well adapted to cane juice, this

strain is used for the batch production of beverages from vegetal substrates (rum,

aguardiente, tequila, pisco). DANSTIL 493 EDV provides organoleptic smoothness to

beverages while respecting the substrate's sensory qualities. It also supports the synthesis of

ethyl esters of short chains fatty acids, the reduction of amylic and isoamylic alcohol

concentrations and the reduction of aldehydes."

Tequila Herradura boasts it is the only company that uses 'natural fermentation.' However,

according to a story in the Wall Street Journal (May, 1999) when natural yeasts are used in

fermentation, some distillers must add antibiotics to kill unwanted microbes that result. Natural

fermentation means allowing the airborne yeasts and bacteria to ferment the wort, without adding

any other yeasts.

44
Because these fermentation vats are open to the air, they also likely receive airborne quantities of

the bacteria, Zymomonasmobilis, which lives on the skin of the agave plants. Zymomonas

species are perhaps the most important alcoholic fermenters of the bacterial group in plant saps

and juices, and are integral to the fermentation of agave syrup into pulque. Zymomonas are

"facultative anaerobes" with both respiratory and fermenting capabilities. As in the fermentation

process with yeast, Zymomonas turn acetaldehyde and subsequently into ethyl alcohol (ethanol).

Zymomonas fermentation has a characteristic fruity odour that contributes to the odour and taste

of wines.

45
 Yeast produces many other compounds during fermentation, including esters, fusel alcohols,

ketones, various phenolics and fatty acids. Esters produce the fruity notes in beer, phenols cause

the spicy and sometimes medicinal notes. Diacetyl is a ketone that gives a butter or butterscotch

note, but it is unstable and can produces stale, raunchy tones due to oxidation as the must ages.

Fusel alcohols are heavier molecular weight alcohols and are a major contributor to hangovers.

Fatty acids also tend to oxidize in old must and produce off-flavors. 

The must (mosto) is left to ferment in wooden or stainless steel tanks. This can naturally take

seven to 12 days, but modern plants add chemicals to accelerate yeast growth so fermentation

only takes two to three days. Longer fermentation results in a more robust body. Fermented must

may also be used as a starter mixture for the next batch.

Sometimes the must is fermented with some of the residual pulp from crushing the piñas. This is

left in the tanks to to impart the most flavour to the liquid - another traditional practice - but

more often the pulp is disposed of. It may be sold to construction firms for adding to bricks or as

packing material, but it can also be composted. There is also a potential but under-utilized

market for paper and textiles using these agave fibres.

46
Before modernization, it was common practice for workers to get into the fermentation tank and

mix the juices with the fibres. The fermenting tubs were nicknamed 'tina de lavado' - washtubs.

The workers are batidores - beaters. This is rarely done today, but is still practiced in some

smaller or more traditional operations like La Alteña (El Tapatio).

Some manufacturers use cane sugar or the more traditional brown sugar cones (piloncillo, which

can still be purchased in many Mexican markets today) to speed fermentation or to be able to use

immature or fewer plants. This type of tequila is mixto, can be sold in bulk for shipping out of

the country, and can be bottled anywhere, including other countries where the regulations

regarding agave content are not necessarily maintained. These tequilas will not be labelled 100%

agave, which purists demand. After fermentation is finished, the must may be left another 12

hours to richen and settle before distillation.

47
There are two main schools of thought about yeast in tequila production. Some companies use

commercial brewers' yeast. Others cultivate existing yeast and save it for future batches. This

may have started as a wild or natural yeast.

All open tanks are subject to being invaded by wild air-borne yeasts, so the final fermentation is

the result of several strains, not just one. Some companies have cultivate yeasts in storage for

summer and winter production, some for each season.

According to an article on Springerlink, five species of yeast have been identified in fermenting

tequila mosto, some of which are obviously not cultivated but were spread by fruit flies

(Drosophila):

Fresh and cooked agave, Drosophila spp., processing equipment, agave molasses, agave

extract, and fermenting must at a traditional tequila distillery (Herradura, Amatitan, Jalisco,

México) were studied to gain insight on the origin of yeasts involved in a natural tequila

fermentations. Five yeast communities were identified.

agave contained a diverse mycobiota dominated by Clavisporalusitaniae and an endemic

species, Metschnikowiaagaveae.

1. Drosophila spp. from around or inside the distillery yielded typical fruit

yeasts, in particular Hanseniaspora spp., Pichiakluyveri, and Candida

krusei.

2. Schizosaccharomycespombe prevailed in molasses.

3. Cooked agave and extract had a considerable diversity of species, but

included Saccharomyces Fresh cerevisiae.

48
 4. Fermenting juice underwent a gradual reduction in yeast heterogeneity.

Torulasporadelbrueckii, Kluyveromycesmarxianus, and Hanseniaspora spp.

progressively ceded the way to S. cerevisiae, Zygosaccharomycesbailii,

Candida milleri, and Brettanomyces spp.

