Tequila originates from the Mexican city of Tequila. Tequila is made from tequila agave, a blue, unicorn-leaved plant found in the agave genus.
The drink can only be called tequila if it meets the rules set by the Consejo Regulador del Tequila - an organisation that focuses on maintaining the standard of tequila.
Distilled alcoholic beverages made from the agave species are collectively known as mezcal, but what distinguishes tequila from other drinks made from agave plants is that tequila is protected by origin and is made from specific tequila agave grapes. Tequila can only be made in a few places in Mexico. Its production is strictly regulated by Mexican law, and enforcement of these rules is tightly enforced.
In the late 1990s, the EU reached an agreement with Mexico to defend the protection of origin, precisely because it used to be perfectly legal to put the name 'tequila' on drinks that were not even close to real tequila, resulting in poor quality spirits. This agreement has succeeded in shutting down illegal tequila production. It is only recently that exclusive 100% tequila has begun to reach European consumers.
More than 50 000 plants are used every month to produce both mezcal and tequila. To identify the producer, all varieties must have a NOM number.
Manufacturing
No raw material for making spirits takes as long to grow as agave. It can take up to 10 years before it is harvested for the first time. The agave is harvested by hand using a spear - the Coa - which has a sharp metal blade at the tip. The men who harvest the agave are called jimadores, a name that comes from the Spanish word jima, meaning 'harvest'.
Once the agave is harvested, the trunk is cut clean of leaves - the trunk alone can weigh between 40 and 80 kilos. The stripped stem is prepared differently depending on whether you want to make a finer or cheaper type of tequila. The industrially produced tequila is diluted with molasses or some other cheap sugar. This is distilled in a patent still or column distiller. The finer variety of tequila is distilled by roasting the agave strains in single pans, usually in a traditional brick oven. Different flavours are produced depending on how long it is distilled. Distilling is done at least twice, and after the second time the tequila becomes colourless and has an alcohol content of 55-70%. The cheaper version turns golden as it is often coloured with sugar.
During distillation, the starch is converted into sugar. Once the roasting process is complete, the stem is ground and the sugar washed out. The resulting liquid is fermented, i.e. it is left to ferment, which takes place under a strictly controlled process. Healthy bacteria produce different acids here, changing the taste.
Tequila is not stored for very long, 2-3 months is sufficient, but in some cases it can be stored for as long as 10 years. However, the flavour does not change much after 5 years of storage. The finer varieties of tequila are aged in different types of oak barrels.
Tequila is divided into two different classes, "agave" and "mixto". By law, mixto must contain at least 51% agave juice, the rest being pure spirit and possibly sugar cane or corn juice. The agave variety is made from 100% agave and must not contain any additives.
There are some tequila varieties that contain smaller amounts of flavourings, such as sherry, coconut and plum concentrate. This is to give the drink a different character.
There are 5 different types of tequila:
1. Añejo is aged in oak barrels for at least 1 year, but no longer than 3 years. At this length of ageing, it is given the 2006 designation Extra Añejo. It is often aged in a redwood, sherry or Kentucky bourbon barrel and must not exceed 600 litres in capacity.
2. Blanco or Plata is an unfiltered white tequila. It is mainly used to make drinks.
3. Oro is also an illicit tequila. It is made white by its added colouring and flavouring to resemble aged tequila (plata). This is almost always tequila mixto, and is mainly used to prepare drinks.
4. Reposado (meaning "rested"). This is aged in oak barrels for between 2 months and 1 year.
In 2016, the total production of tequila was over 278 million litres, of which nearly 88 million were genuine 100% agave. Compared to previous years, you can see that the trend is that 100% agave tequila is becoming preferred over mixto. The main varieties are produced around the city of Tequila, while the rest (20% in total) are produced in the Guadalajara area.
Tequila is an excellent base for a variety of drinks. Common drinks containing tequila are the Margarita, Long Island Ice Tea, Tequila Sunrise and Frozen Margarita.
Some drinks and their history
Margarita
Margarita is a drink made of tequila, lime juice, cointreau and ice. It is served in a salt-rimmed glass. It is usually served in a regular cocktail glass but sometimes it is also served in a whisky glass.
There are many different stories about how the drink came about. When Prohibition (1920-33) banned the sale of spirits in the US, people went to Mexico and elsewhere to drink. The Brandy Daisy (a drink made from liquor, liqueur and juice), which was so popular in the USA, was replaced by the Tequila Daisy - a drink similar to the Brandy Daisy, except that tequila was used instead of the original liquor.
Margarita is a Mexican woman's name, just as Daisy is an American one. It means "daisy" in both Spanish and English, and in honour of the drink, many women were named after it. One example is Peggy Lee, whose real name was Margaret. She is said to have been named the drink when it was made by a bartender in Texas in 1948. However, the drink was first printed, then named Margarita, when the recipe was published in Esquire magazine in 1953.
Long Island Ice Tea
Robert Butt worked as a bartender in a bar on Long Island, New York, in 1972. He claims to be the originator of Lond Island Ice Tea.
However, it is said that the original - although slightly different from today's version - was created back in the 1920s when alcohol was banned in the US. The man who invented the drink was known as "Old Man Bishop" and lived in a small community called Long Island in Kingsport, Tennessee. The drink was perfected several years later by his son, Ransom Bishop. This version included whiskey, maple syrup and various parts of five kinds of liquor, rather than today's modern one which consists of cola and equal parts of five kinds of liquor.