Let's Talk Tequila!
Tequila History
- In Aztec Legend, Lightning Struck An Agave Plant And Transformed Its
Juice Into An Alcoholic Drink With Mystical Powers
- The Aztecs Began Fermenting Agave Juice To Produce An Alcoholic Beverage They Called Pulque
- Pulque Was Considered To Be A Gift From The Gods
- The Spaniards Arrived In The 1500’s Bringing The Art Of Distillation
- They Saw The Natives Drinking Pulque And Soon Began Distilling Agave Into A Spirit They Called Mezcal
- Mezcal Production Spread Throughout Mexico
- By The 18th Century, Mezcal From The Town Of Tequila Was Famous For Its Quality
- Here, They Used Only One Type Of Agave, The Blue Agave, Which Only Grows In Tequila
- That’s How Tequila Got Its Name And Its Quality Has Been Carefully Guarded Ever Since
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Making Tequila
- Agave Harvest
- Agave Cooking
- Agave Shredding
- Fermentation
- Distillation
- Aging
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The Blue Agave Plant
- Only Grows In Area Surrounding Tequila In The State Of Jalisco, Mx
- Takes 6-8 Years To Reach Maturity
- Looks Like Giant Pineapple That Stands 6 Feet Tall
- Looks Like A Cactus But Actually A Member Of The Lilly Family
- Core Of The Plant Is Called The Pina
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Like Cognac, Tequila Is Named For The Place That It Is Made
“All Cognac Is Brandy But Not All Brandy Is Cognac”
“All Tequila Is Mezcal But Not All Mezcal Is Tequila”
Harvesting Agave
- Agave Still Harvested By Hand By Jimadors
- The Leaves Are Chopped Off To Reveal The Pina
- The Pina Can Weigh Over 100 Pounds
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Cooking Agave
- At The Distillery, The Pinas Are Cooked In Large Autoclaves To Convert The Starches To Sugar
- The Cooked Agave Is Then Milled & Mixed To Extract The Sweet Juice, Called The Aguamiel
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Fermentation
- The Aguamiel Is Pumped Into Open Topped Fermentation Tanks
- Fermentation Lasts 24-72 Hours
- Temperature Control Is Critical To Ensure Quality
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Distillation
- The Fermentation Liquid Is Double Distilled At Low Proof To Retain The Unique Agave Flavo
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Tequila Classification
There Are Two Ways To Distill Tequila
- Mixto Tequila:
- At Least 51% Of The Sugars Come From Blue Agave
- Has A Softer, More Subtle Agave Flavor
- May Be Shipped In Bulk And Bottled Outside Mexico
- 100% Agave Tequila:
- 100% Of The Sugars Must Come From Blue Agave
- Has A More Intense Agave Flavor
- Bottled Only In Mexico, Within The Designated Areas
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Tequila Aging
After Distillation, Tequila Is Ready For Aging. By Law, There Are 4 Aging Classifications:
- BLANCO: Unaged Silver Tequila
- Joven Abocado: Unaged Gold Tequila
- Reposado: Aged 2-12 Months In Wood
- Anejo: Aged Over One Year In Small Oak Barrels
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