With the exception of Pichiamembranaefaciens, which was shared by all communities, little

overlap existed. That separation was even more manifest when species were divided into

distinguishable biotypes based on morphology or physiology. It is concluded that crushing

equipment and must holding tanks are the main source of significant inoculum for the

fermentation process. Drosophila species appear to serve as internal vectors. Proximity to

fruit trees probably contributes to maintaining a substantial Drosophila community, but the

yeasts found in the distillery exhibit very little similarity to those found in adjacent

vegetation. Interactions involving killer toxins had no apparent direct effects on the yeast

community structure.

49
 The water quality can also affect the tequila. Many producers have their own water source,

including natural springs or wells. The naturally occurring minerals in these springs may have an

additional effect, including acting as catalysts in the distillation. Some producers depend on

water brought from outside (usually by truck), which may include the mountains surrounding the

Tequila valley as the source.

Water is also a necessity: agave sugars must be diluted in order for the yeast to ferment them. A

level of 14-15% is optimum. Much higher and the yeasts won't work their magic.

Some producers use chemical fertilizers (for nitrogen) and urea to accelerate yeast growth.

Typically this involves moving the yeast into starter tanks that are increasingly larger as the

50
process develops and the yeast population grows. High sugar requires more nitrogen for efficient

conversion of the sugars to alcohol, and the mosto cannot supply it, therefore an external source

is required.

However, these additives do not seem to have a significant impact on the final product's taste, as

a study on

Springerlink reported: 

In the fermentation process of tequila, the type of yeast strain, the temperature (30 or 35°C)

and the C/N ratio (62 or 188) had a significant influence in the level of higher alcohols

produced. On the contrary, other parameters like nitrogen source [urea or (NH)SO] and

inoculum amount (5% or 10%), have little or no influence on the production of the

compounds responsible for some of the organoleptic properties of tequila.

C/N is carbon-nitrogen ratio and organoleptic means "relating to perception by a sensory organ

or involving the use of sense organs." So the report says these additives do not affect the

resulting tequila.

51
More traditional producers use smaller, wooden tanks for fermentation and depend on either air-

borne yeasts to start fermentation or on yeast cultivated and stored from previous batches. These

yeasts may have a lineage several decades old, spanning generations of families of producers.

Still others use the spent wort which has been fully fermented and the yeasts have gone dormant,

to start a new batch.

In some companies, the cultivated yeasts are derived from natural yeasts found on the agave

plant itself (any yeasts on the plant are killed during cooking, so the biologists and technicians

must scrape the leaves to get yeast samples to grow). Some depend on air-borne yeasts in a

similar manner to beer makers who produce lambic beers (these yeasts are wild variants of the

cultivated yeasts used in commercial beer production). Airborne yeasts are also likely to invade

the mosto in almost every distillery, given the open nature of the fermentation areas.

52
two main byproducts of fermentation are carbon dioxide and alcohol. The carbon dioxide is

released as a gas, but tends not to rise very quickly, so it helps keep the alcohol from evaporating

by forming a 'cap' on the tanks.

During fermentation, the tanks get warm from the chemical reactions, and can bubble quite

violently. You can sometimes touch a fermenting tank and feel the action, like a baby kicking in

its mother's womb. Some are even noisy enough to hear.

At the Espolon factory (Destiladora San Nicolas), in Los Altos, engineers pipe classical music

into the fermentation room. CiriloOropeza y Hernandez, the plant manager, explained the music

helped enhance yeast growth. "Yeast sways to the rhythm of music."

53
The process to crush the agave and remove the juices seems to be an integral component in

inserting foreign yeasts into the mosto. A report from Dr. Lachance at the Western University, in

London, Ontario, says (emphasis added),

It is concluded that crushing equipment and must holding tanks are the main source of

significant inoculum for the fermentation process.

"...the complexity of flavour compounds production in tequila, where both yeast strain and

nitrogen source played a fundamental role. These results confirmed that different yeast

strains could produce different flavour quality and, therefore, Tequila industry could use

different starter cultures for different type of products."

The amount and type of yeasts involved in fermentation thus may affect the final product.

The result of fermentation is a liquid with about 5-7% alcohol optimally, although conditions and

temperatures can make this lower, from 1% to 4%. The higher the sugar content, the more

alcohol a batch will produce. The fermenting wort taste a little like sour beer.

Agave imparts numerous chemical compounds, called oxalates, which end up in the tequila, as

well as compounds like methanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, and 2-phenyl ethanol. These can be used

to 'fingerprint' tequila and chemically identify those which are authentic or fake. A story in USA

Today in 2006 noted,

54
Using this knowledge, the scientists described a spectroscope test that can chemically

distinguish high from low-quality tequila in two minutes. Mexico recently concluded an

agreement to ship tequila in bulk to the USA, and the test should help assure that tequilas

bottled in the states will be as pure as their Mexican counterparts.

Types of Tequila – Classifications.

With close to 1000 Tequila brands to choose from, it helps to know the different types of

Tequilas and the categories they fall into. Strict regulations on labeling assist the consumer in

determining the type of the spirit, where it was produced, and the term it was aged (if any).

The main two types of Tequila are first split into two categories, 100% Blue Agave, and Tequila

Mixto (Mixed). Mixto Tequila contains a minimum of 51% Blue Agave, and the remaining 49%

55
from other sugars (typically cane sugars). The additional products allowed in Mixto Tequilas are

caramel color, oak extract flavoring, glycerin, and sugar based syrup. Mixto Tequila can now be

bottled outside of the Tequila territory, including other countries, which started January 6, 2006.

By reading the label on the bottle you can tell which clasification it is in, as all Tequila that is

made from 100% Blue Agave will say "Tequila 100% de agave" or "Tequila 100% puro de

agave". All other Mixto Tequila labels will only read "Tequila".

The above two categories of Tequila are then divided into the following five types of Tequila and

are labeled as such:

Tequila Silver - Blanco - Plata - White - Platinum

This is the Blue Agave spirit in its purest form. It is clear and typically un-aged, where the true

flavors and the intensity of the Agave are present, as well as the natural sweetness. It can be

bottled directly after distillation, or stored in stainless steel tanks to settle for up to 4 weeks.

There are some Blanco products that are aged for up to 2 months to provide a smoother or

"Suave" spirit.

Tequila Gold - Joven - Oro

Gold Tequila is typically a Mixto, where colorants and flavorings have been added prior to

bottling. These "young and adulterated" Tequilas are less expensive and used in many bars and

restaurants for "mixed drinks".

There are exceptions however, as a "Gold" or "Joven" Tequila can also be the result of blending

a Silver Tequila with a Reposado and/or Añejo Tequila, while keeping the 100% Agave

classification.

56
Tequila Reposado

A Reposado Tequila is the first stage of "rested and aged". The Tequila is aged in wood barrels

or storage tanks between 2 months and 11 months. The spirit takes on a golden hue and the taste

becomes a good balance between the Agave and wood flavors. Many different types of wood

barrels are used for aging, with the most common being American or French oak. Some Tequilas

are aged in used bourbon / whiskey, cognac, or wine barrels, and will inherit unique flavors from

the previous spirit.

Reposado Tequilas are also referred to as "rested" and "aged".

Tequila Añejo (extra aged)

After aging for at least one year, Tequila can then be classified as an "Añejo". The distillers are

required to age Añejo Tequila in barrels that do not exceed 600 liters. This aging process darkens

the Tequila to an Amber color, and the flavor can become smoother, richer, and more complex.

Añejo Tequilas are also referred to as "aged" and "extra-aged".

Tequila Extra Añejo (ultra aged)

A new classification added in the summer of 2006, labeling any Tequila aged more than 3 years,

an "Extra Añejo". Following the same rule as an "Añejo", the distillers must age the spirit in

barrels or containers with a maximum capacity of 600 liters. With this extended amount of aging,

the Tequila becomes much darker, more of a Mahogany color, and is so rich that it becomes

difficult to distinguish it from other quality aged spirits. After the aging process, the alcohol

57
content must be diluted by adding distilled water. These Extra Añejo’s are extremely smooth and

complex.

Agave

Agave

Agave americana

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Plantae

Clade: Angiosperms

Clade: Monocots

Order: Asparagales

Family: Asparagaceae

Subfamily: Agavoideae

Agave
Genus:
L.

Species

See text. See also full listing.

58
Agave (US: /əˈɡɑːvi/, UK: /əˈɡeɪvi/, /əˈɡɑːvi/, Anglo-Hispanic: /əˈɡɑːveɪ/) is a genus of

monocots native to the hot and arid regions of Mexico and the Southwestern United States. Some

agave species are also native to tropical areas of South America. The plants are perennial, but

each rosette flowers once and then dies (see semelparity). Some species are known by the name

"century plant".

Agave tequilana, agave azul or blue agave, is used in the production of tequila. Agave nectar,

also called agave syrup, a sweetener derived from Agave sap, is used as an alternative to sugar in

cooking, and can be added to breakfast cereals as a binding agent.

Description

Agaves are succulents with a large rosette of thick, fleshy leaves, with most species ending in a

sharp terminal spine. The stout stem is usually short, the leaves apparently springing from the

root. Along with plants from the related genus Yucca, various Agave species are popular

ornamental plants in hot, dry climates, as they require very little water to survive.

Agave harvesting in Java

Each rosette is monocarpic and grows slowly to flower only once. During flowering, a tall stem

or "mast" ("quiote" in Mexico) grows from the center of the leaf rosette and bears a large number

of short, tubular flowers. After development of fruit, the original plant dies, but suckers are

frequently produced from the base of the stem, which become new plants.

It is a common misconception that agaves are cacti. They are not related to cacti, nor are they

closely related to Aloe whose leaves are similar in appearance.

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Agave species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera (butterfly and moth)

species, including Batrachedrastriolata, which has been recorded on A. shawii.

Adaptations

The agave root system, consisting of a network of shallow rhizomes, is designed to help the

agave efficiently capture moisture from rain, condensation and dew. In addition to growing from

seeds, most agaves produce 'pups' – young plants from runners. Agave vilmoriniana (the octopus

agave) produces hundreds of pups on its bloom stalk. Agave leaves store the plant’s water and

are crucial to its continued existence. The coated leaf surface prevents evaporation. The leaves

also have sharp, spiked edges. The spikes discourage predators from eating the plant or using it

as a source of water and are so tough that ancient peoples used them for sewing needles. The sap

is acidic. Agaves bloom at a height up to 30 ft (9 m) so that they are far out of reach to animals

that might attack them. Smaller species, such as Agave lechuguilla, have smaller bloom stalks.

Taxonomy

In the APG III system, the genus is placed in the subfamilyAgavoideae of the broadly

circumscribedfamilyAsparagaceae. Some authors prefer to place it in the segregate family

Agavaceae. Traditionally, it was circumscribed to be composed of about 166 species, but it is

now usually understood to have about 208 species.

In the Cronquist system and others, Agave was placed in the family Liliaceae, but phylogenetic

analyses of DNA sequences later showed it did not belong there. In the APG II system, Agave

was placed in the family Agavaceae. When this system was superseded by the APG III system in

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2009, the Agavaceae were subsumed into the expanded family Asparagaceae, and Agave was

treated as one of 18 genera in the subfamily Agavoideae.

Agave had long been treated as a genus of about 166 species, but this concept of Agave is now

known to be paraphyletic over the genera Manfreda, Polianthes, and Prochnyanthes. These

genera are now combined with Agave as Agavesensulato, which contains about 208 species. In

some of the older classifications, Agave was divided into two subgenera, Agave and Littaea,

based on the form of the inflorescence. These two subgenera are probably not monophyletic.

Agaves have long presented special difficulties for taxonomy; variations within a species may be

considerable, and a number of named species are of unknown origin and may just be variants of

original wild species.

Spanish and Portuguese explorers probably brought agave plants back to Europe, but the plants

became popular in Europe during the 19th century, when many types were imported by

collectors. Some have been continuously propagated by offset since then, and do not consistently

resemble any species known in the wild, although this may simply be due to the differences in

growing conditions in Europe.

Commonly grown species

A row of Agaves in bloom in the Karoo region of South Africa. The inflorescence of the plants

are clearly visible.

Agave americana

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One of the most familiar species is Agave americana, a native of tropical America. Common

names include century plant, maguey (in Mexico), or American aloe (not related to the genus

Aloe). The name "century plant" refers to the long time the plant takes to flower. The number of

years before flowering occurs depends on the vigor of the individual plant, the richness of the

soil, and the climate; during these years the plant is storing in its fleshy leaves the nourishment

required for the effort of flowering.

Agave americana, century plant, was introduced into southern Europe about the middle of the

16th century, and is now widely cultivated as an ornamental, as it is in the Americas. In the

variegated forms, the leaf has a white or yellow marginal or central stripe. As the leaves unfold

from the center of the rosette, the impression of the marginal spines is conspicuous on the still

erect younger leaves. The plants require protection from frost. They mature very slowly and die

after flowering, but are easily propagated by the offsets from the base of the stem.

Blue A. americana occurs in abundance in the Karoo, and arid highland regions of South Africa.

Introduced by the British settlers in 1820, the plant was originally cultivated and used as

emergency feed for livestock. Today it is used mainly for the production of syrup and sugar.

Agave attenuata

A. attenuata is a native of central Mexico and is uncommon in its natural habitat. Unlike most

species of agave, A. attenuata has a curved flower spike from which it derives one of its

numerous common names - the foxtail agave. A. attenuata is also commonly grown as a garden

plant. Unlike many agaves, A. attenuata has no teeth or terminal spines, making it an ideal plant

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for areas adjacent to footpaths. Like all agaves, A. attenuata is a succulent and requires little

water or maintenance once established.

Agave tequilana Uses

The large flower spike of Agave chiapensis

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The ethnobotany of the agave was described by William H. Prescott in 1843:

But the miracle of nature was the great Mexican aloe, or maguey, whose clustering pyramids of

flowers, towering above their dark coronals of leaves, were seen sprinkled over many a broad

acre of the table-land. As we have already noticed its bruised leaves afforded a paste from which

paper was manufactured, its juice was fermented into an intoxicating beverage, pulque, of which

the natives, to this day, are extremely fond; its leaves further supplied an impenetrable thatch for

the more humble dwellings; thread, of which coarse stuffs were made, and strong cords, were

drawn from its tough and twisted fibers; pins and needles were made from the thorns at the

extremity of its leaves; and the root, when properly cooked, was converted into a palatable and

nutritious food. The agave, in short, was meat, drink, clothing, and writing materials for the

Aztec! Surely, never did Nature enclose in so compact a form so many of the elements of human

comfort and civilization!

There are four major parts of the agave that are edible: the flowers, the leaves, the stalks or basal

rosettes, and the sap (in Spanish: aguamiel, meaning "honey water").

Each agave plant will produce several pounds of edible flowers during its final season. The

stalks, which are ready during the summer, before the blossom, weigh several pounds each.

Roasted, they are sweet and can be chewed to extract the aguamiel, like sugarcane. When dried

out, the stalks can be used to make didgeridoos. The leaves may be collected in winter and

spring, when the plants are rich in sap, for eating. The leaves of several species also yield fiber:

for instance, Agave rigida var. sisalana, sisal hemp, Agave decipiens, false sisal hemp. Agave

americana is the source of pita fiber, and is used as a fiber plant in Mexico, the West Indies and

southern Europe.

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During the development of the inflorescence, sap rushes to the base of the young flower stalk.

Agave nectar (also called agave syrup), a sweetener derived from the sap, is used as an

alternative to sugar in cooking, and can be added to breakfast cereals as a binding agent. The sap

of A. americana and other species is used in Mexico and Mesoamerica to produce pulque, an

alcoholic beverage. The flower shoot is cut out and the sap collected and subsequently

fermented. By distillation, a spirit called mezcal is prepared; one of the best-known forms of

mezcal is tequila. In 2001, the Mexican Government and European Union agreed upon the

classification of tequila and its categories. All 100% blue agave tequila must be made from the

Weber blue agave plant, to rigorous specifications and only in certain Mexican states.

Fibers inside a huachuca agave leaf (Agave parryi)

When dried and cut in slices, the flowering stem forms natural razor strops, and the expressed

juice of the leaves will lather in water like soap. The natives of Mexico used the agave to make

pens, nails, and needles, as well as string to sew and make weavings. Leaf tea or tincture taken

orally is used to treat constipation and excess gas. It is also used as a diuretic. Root tea or tincture

is taken orally to treat arthritic joints. Several agave species are also considered to have potential

as effective bioenergy crops. Agave's ability to grow in naturally water-limited environments

could help to reduce the food vs. fuel trade-off.

The agave, especially Agave murpheyi, was a major food source for the prehistoric indigenous

people of the Southwestern United States. The Hohokam of southern Arizona cultivated large

areas of agave.

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The Navajo similarly found many uses for the agave plant. A beverage is squeezed from the

baked fibers, and the heads can be baked or boiled, pounded into flat sheets, sun dried, and

stored for future use. The baked, dried heads are also boiled and made into an edible paste, eaten

whole, or made into soup. The leaves are eaten boiled, and the young, tender flowering stalks

and shoots are roasted and eaten as well. The fibers are used to make rope, the leaves are used to

line baking pits, and the sharp pointed leaf tips are used to make basketry awls.

Specie

Extra Añejo Tequilas are also referred to as "ultra-aged".

Other types of Tequila spirits you can find on the market include Tequila Liqueurs, Tequila

Cremes, Tequila Infusions, Flavored Tequilas, and Tequila soft drinks.  Many of these products

are used in specialty cocktails, restaurant dishes and desserts. Mixto Tequila is standard for most

liqueurs and flavored products, but it is best to check the label and look for "Made with 100%

Agave Tequila".

About Agave

Agave plants, a type of monocots, which are indigenous to hot and arid regions in Mexico and

the Southern of United States. Some of them are also local to the tropical areas of South

America. At Sisana, we use various Agave species as the raw materials in our production, such

as Agave Salmanea (Green Giant) and Agave Tequilana (Blue Agave). These agave plants are

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mainly obtained from Jalisco, in the South West of Mexico. If you would like to know more

about Agave plants, there is an extensive article here.

Agave products are made from a variety of  agave plants. They are processed and sold in a

number of different ways. At Sisana, we put a lot of efforts in producing high quality of agave

products that match our customers’ needs, as well as providing suitable solutions that satisfying

our customers. Therefore, we would like to provided you this guide helping you to understand

the different types of agave products, their origins and how they are made.

Types of Agave Plants

While there are hundreds of different Agave species, there are several that are used more

frequently for commercial products such as Agave nectar. Some of the main commercially

grown Agave species are:

• Agave Tequilana (Blue Agave): Used to make Agave nectar, sugar and tequila. At this

moment, Sisana does not currently stock this item.

• Agave Salmanea (Green Giant): Also used to make Agave nectar, sugar and inulin

• Agave Americana (American Aloe or Century Plant): Again, used for nectar, sugar and inulin

• Agave Angustifolia (Espadin Agave): Used to make Mezcal

• Agave Leguchilla (Agave inaequidens): Used for Raicilla

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Types of Agave Products for Sale and How They are Made

Agave plants can be used in many mays, especially in commercial activities. Several types of

agave are more often used by industries to produce different types of agave products for

commercial purpose. For example, Agave Nectar (Syrup), Agave Granulated Sweetener, Agave

Inulin Powder and Agave Tequila. Click here to learn more about the agave products we are

selling.

Agave Syrupis a sweet, thick liquid with a similar taste and texture to honey. It can be used as a

sweetener, in desserts or on many types of food. To create Agave nectar, once the Agave plant is

7-10 years old, it is cut down and harvested. The plants at this age are very large, and can weight

anywhere between 20 and 60 Kg. The most useful part of the plant is called the piña, which is

where the sap is extracted from. The sap is then filtered, heated at a low temperature (48 °C)

where the carbohydrates are then broken down into sugars. The lighter and darker versions of

Agave Nectar are made using slightly differing process, which is discuss in detailed further in the

article. We have more in-depth information on Agave Nectar here.

Agave Granulated Sweetener (or Sweet Agave Powder) is a product developed by Sisana to

provide an Agave sweetener that comes in powder form and retains a stronger flavor. To create

Agave Granulated Sweetener, the same process for extraction of Agave Nectar is followed.

However, after the syrup is made, it is spray-dried until all moisture is removed, creating a sugar-

like powder. For further information on Agave Granulated Sweetener, see here.

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Agave Inulin is highly soluble in cold water and has a neutral taste, making it great for

sweetening beverages. Agave inulin improves the texture and tenderness of low-fat desserts

which are often lacking in these areas due to an absence of ingredients. It also assists in keeping

baked goods moist and acts as a binder in many foods. To create Agave inulin, the piña is cut

down and ground up with hot water, which releases the fiber from the inulin. The fiber is then

filtered out, leaving the inulin syrup. The powder is then made by drying the inulin syrup. At

Sisana, we currently don’t sell this item, though there are other places where this product can be

found, such as here.

Tequila is a popular alcoholic drink made from Agave. After harvesting, the piñas slowly baked,

then shredded or mashed. The agave juice is then extracted, and poured into either a large

wooden or stainless steel vat, and is then allowed to ferment into a wort. This is then distilled

(normally twice) to produce the tequila. However, Sisana does not focus on this

product, though in-depth information on Tequila can be found here.

Types of Agave Syrup

Agave syrup can further be broken down and classified, and is sold in a number of different

forms. At Sisana, we offer natural and wild agave syrup in light and amber colors. Below is a

detailed overview of the various types of Agave nectar. To find out how to best to use Agave

nectarin food creation, see our guide here on how to use Agave nectar.

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Natural Agave Nectar is produced from agave plants that are cultivated on farms. It follows the

normal extraction process, and then mixed with Cane Sugar Juice. The advantage of this type of

Agave nectar is that it creates a sweetener with great taste, which is much more cost-effective to

use than other types of sweetener. Find out more on our natural agave nectar.

Wild Agave Nectar is produced from Agave plants that harvested in the wild. As it is 100% pure

wild, it gives a rarer, richer and more natural flavor. Learn more details of our Wild Agave

Nectar.

Difference between Light, Dark, Amber and Raw color Agave Syrups

Agave syrup can come in light, dark, amber and raw varieties. The differences are produced by

controlling the level of filtration of salt and minerals in production.

Light Agave Nectar has a soft and more neutral flavor, meaning that it can be added to sauces,

baked goods, beverages and other foods without altering their flavor. This is different from

honey or barley syrup, which tend to change the flavor of the product they sweeten.

Amber Agave Nectar tastes mildly of caramel, and taste great in deserts and sauces, adding a

mild, sweet flavor to dishes. It is most suitable to be used straight out of the bottle.

Dark Agave Nectar has a much stronger caramel flavor, and is ideal for meat, seafood and

poultry dishes. It gives a distinct flavor to desserts, and is great as a topping for items such as

pancakes or crepes. However, this type of agave syrup is not available at Sisana.

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Raw Agave Nectar is produced at temperatures below 48 °C, making it a great option for raw

food enthusiasts. It also has a mild taste, and is a subtle sweetener for many foods.

The Differences Between Tequila and Mezcal, Explained

Agave is a magical plant. With over 200 known species, many of which can be made into myriad

byproducts, it is a diverse, multifaceted entity. Perhaps the best-known (and most loved) uses for

agave are tequila and mezcal.

Whether sipped neat or served in a Margarita, tequila is one of America’s favorite spirits — and

it’s on the rise. Last year, tequila consumption grew 7.4 percent.

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Mezcal is relatively new to the States, but it is picking up steam as unique bottles with innovative

flavors and strong tradition are increasingly available. Both are staples for any good bar or

beverage program.

The basics

To fully appreciate both spirits, you first have to understand the agave plant.

Indigenous to Mexico and the southern United States, agave thrives in arid desert environments.

But don’t assume it’s part of the cactus family just because they share a homeland. Agave is

actually in the same family as asparagus.

Several agave species are used for landscaping, and less than half have enough natural sugars to

be distilled into tequila or mezcal. All agave, however, has spiky leaves that jut out from a

central section of the plant called the piña. The plants generally live for around 15 to 30 years,

and mature after seven to 25 years. At the end of the plant’s life, a tall stalk grows straight up out

of its center.

Agave is a major part of the desert ecosystem, as well as a key to understanding the environment

as a whole. A threatened species called the lesser long-nosed bat  depends on flowering agave to

survive, and agave’s genetic makeup could help scientists grow more drought-resistant plants.

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“Every agave is different,” Antonio Rodriguez, the director of production at Patrón, tells me.

“Their composition, and thus the amount of sugar and flavor developed by the terroir, are all

huge differentiators between tequila and mezcal-making processes.”

Agave for tequila

By law tequila must be made with Tequilana Weber or Blue Weber agave in the Mexican states

of Jalisco, Nayarit, Tamaulipas, Michoacan, and Guanajuato. To qualify as tequila the resulting

spirit requires at least 50 percent agave, but the best tequilas are made with 100 percent agave.

“The Weber Blue agave was selected to be the go-to agave for tequila because of its higher sugar

concentration compared to other agave plants,” Rodriguez says, “as well as its reproduction

method, life cycle, and strength of the plant.”

Blue Weber, at its most basic, has herbal spice notes and citrus. But additional flavors are drawn

out through the “tahona” method that brands like Patrón and Olmeca use for some of  their

products. This process entails crushing the agave with a stone wheel, and it can add sweet flavors

similar to sweet potatoes, Rodriguez says.

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When aged in barrels, the tequila picks up a variety of flavors. American oak lends notes of

vanilla and caramel, French oak imparts dry fruits, and Hungarian oak can leave citrus and fresh

wood flavors on the spirit.

According to a 2017 Drinks International ranking, the top-selling tequila labels are Don Julio,

Calle 23, Ocho, Tapatio, and Patrón.

Agave for mezcal

Made in Mexico for at least 400 years, mezcal is a homespun affair primarily produced by small

families and villages. The name comes from the Nahuatl words “metl,” which means agave, and

“ixcalli,” which means cooked or baked.

Certification for mezcal is currently in flux. One helpful thing to remember is that tequila is a

type of mezcal, but mezcal is not a type of tequila. At the time of this writing, mezcal can only

be produced in eight states. Most mezcal is made from espadin agave grown in the state of

Oaxaca. The agave is harvested when it’s close to reproduction, when “its energy stores are the

greatest” and the piña is the most ripe, according to Richard Betts, the founder of SombraMezcal.

Traditional methods include one or more of the dozens of types of wild agave allowed for mezcal

production (the website MezcalPhD lists more than 30 types of agave plants known to be used in

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mezcal). The plants are roasted in the ground under stone and dirt, and then fermented agave

juice is distilled in wood-burning clay pots or copper stills.

Which type of agave a producer uses largely depends on the area in which it’s made, Danny

Mena, the co-founder of Mezcales de Leyenda, says.

“For example, in Michoacán, our producer Guadalupe grows Americana, Inaquidens, and

Cupreata extremely well,” Mena says. “Each of these agaves have their own qualities. The only

real thing that you are looking for in an agave is to have enough sugars to be able to ferment.”

The varying types of agave as well as the terroir of the region it’s grown and distilled in means

there’s not a hard and fast set of flavors in mezcal. In the U.S., where the majority of mezcal

bottles are made from espadín, consumers can expect a sweet nose with a long, sweet flavors.

Espadín also absorbs smoke more in the distilling process, Mena says, giving it more of a

charred aspect.

Like tequila, mezcal easily picks up barrel flavors when aged.

The 18 Best Tequilas in the World

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Margaritas being prepared from an overhead viewGetty Images

byNils Bernstein and Jason Fine

Some of us would say there’s never a bad time for a little tequila. That said, there’s definitely

never been a better time than now, thanks to a boom in traditionally minded artisanal tequilas

and wider availability of longstanding Mexican brands that lack big marketing budgets. No, the

struggle these days isn’t in finding a superb, distinctive, and refined tequila – one that instantly

erases any hangover memories of rotgut shots – but deciding among myriad great options.

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First, a quick primer: Tequila is made from one species of agave, agave tequilanaweber,

varazul(or blue agave), and primarily in the arid lowlands and rainy highlands outside of

Guadalajara, in the state of Jalisco  (by law, it can also be produced in parts of four other

Mexican states).

When the agaves reach maturity after several years, their sugar-rich hearts (piñas) are cooked

and crushed; the extracted juice is then fermented and, finally, distilled. Several factors come

into play at each stage of this process, but at the very least, for a tequila to be great, it must be all

agave, with no additives. (Rule number one: Never buy tequila that’s not labeled “100% agave.”)

Blanco is the clear tequila as it comes off the still, though it can spend up to two months aging in

oak barrels. Golden reposado is aged from two months to a year. Dark añejo sits from between

one and three years, and the relatively recent extra-añejo is any tequila aged more than three

years, which results in qualities similar to those of long-aged rums and brandies.

RELATED: The 15 Best Mezcal Brands to Buy Now

Unlike aged whiskies or wines, tequilas that are older aren’t necessarily better. And while aging

can certainly mask a lesser tequila, any great blanco can make for a beautiful reposado and añejo

(and since most of our favorite brands make all three styles, the list we’ve compiled ultimately

comprises much more than 18 bottles). Though the right style is a matter of personal preference,

we recommend the blancos mentioned here for sipping neat or as luxurious mixers.

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Reposados are ideal over ice, while añejos come alive when sipped in brandy snifters (while

lounging in a worn leather armchair, naturally).

In order to finalize our short list of the best tequilas around, we tasted dozens and dozens of

bottles. And we were careful to include as many options from every category and a range of

price points. Most of our favorite brands produce blancos, reposados, and añejos, and, while we

tend to prefer blancos, we would happily recommend them all. Also included are high-end

specialty bottles that impressed us. Salud!

Fortaleza

Fortaleza is made by fifth-generation tequileroGuillermo Sauza (yes, thatSauza, though the

family sold off its eponymous brand decades ago), who in the 1990s sought to re-create the

tequila his great-great-grandfather made a century before. The agave is crushed by a traditional

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tahona (or stone wheel), fermented in small wooden vats, and distilled in tiny copper-pot stills

for maximum quality control. Notably, Fortaleza is a “lowlands” tequila, which is made from

agave that takes longer to ripen than highlands versions and typically has a sweeter flavor. Sure

enough, Fortaleza is silky smooth, coming on sweet and a little spicy – like coconut candy with a

touch of cinnamon – but leaves you with a briny finish, almost like a salted glass rim. Most of

our other picks in this roundup are of the highlands variety, but Fortaleza is, to us, perfection.

Casa Noble

Casa Noble makes a range of tasty handcrafted (and certified organic) lowlands tequilas. All are

superb, but Casa Noble’s limited-production Jóven recently captured the attention of our

tastebuds. Bottled at 102 proof for a fuller flavor, it sits in oak for just six weeks, which would

technically make it a blanco, but it’s distinct from Casa Noble’s no-oak blanco, which it calls

Crystal (and is itself a powerfully rustic, almost salty spirit). As a result, it has a richness and

roundness that suggests dark chocolate, without the cloying vanilla and butter flavors that oak

can impart.

Siete Leguas

Aside from excellent agave sourcing, one of the keys to the clean, rustic flavor of SieteLeguas is

the complex process used to produce the liquor – some of the agave hearts are crushed using the

ancient donkey-pulledtahonas or stone-wheel mills, some using modern sugar cane shredders.

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The secret is the mix, and it varies from batch to batch, depending on any number of factors. The

result is wildly complex: You might smell or taste spearmint, pine, earth, and cinnamon – but it’s

always smooth and perfectly balanced. [get it delivered by drizly.com; $50, 750ml]

Tequila Tapatio

Carlos Camarena comes from a venerable family of the tequila trade that has been in the business

since the 1800s. He distills many top-shelf tequilas, but TapatioAñejo, a 75-year-old Mexican

brand only recently available in the United States, is our favorite. In crafting Tapatio, Camarena

allows the piñas, or sugar-rich hearts, to ferment slowly along with the bagazo, or residual pulp,

and then lets the finished blanco sit in steel tanks for six months. The result is a distinctive

tequila that is full-bodied and spicy. The company’s recently introduced Tapatio Blanco

110 (110 proof) is also surprisingly sippable, with a big floral aroma and herbal flavors.

Herradura

Herradura has continuously produced tequila since 1870, and the roughly 25 million agaves it

maintains are propagated from the original plants of that era. More than any other huge-scale

producer, Herradura has found a way, though, to maintain quality while scaling up. (Way, way

up – its fermentation tanks hold more than a million gallons.) Rather than rely on commercial

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yeasts to hasten fermentation, the company uses only naturally occurring airborne yeasts and lets

the juice ferment for up to a week. The hacienda has a knack for aging: Herradura introduced the

reposado category in 1974, and it remains one of the best examples of the style, with classic

vanilla and butterscotch elements that come from a long (for reposado) 11 months in American

oak. Its Silver spends 45 days in oak, giving it a bit of color and smoothness, though without

overpowering the base agave flavor

CONCLUSION

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If you blithely follow the interwebs, you may have come to the conclusion that tequila is

a miracle drink. In the past year, stories have bounced around about the wonders of

Mexico’s most famous spirit: It’ll help you lose weight, improve the bacteria in your gut,

lower blood sugar levels, fight cholesterol and even reduce your chances of developing

dementia. Most of these claims, unfortunately, are boneheaded. And, honestly, declaring

any 80-proof liquor to be “good for you” is mighty suspect in the first place.

However,  there is a tiny shred of truth to the idea that tequila won’t damage you as

cavalierly as some other spirits might. One hundred percent blue agave blanco

tequilaswhich, unlike reposados or añejos, aren’t aged in wood—are low in congeners,

the chemical impurities that are hard for your system to process and can exacerbate

hangovers. Also, since these tequilas are made solely from a succulent plant and not a

grain, the gluten-averse among us can relax. But will tequila make you thinner? Well...it

has no fewer calories than any other spirit of equal strength. But if you drink it straight,

at least you’re not adding any calories. And our favorite bottles all taste fantastic in a

glass by themselves, with a rock or without.

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